The Alaska daily empire., 1921-03-18
FOLLOWING PRECEDENT.

Writers in newspapers and magazines throughout the country arelendcayoring explain why Pres- dent Wilson who reached degree of popularity during the war and .the first months after the sign ing the armstice that was probably never before equalled by any flii from the high estate and lost the favor of his coantrymen. Strange as 1t may seem they all write if it were phenomenal swhile as a matter of fact history has simply repeated it. self The experience of President Wilson no exception to. the rule. It followed the rule No American President since Jackson except Roosevelt who completed the full term of office for which he elected quit with the people of the country behind him, and the signs of the times already had begun to give evidence dimming popularity for Roosevelt four years after he retired from office he tried to back and received only 27 per of the votes
 Lincoln was assassinated in the first weeks Of his second term, but the circumstances that Stevens Wade Morton and other led his party into recon struction program that dametrcay opposite tc that which he favored shows that his popularity would not long have survived peace-perhaps as lcng did that of President Wilson Grant elected President in 1872 by the largest majority given q candidate for that time, repudated within two years and went out of office with the people sci against luis public policies, and four years later he refused nomination by his own party It fs probably not too much to say that no one ever dreamed of renomnating Hayes for President and Arthur -who succeeded him, (Garhold only served few months before his assassination was refused q nomination in 1884.
 For ten years Cleveland had only Blaine as d rival in popularity among American public men, yet, elected by an overwhelming plurality in 1892, he quit the Presidency four years afterward with | much smaller following than had Wilson when he last rode down Pennsylvania Avenue as President He was repudiated by his own party in 1896 liar rison was practically repudiated within two year after his inauguration and overwhelmingly defeated for second term His experience was repeated b., that of Taft twenty years aferward.
 0 he Me evet with seeming approval of the public wouIG lEdcate that the great popularity of that sainted leader was nearing the brink of disaster when hi lie was sacrificed 10 the venom of an anarchist r. he had lived 10 the end term and the standpa element had prevented his party from falling into the hands Of Roosevelt, if is almost certain that h would nave been succeeded by Democrat.
 Even Washington had lost his popularity with the masses before he quit the Presidency, though ha quickly reganed it after he had retired from office Adams who followed him w2s swept out of office arct his first term, Then came a period which offers an exception to the rule Beginning with Jefferson f5l quarter oi century the people stood steadfasl9 b9hhd 'their Presidents and their policies Jefferson named s successor and his successors successor and each Of the three retired after serving two term, With the undiminishcd goodwill of the people behin hm John Quincy Adams, who succeeded Monroe witnessed the going of the of good feeling and gave way to Jackson in four years Jackson lil5. JeherSon took his popularity and leadership win. Him mo retirement. lie named his friend Var, buren 70 succeed him. The latter quickly lost hi. popularity and was driven ont of office in lS4e Four years later Jaeksons friend and neighbor Poll became President, but his popularity soon began f Iaoe ana alter four years he succeeded by T Whtg. In the meantime the great Jackson had passed to his reward. Since that time no man ha. led the Nation for long period Pierce might have been renominated and reelected if he had schemed for it, but had il been so he probalIv would have retired in 1861 as unporuar a. WI. Buchanan.
 Most ot our Presidents who lost popularity while in office lived 10 regain ii. and thcrc is not one o them to whom history has accorded high plac. among our patriots and men of distinction.