Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-16
WHO WILL Be OUR
NEXT PRES|DENT2
NolSevcnth Son Of a Seventh Son
Can Tell; Both Parties Are
at Sea.
By Frederick j. Haskin.

Washington, % c., Dec 8.-What has
become Of that seventh son Of a seventh
son who can always tell you year ahead
who il going TO be the next President.
He is gone, along with the political
logic uron which be based his judgments
II used TO be argued that because man
lived in Ohio. had an Irish grsndmother,
fought in the Civil War, and had never
stated definite opinion about anything.
he was unbeatable. And often he was-
The Presidential virtues for long time,
we're chiefly negative. OF course very
early in orr history We had some remark
able Presidents In that day we had an
intellectual aristocracy. It led us IN sue
cess in the Revolutionary war, and FUR
nished our 20 itical leaders for generation
or so afterward. OF this crew we're Wash
ington, Adams and Jefferson.
But with the growth Of the democratic
idea came the demagogue, and the medic
Gritty in the Presidential chair. The rugged
figure Of Jackson stands out--a great
demagogue bnt 8 ,demagogue none. the
less-admirable IN his courage but terrible
In his ignorance Then came the Civil
War, strangely producing It's own genius
in Lincoln, . being unaccnslntabis and
unique
After the Civil War our strange nA-
tional sport Of Presidential politics reach
ed its highest development. Presidential
candidates we're nothing but pas'ns used
bv the great parties in the game which
they played for the stakes OF Office and
power Men were chosen because they
were sale MediOcrity was a prime
qualification. 4 man with q marked per
sonality. marked achievement, or marked
in any other way WAS not wanted. That
brilliant individuality like that OF Clevc-
land reached the Presidency In spite OF
this system was an accident which poll
ticians deplored.
1t Is only in the past generation that the
Presidency has been rescued from medic
critv. President Roosevelt taught the
people to regard the President SIS their
personal representative, and not mersly
as the mouthpiece OF political party,
and Of the interests which dominate IL
Mr. Wilson has carried this idea Of the
/ President as the official interpreter of the
public will still further Both oi them
have shown that there is still room in the
Presidency for a real personality
Another thing which has perlshed. re-
( Gently is political orstory Of the old
/ spread beagle and sentimental school. II
/ is still practlced IN the South TO some eN-
tent, and in back counties generally, but
+ Il is no longer, as 1t once was, y Presl-
I iential sine qua non No mau Is going to
win the Presidency this time on strength
/ of his uerorations Who win get the
/ nominations is mystery, but certainly
neither Of them will be captured by a
cross OF gold and crown OF thorRs =
| speech.
Thus. while II is hard TO pick the IN
! dividual who will be the next President
/ It IS not hard 70 pick the type. The man
viii not be = professional politician, a
mediocrity foisted on the public by has
/ fellow professionals IL will not make so
much difference where he hives. 4 record
Of public Office will not help him much,
| but d record of practical achievement w1u
help him great deal And be viii not be
sentimentallst, tear squeezer, one who
weeuS and bellows and waves the flag.
| The type Of the next President IS well
represented in the leading candidates, and
men mentioned in connection with the
candidacy Two Of these men are eSpe-
cially significant. Hoover and McAdoo.
Perhaps neither OF them will even run. but
the mere fact that these two have been
widely mentioned for the Presidency,
and have been more or iess accepted by
the people as men Of type VINO might
make good Presidents, is tremendously
significant II IS claimed of AlcAdoo that
be has brilliant record AZ political ex-
ecutive. tut Hoover has been in no way
ssooiated th polities
The fact that "a Hoover Of unknown
politics had even been mentioned for the
| Presidency is striking proof that the pub
lie mind q the United States has changed.
Twenty five years ago when a Prince
Albert coat and wide black hat and the
ability to thunder out platitudes in
baritone voice were almost essentials OF
political success, Hoover would have been
is out of place IN politics rs a bricklayer
in cabaret. Here is man who has
wealth and cares nothing for the material
success involved; who shows no slightest
craving for publicity for It's own sake;
who does not seem to represent class or q
point oi view; who has nothing to recon-
meut him for the job except capacity for
handling large enterprises and sn in
tegrlty thar seems not to bc questioned by
anyone. He is Z stlangcr il our politieal
arena, aud the fact that We allow him 70