Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-01
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

YHAT is the presidential
wv In measure the voters
of the United States have
settled this question once
every four years. But they have
voted, it must be said, without so
much regard to the age of candidates
for that high Office as for policies and
the personal qualifications of the can
didates
Thirty Presidents have served the
Nation, including President Calvin
Coolidge: The average age of these
80 men on the days they were first
inaugurated was 81 years.
George Washington was 81 years
old when he was first inaugurated
President President Coolidge was 81
when he stepped into the White
House as the successor of the late
President Harding.
Average is 81 Years.
Fifty-four, the average age of Pres
fdents entering office. has been estab-
lished, therefore, as the presidential
age" over a period of almost 127
years.
Whether any candidate for the Of
fee of President was ever turned
down because he was too old, in the
opinion of the voters, or because he
was too young, is difficult to say.
Probably some of the voters have
weighed the ages of the respective
candidates in their minds during the
campaigns, and undoubtedly argu-
nents have been advanced that this
or that man was too old or too young.
The party national conventions
which have nominated the candidates
for President doubtless have given
consideration to the age qualification.
Until 1882, however. there were no
party conventions for the selection of
candidates for President. Prior to
that time presidential electors were
chosen by popular votes in the vari-
Gus States without nominations by
party until 1894, when the Republi-
cans so called-now the Democrats
in a congressional caucus favored
Jefferson and Clinton. The Federal
lists in 1912 held a convention and
their nominee was Lieut.. Gov. De
Witt Clinton of New York.
Question of 1928 Candidates.
The next presidential campaign is
still two years in the future, but al
ready. discussions are under way re-
gardihg possible nominees of both
of the major parties. And the ques
ton of age availability crops up with
regard to some of these presidential
possibilities.
The Constitution of the United
States specifies that to hold the Office
of President a man must have
reached the age of 35 years. There is
no age limitation other tlTansthat. A
President may be as much older than
IS as nature and the voters permit.
In more recent history. William
JENNINGS esfn n q he how
candidate of a great political party
for President. He was So years old
when he swept the Democratic ma
tional convention to its feet in 1896
with a marvellous speech and was
chosen the standard bearer of that
party.
President Coolidge, who was born
July 4, 1872, at Plymouth, VT. If he
elects to become a candidate to sue
coed himself and is successful in con-
vention and at the polls, will be IS
years old when he takes the oath of
Office March 4, 1929. He was So
years old-the age of Abraham Lin
coin when he was first inaugurated
when he was sworn in March 4,
1925.
Lowden Would BE IS.
What about the ages of other men
whose names are mentioned from
time to time in connection with the
Republican and Democratic nomina.
tions for President? There is Frank
o. Lowden, former Governor of I'LL
nois, hailed now as friend of the
farmer and a man of the Middle West
who understands it's problems. Mr..
1owden was a strong contender for
the Republican nomination in 1920
and had 1t not been for the indiscre-
ton of some of his supporters in Mis-
souri,. where money was spent in his
cause in a corrupt manner, he might
have landed the prize and have sat in
the White House instead of President
Harding.
Mr.. Lowden is no longer spring
chicken" He was born in Sunrise
City, Mimi, January IS. 1851, before
the outbreak of the Civil War. If
he should be nominated and elected
President, he would be IS years old on
entering the White House Only one
President in the history of the coun-
try has been so advanced in years
when he entered upon office-William
Henry Harrison. He died a month
after his Inauguration.
It is of record that only FIVE of the