Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-08
Observation-Disclosures $, 1919
THE 1920 CAMPAIGN.


With the death of Colonel Roosevelt
speculation will begin anew regarding
the candidate of the republican party
for the presidency in 1920. From the
time the armistice was signed there
had been more or less talk of a cam
didate who would be popular war
hero The name of Pershing was men,
toned most often, but General Billiard
and Provost Marshal General Crowder
were also spoken Of
AS time passes, however, the talk OF
war hero will fade out The country
will have taken note of the fact that
n practical statesman, rather than a
war hero, will be needed at the helm
Of state for several years.
The Journal has pointed out before
that war heroes have not made good
presidents. Andrew Jackson was a
great hero in his day. He broke the
Indian power in Alabama. bullied
Spain in Florida, and beat the British
army at New orleans. He was con-
sdered to deserve the presidency and
his admring countrymen elected him.
But Andrew Jackson did two things
from which the country suffered for
many years, He destroyed the Bank
of the United States and with it the
national monetary system established
by Hamilton, and he established tho
!, Xt-l,i p1
even such partisan as Thomas JEFF |
ferson had refrained from doing.
The Jacksonian spells system cursed
our politics until Theodore Roosevelt
became a member of the civil service
commission in 1889, and even now il |
survives in spots and in spirit to curse
US more, The Jacksonian finance pol
icies were responsible for most of the !
financial disasters of the United states
and persisted until the present feder
al banking system inauguratcd during
tho first Wilson administrator.
Another military president was Will !
liam Henry Harrison, who won the
battle Of Tippecanoc in the Ohio wild
erness Sudden death cut short his
administration before he had time to
show whether he would he good or
Lad president
Another military president was
Zachary Taylor, fine old war hero
who won the notable victory OF Buena
Vista, He also died in the white
House few months after he had talk
en- over an office for which he was
about as much fitted as the average
editor is to be pope at Rome
OF course, General Grant had to be
made president. The country owed
him debt of gratitude because he led
the armies OF the union to victory But
tho very qualities which made him n
great captain made him a poor prcsi-
dent.
George Washington was great
president. even If he was a great gem
eral But he had had wide experience
in political affairs before he was call
cd 10 the presidency. He had been a
law maker, had been president of the
convention which framed the consti-
tuition Of the United States, had been
member of the colonial legislature of
Virginia. was the administrator of a
great estate with a large number of
slaves and employees under his direc
ton. He knew finances as few men
knew them at that time. He depend
ed greatly on Hamilton for assistance
and advice.
Other military men who have been
president have not been men who had
devoted most or even a large part of
their lives to the career of soldering.
They had been lawyers and law-mak-
ers most Of the time, and had given
profound study to government.
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