The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1928-10-26

The first elected from the trans
Mississippi West.
The first who was Quaker In re-
ligion.
The first secretary of commerce to
be elevated to the Presidency.
The first mining engineer to occupy
the White House.
If Smith is elected President he
will be
The sirst bearing the name of Alfred.
The first who was Catholic in re-
ligion.
The first market man to become Chief
Executive.
Although Hoover, IL elected, will
bring more "firsts," as shown above.
Smith, If elected, will be better ex-
ample of history repeating ITSELF"
Hoover as cabinet member becoming
President will be the tenth to do that.
Jefferson. Madison, Monroe, John
Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, and
James Buchanan all served as secre-
tary Of state before they became Pres
ident, and Monroe, Grant and Taft
served terms as secretary of war. So
the promotion from the cabinet to the
White House will be Hoover's only
example of following precedent.
Should Smith be elected he will be
the fourth President born in New
York and elected from that state,
Martin Van Buren,. Willard Fillmore
and Theodore Roosevelt being the
other three. He will be the sixth
President elected from the Empire
state, however. since Chester A.
Arthur and Grover Cleveland. though
born in Vermont and New Jersey re-
spectively were residents of New
York when elected. Smith will also
be the second President to have been
a New York sheriff, Cleveland being
the first If Smith is elected, 1t will
be the third time that a governor of
New York has gone from the execu-
tive mansion in Albany to the White
House. The other two were Van
Buren, and Roosevelt.
New York on almost an even basis
with Virginia and Ohio as training
ground for Presidents. The Old
Dominion still rightfully retains her
title of Mother of Presidents with
seven men born on her soil who be-
came President. They were Washing
ton, jefferson. Madison. Monroe. Har-
rison, Tyler and Wilson, although
Harrison and Wilson were elected
from Ohio and New Jersey respec-
lively.
Ohio's record is six native sons
elected to the Presidency. They were
Grant (who was elected from Illinois,
however). Hayes. Garfield. Mckinley,
Taft and Harding.
Since the religious issue has been
so prominent in the present campaign.
it is interesting to note the variety of
religions which have been repre-
scented in the White House. There
have been eight different sects and
whichever way the election goes this
year a ninth is due to be added.
Eight Presidents have been Episco-
palians, seven Presbyterians, four
Methodists, three Unitarians, two of
the Reformed Dutch faith. one Bap-
fist, one member of the Disciples.
President Coolidge is Congregation
alist.
Thomas Jefferson was classed as a
Liberal and noted biographer de-
clares that he was a believer in
Christianity, although not sectarian.
While President johnson was not a
church member he was a Christian
believer and his wife was a Metho-
dist, resulting in him being accredited
to that faith.
The Presidents who were Episco-
palians were Washington. Madison,
Monroe, Harrison. Tyler, Taylor,
Pierce and Arthur. Those claimed as
Presbyterians were Jackson. Polk,
Buchanan, Lincoln, Cleveland, Harri-
son and Wilson. The Methodists were
johnson, Grant. Hayes and Mckinley
John Quincy Adams. Fillmore and