The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-14
ny JOHN ELFI,Eru wATKIN,.

OR brief half hour let us follow
the candidates OF both parties,
az they have raced side by side
through the decades. Ignoring their
political theories entirely, let us see tho
contrasts of their respective fortunes
at tho same periods OF their careers.
Tho flrBt contestant In the race was
hudson Harmon. OF ONO. He was four
years old when Champ Clark started
running, nearly nine years and a half
old when La Toilette entered and
nearly eleven when Woodrow Wilson
first became Il contestant. He was
eleven and half when Taft arrived
upon the course, nearly thirteen when
Roosevelt Joined the contest. and past
sixteen whom little Oscar Underwood
first placed his chubby foot upon the
ring.
Tho first collective view which we
can get of these contestants Is during
the exciting period Of the Civil War.
Within those four years Judson liar-
mon. minister's son. entered Dcn!son
University, Baptist institution Of
Granville, o.. where lie was TO take
his a. 3. the year after Lees surren-
der. When Sumter was fired on Clark.
poor itinerant dentists motherless
boy. was doing chores for a Kentucky
farmer. that he might work out his
sisters board as well as hin own.
whilo no attended the ncighboring
village school. but before the war was
over he had, when lad OF fourteen,
sought shorter road 10 fortune by
way Of a siA-doilnr-h-w week clcrkship
in tho crossroads store. which mart
was. however, coon 10 20 out OF bust
ness.
Underwood, born in the second year
OF the war. Was at the close OF that
struggle carried from Kentucky 10 ST.
Paul. along with his Invalid mother,
who went part Of the way on a mat
tresa- Tho father OF the saddcncd
family was moving his law practice
10 the Minnesota city, that his faithful
wife might regain her health, which
she did, having lately entered the
venerable category OF the octogenarlan.
home Boy hoOd Contrasts.
'Lub" Taft Ior thus was he nick
named on account OF his size) Vas in
those bloody days principally engaged
In outgrowing his clothes. Young
In outgrowing his clothes. Young Thco-
dore Roosevelt was q frail lad IN com
parison. He suffered SO painfully from
mer nights his fond father would wrap
him up In blankets and drive him out
into tho country. where the fresh, cool
ozone relieved his puroxyma Of sinoth
erinH. Those war times wer. being
spent By little Woodrow WILSON in
the southern parsonage OF his father.
who was u Presbyterian divine and
by little Bob La Toilette In hia native
WISCONSIN.
During the Reconstruction days
Harmon, after graduating at Denison
Univers!ty. entered tho Cincinnati Law
school, whore CLAIR, and TAFT are later
10 be trained as sarrtsters. But be
fore no follows hither Clark must
continue to tread q thorny path. AS a
farm !aborer snd country schoolrnas-
ter he plods along until he can rake
ard scrape enough money together TO
put him In the University OF Kentucky
for the presidency arc during this time
dividing their attentions between play
and primary schools. IL they did any
thing remarkable history has missed
IL thus far.
Expelled for Fighting Duel
In the seventies all were to make
records. In tho first year OF that
decade Harmon. lawyer of one year's
practice. married, and three years later
Clark. having been expelled from the
senior class OF the Kentucky Univer
atty for iEhting duel In the classic
style. entered bethany College n
Canpbellite institution OF West Wiz
Einia TO gain his shccpsk!n which he
directly captured. taking first honors
along with II. The same year he he
came president of Marshall College
West Virginia, at a salary OF sl4o0
along with which went the as yet un-
broken record OF being the younges
was then hut twcnty-threc. But yearn-