The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-01-07
JANUARY 2, 1883
The Last Of His Line

&atVln SOOHuSe was tne Only HNlnS VA president in the United States at the time of his death. We won't have another until Herbert Hoover retires from office on March (. All of which might indicate that the serious efforts on the part of the nation to create a position of honor and trust for those men who have been our presidents is not necessary. Few retired presidents have been long lived By that we mean they have not survived their administrations many years. Only thrice in recent years have we had two ex-presdents living at the same time. Oddly enough Mir Coolidge was one of these, shar- ing. the honor with William Howard Taft for about one year, 1929 to lo30.
 For many years. of course, Theodore Roosevelt and Mir Taft enjoyed the spot light. Then Roosevelt died during the ad- niinistration of Woodrow Wilson, leaving the latter and Mir Taft to uphold the honor of former White House residents. Wilson died. leaving Taft the solitary living ex' president. Coolidge survived his adminis- tration four years Harding died in the midst of his Wilson lasted three years after his retirement. Then we have the sturdy Taft and Roosevelt Before them Mckinley. assassinated less than year after his second Inauguration,
 Grover Cleveland lived to sec Mckinley succeeded by Roosevelt and Taft nominated for the prcsideney Benjamin Harrison just survived MeKinley's second inauguration. Going back to the first presidents we find some exceptional cases such as when James Monroe was president, l8l7-25. Three immediate predecessors James Madison, z Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams were flying: in fact, Madison outlived him by five years. Of course. Adams was an ex- ception to all presidents, He lived to the ripe old age of 90. He even returned to Congress after being defeated for second tmm as president. Since the death of George Washington in l797 the country has never X bcen without living cx-president until this day.
 There were four exprcsidcnts to advise John Quincy Adams for a short time. An drew Jackson had three in his time: Tyler three, as had Polk, Fillmore, and Pierce. It jumped to four with the advent of James Buchanan. Pierce, Fillmore, Tyler, and Van Burcn living then two of them, in fact, out living him. Abraham Lincoln has the added distinction of having five ex.presdents alive It dropped back to three for both Johnson and Grant. From then on it dwindled rapidly. Hayes saw only Grant during his term. All of which might seem to indicate S that our living ex.presidents reached their high water mark in Lneoln's day and are now back to normal.
 Physicians state that modern demands upon our presidents are responsible for the ' short life of most of them. Their life span is cut nine years now, is the report. No doubt there is a lot to this In the good old ' days it wasn't necessary for the president to lay a cornerstone after breakfast plant tree before lunch. speak to the visiting Whats This Club at noon, launch a new ship in the early afternoon. address another gathering in the late afternoon, attend a diplomatic dinner at night. not to mention attend to routine duties such as sign a few checks and legislative bills. It's an office that drains the vitality of the strongest men. Wilson, Harding and Coolidge arc good modern examples. It's time we gave our chief executives a breathing spell.