The Washington herald., 1911-06-26
AGES OF PRESIDENTS.

Facto ABOUT FORMER Executives ana
Prospective Candidates.
From the Columbia Is. c. State
It was said the other day by a dis
tinguished reformer and progressive
that none developed into a progressive
after having lived as a conservative for
sixty years; 1t was contrary to nature,
he contended, for the virility and aggress-
iveness<the essentials Of progressive
ness-to dominate after quiet ways Of
least resistance had been pursued for
threescore years and nature had de-
creased the energy Of life. t- Z
That view presents SO obviously the
truth that a contention against it must
be based only upon the discovery, in
the search of history, of EXCEPTIONS The
considerations Of natures rule in such
affairs may be forced upon the Demo-
Gratis Of the United States before making
up their mind as to whom they shall
choose for the. standard-bearer Of the
party in the next Presidential campaign.
when the party to have sound hope for
success must enter the field and continue
there as a virile, progressive party. 1t
may, therefore, have interest to see how
the sands Of time have run in the lives
Of those distinguished Americans whom
their fellow-citizens, In more or less num-
bers. regard as probable candidates for
the Democratic nomination, and to then
glance at the age record OF Presidents
since the founding Of the republic
On the 18th Of next March Mr.. Bryan
will be fifty-two years old.
A month and a half earlier, on Feb
ruary 8, 1912, Gov. Harmon, Of Ohio, will
reach his sixty-sixth birthday.
Gov. Wilson will be ffty-five years old
on the 2Sth OF next December.
On the 7th OF March following, Gov.
Marshall, of In4fana, VIII pass the fifty
seventh milestone.
March is the favorite for the IRE
ceptives," Champ Clarks birthday, when
he will be si&ty-two, coming on the
7th-the same date as MarshalPs.
Joseph w. Folk. is the baby" He will
be forty-two on October e.
OF the six gentlemen here prominently
mentioned" two are in the sixties, three
IA the fifties, and one in the forties.
In the l22 years since the Father of
His Country assumed the obligation Of
President, there have been five Presidents
inaugurated when they had passd the
three score mark. John Adams and An
drew Jackson were each sixty-ons years
old when they took the oath Of office.
James Buchanan was sixty-fve. Zachary
Taylor was sixty-four, and he died
sixteen months thereafter. William
Henry Harrison, the old soldier, assumed
the harness OF the great political office
when sixty-eight. He lived but one
month as President
Should Gov. Harmon be elected, his
inauguration would take place a month
cepting william Henry Harrison. would
be the oldest President in the life Of the
republic.
Eight Of the twelve Presidents in the
last sixty-four years have been between
fifty and ffty-six years old when inaugu-
rated. Three were between forty-seven
and fifty; and the twelfth. Roosevelt, was
elected President when forty-six years
old.
In the past sixty-four years--or more
than half the republics lfe-no President
has been inaugurated who was over fifty
six years of aga Washington was fifty
seven when he went into ONCE, and at
that age three more Presidents were in
augurated. no other age being SO well
represented In all .the long list. Five
were older than fitty-three and younger
than hfty-seven. Counting only his In
auguration as an elected, not as a sue
ceeding President, Roosevelt and Grant
were each forty~six-and the 'bahies"-
when taking the Presidential otfice as
the peoples choice.
If Woodrow Wilson should next year
be the choice Of the American people for
President, his Inauguration would occur
about sixty-eight days after his nfty-
sixth birthday.