Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-09-20
AGES
MAY PLAY PART IN
PRESIDENTIAL RACE
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
LEASED Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1929

Copyright, 1921
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1S.-Age
may be literally a vital issue in the
next presidential campaign. Demo
Gratis OF prominence are beginning
to talk among themselves about the
age of the men most suitable to
make the race against President Cal
vim Coolidge if the latter is the Re
publican nominee.
Mr.. Coolidge is now just past 81
and will be 81 years and a half on
March 4, 1925, when the next pres
idential term begins. Many people
who argue that the burdens of the
presidency are almost superhuman
and are clamoring that the executive
be relieved have lost sight of the fact
that few men enter the presidency
of a big business at the age of sixty
or more.
Looking over the list of twenty
nine presidents of the United States
preceding Mr.. Coolidge it will be
found that all but four were fifty.
seven or younger when inaugurated
and that the majority were nearer
fifty than fifty-seven. Of the four
presidents who entered the White
House above the age of fifty-seVen
William Henry. Harrison, age IS,
served only a month Of his term and
died; Zachary Taylor, who was Ga,
died in office after year of his
term. James Buchanan was 65
upon inauguration and John Adams
was 81.
Few Younger That 81
Using 81 as the upper limit of tke
presidential age at Inauguration
though to be sure the tWo-term
presidents have usually been much
younger than that-the men who are
now being talked of on both the Re.
publican and Democratic tickets for
the presidency would be narrowed
down to few. Here are the ages of
the various statesmen mentioned
for the presidency as they would be
on March 4, 1925, when the next
presidential term begins:
La toilette, SO years, 8 months.
P1nchot, SO years, months.
Senator Ralston, 6S years, 8
months.
John w. Davis, 81 years, 10
months.
Al Smith, So years, months
James NJ. Cox, "a years, II
months,
w. G. McAdoo. 62 years, 6 months.
Nv. j. Bryan, 65 years, 1 month,
Oscar Underwood, 81 years, 10
months.
Garter Glass, 81 years, 1 month.
Hlram johnson, So years, 5 months
FORMER Senator Kenyon, of Iowa.
80 years, 8 months.
Henry Ford, 81 years. months
or the foregoing number only two
men are younger than President
Coolidge and they are both Demo-
Gratis, Governor Al Smith, of New
York, and John w. Davis. of West
virginia, the latter of whom is the
youngest of all the men mentioned
Tor the presidency. If 81 were the
age limit for the Inauguration of a
president only former Senator Ken
yon, OF Iowa; James M. Cox. John
w. Davis, Al Smith and Calvin
Coolidge would come under that
mark.
Roosevelt Only az
Most people do not realize that
Henry Ford, for instance. is past go
or that the veteran senator from
Wisconsin,, Robert M. LaFolIette.
has passed So and will be nearly
20 on March 4, 1925. Samuel
Ralston, junior senator from Indi-
ana, would be over 68 at the begin
ming of the next term.
The vigor of Theodore Roosevelt
in the presidency has always been
attributed by many of his friends to
the fact that he was AZ, the young
est man to enter the White House
in American history. At the end
of his seven years he was only 40
which is below the age of all the
candidates now being mentioned.
The burdens Of the presidency are
admittedly greater today than they
were in the past. There is no doubt
that both Warren Harding and
Woodrow Wilson had the best Of
medical attention. The former was
SO years old when inaugurated and
served less than three years. The
latter was Sc years old and broke
down at SO.
While many man is, stronger
than his years. the politicians are
wondering what the popular effect
VIII Nc vi COMPARISON Oh ages IL
Mr.. Coolidge, a relatively young
man. is the candidate against a man
much older than he will be in
March, 1925, namely. 81 and a half
years.
mittee adjourned until Q o'clock
Wednesday morning when the
taking Of testimony will begin.