Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-04-01
By JAMES MORGAN.


Within the present limits of the
Massachusetts city of Quincy. the
visitor may see what cannot be seen
anywhere else, the b~irth-places and
the graves Of Two Presidents. side by
side
The ~chieftainchip OF every great
Nation still passed from father to son
until the Presidency of the United
States was created, when the first free
~for-all race and an even start for the
highest prize was opened to the sons
OF men regardless of the accidents of
birth. In this fair test, new blood
has won every time with only two ex-
Iceptions in a century and a quarter.
The result would be the same every
where. Not q monarch I'm Europe to-
day could have gained his hrone in
fair competition. Nature is a demo-
jcrat.
Even John Quincy Adams did not
win the race. but was outrun at the
polls by Andrew Jackson, the son of
an immigrant. In bitter disappoint-
ment that he should not have been
lelected by the people. rather than by
congress, he declared that he would
refuse the Office IL he could only bring
about "a new election. Surely no other
President ever stepped into the White
House with so little gladness in his
heart.
Political parties having disappeared
In 1924. o u men entered the contest
and deadlocked the electoral college,
which left the Hous of Represen-
tatives to choose from among the
three highest candidates. This elimi-
mated the fourth man-Henry Clay
who aided in the election of Adams
and who received from the new Presi-
dent the appointment of State.
Jackson denounced that ~transac-
ton as a bargain and SALE" John
Randolph poured out his scorn upon
1.-The coalition of Blifl and Black
GEORGE" the combination of the
Puritan with tho blackleg." Notwith-
standing Adams stern u~prightness
was incapable of such a trade. the
,,charge wore the ugly appearance of
truth and long was believed by many.
The career of John Quincy Adams
would be impossible in this day Of or
lganized politics. Without a party,
without a faction. without an organ-
lied following. almost without a
friend. this hermit m o statesmen
lreceived the highest diplomatic posts,
was called to the head of a cabinet,
won the Presidency and held a seat in
Congress for 16 years.
The only non-partisan Administra-
ton the country ever has was not
a shining example of success. Uncom-
promising. alone. John Quincy stalked
his solitary way, never once turning to
the right or the left from the straight
and narrow path of independence.
with no sense of humor to relieve his
sense of self-righteousness. to light up
his view of his fellows or to throw his
own icy virtues, 1t was impossible for
his supporters to feel any enthusiasm
for him, as Daniel Webster's brother
Ezekiel said. unless we disembowel
ourselves like O trussed turkey of all
that is human nature within u.s."
A rule unto himself in all things,
John Quincy was defiant even of the
conventions of dress. Notwithstand-
Ing he grew up In the courts of
Europe, he was the most shabbily
dressed man who has sat in the Pres
lidential chair. 1t Is a tradition at
Washington that he wore the same hat
10 years. This the President of the
United States!" w a the involuntary
exclamation of n stranger who called
on him at Quincy in vacation time II
found him In a short Jacket. striped
cans trousers and an Old straw hat.
John Quincy surely led the simple
life In the White House. Getting up
at 8. he built his fire, read his daily
portion of the Bible inc while the
Government clerks still slept. he look
his walk or swim. One morning, as
he was enjoying himself in the waters
of tho Potomac, somebody stole his
clothes from the bank. What must
have been the surprise of a passing
boy when q short, fat. bald-headed
man. who was pacing the shore In a
state of nature. shouted at him to run
lup to the White House and ask Mrs.
adams for a suit of clothes for the
president.
One other innocent diversion
brought trouble upon John Quincy.
Fond of playing billiards with his son
and secretary, he put a billiard table
in the White House. for which the
lpuritanical President was denounced
as a gambler. Having also furnished
the east room, the Jacksonians held
him up as q spendthrift, and the cred
Iulous folks u on the frontier were
made to believe hat this most ascetfc
man was squandering their money In
la life of regal splendor.
When he came up for reelection
he was easily defeated by Jackson,
and he remained the worst beaten
president until Mr.. Taft touched a
NEW low-water mark more than so
years afterward. Poor. d~iscredited be-
fore the country and ostracised at
home he found himself turned out of
the public service In which he had
spent his life. Wrapping himself in his
melancholy, he left Washington. as he
said. ito go into the deepest retire
ment and withdrew from all connec-
|tion with public affairs" Yet there
stretched unseen before this man OF
go the most useful and brilliant years
iof his career.