The Coolidge examiner., 1935-10-11

more nominated James Knox Polk o.,
Tennessee for the Presidency. their
- NJ opponents. the Whigs. asked some
TZ what scorufully who Is Polky They
fY-a1 soon had their answer for as II
AZ ~ turned oui. he was the next President
w. OF the United States
II Mention Of him today would prob
ably result IN a similar question. For
Polk l. one of our Presidents who Is little more
than a name 90 the average American. Yet the
historians who 90 receni years have been res
culnE him from the obscuriy into which bis
name had iapsed assure that he was more
important Ia the history % the nation than many
another Chief Executive who Is much better
known here are some % the elements Ia bis
career which make him outstanding:
lie was the first dark horse IN American
political history.
lie was the nrst and. thus far. the only speaker
% the national house of representatives who
Weni on % the white House.
lie was one ~ two Presidents who made
and kept a promise NOT to seek 3 second term.
lie The only President who accomplished
virtually everything he set out to accomplish
wheu be- took oiiice.
tie VAS iruly an empire builder for during
bis one administration De added more territory
e. the Unitci States than did any other Presl-
dent. With the exception of Thomas jefferson
tUuder Polk NE acquired 521l.ls9 square miles 10
the Mexican cesslon and 2Sgbfi square miles In
oregon by treaty with England. total Of si5T30
square miles as compared 10 the S27aS7 square
miles IN Iencrson's Louisiana Purchase. How
ever. " the seiGi square miles acquired by the
annexation % Texas. which was formally com
pleied during Poik's administration. is counted
In. Il brings his total ~ TO l.2Oi.sa5 square
msiesl
Although Tennessee claims Polk rs one of the
three men whom u has sent 60 the White House.
h. w4s. uke The other two. Jackson and Johnson.
a '-rennsssecau from North Carolina" lie vas
born In Meckienburg county just ia0 years ago
-on November .. i7ic. The original family name
Pollock but among the froniiersmen this
vas slurred into Polk and eventually became
Polk
When James X. Polk vas eleven years old
the family moved 20 Tennessee and settled In
the town ~ Columbia. After hIs nrsg schooling
thsre De entered the Murfreesboro academy from
which he was graduated IN 1915 and Immediately
enrolled ln the University OF North Carolina as
a sophomore Graduated from the university
with the hiEhesi hoaors 10 the class OF ISIS
Polk began reading law with Felix Grundy OF
Nashville and from this attorneys Office the next
step into politics was natural one
In IS13 Polk was elected 10 the general as.
seIably - the state OF Tennessee and began the
quarter oi a century would take him to the high.
esi Office In the land In 1875 he was elected
to congress and during the next II years first
a. one of the leaders In the Jackson admlnlstra.
ton aud from 1876 10 iSs9 as speaker OF the
house be was an important factor 10 the party
battles % that stormy period. From iSs; TO
lS4I he governor OF Tennessee and three
years later be became President.
For an understanding OF the forces which re.
brief review Of political history preceding II Is
necessary when Andrew Jackson was ready 10
las down the reigns OF power which he had held
for eight years. he decided that Martin Van
Eureu ~ New York. who had helped manage his
second campaign and who was later his secretary
of state. should be his successor. Although the
Wings under the leadership OF Gen William
Henry Harrison, had put up a valiant fight In
the campaign OF 1896. Van Buren was elected and
the Jacksonian Democracy was destined to rule
Tor four years more In the white House
Bur the campaign OF 1910 was different mat.
ter. With their shouts Of "Iippecanoe and TYLER.
Toe" the Wings swung into their famous Log
Cabin and Hard cider" campaign with an en-.
thusiasm that had rarely before been displayed
And the popular appeal OF this military hero
something o the same sort of appeal that had
helped elect Jackson. enabled Harrison 10 defeat
the Little Magician Van Buren, and put the
Wings in power for the first time In history
Then Harrison died. soon after taking Office
aud John Tyler. the vice president who had been
elected as Whig but who soon proved that he
was not dyed-in thewool WhIg in principle. be-
came President AS the campaign OF 1874 ap-
preached IL was apparent that Tyler would not
be the Whig candidate but that that mantle
would fall upon Henry Clay. Jackson's old enemy
who had cast envious eyes at the White House
since 1924 Van Buren the logical Demo
cratic candidate. although his opposition TO the
annexation Of Texas had leSsened his popularity
In the party.
When the Democratic convention net in Balt
more IL was apparent that Van Buren would have
a majority Of the delegates. And then the second