Just how “wearing” is the U. S. presidency?

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Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal

Title: Just how “wearing” is the U. S. presidency?
Language: English
Source: The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XIII (Issue No.1) January 1933
Year: 1933
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Fulltext: January, 1933 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 5 Just How “Wearing” Is The U. S. Presidency? Calvin Coolidge’s death January 5, in his sixtieth year, less than four years after he had retired from the presidency of the United States he had enjoyed from August 3, 1923, to March 4, 1929, recalled Warren G. Harding’s death in the presidency. Woodrow Wilson’s physical breakdown there, and gave color to a specious journalism that has been current of late, that the presidency is a killing job. The facts seem to run the other way. They have been taken from the World Almanac of 1932 and put into the table published on this page, a table valuable to school students when their elders may have glanced through it. Washington, whose 8-year administration saw the birth of partisan politics in America and the division between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson that was to bring on the War of 1812, lived three years into Adams’s administration. He died at 67, of pneumonia, when his general health gave him a long expectancy of life. Adams lived 25 years and died at 91 afterleaving the Whitehouse; he and Jefferson, Madison and Monroe all survived Mon roe’s administration, and for a year and half all four were still living under John Quincy Adams’s ad ministration. During all of Van Buren’s adminis tration, 1841-1845, John Q. Adams and Andrew Jackson, expresidents, were living. Madison almost lived out Jackson’s term of 8 years; that is, retiring from the Whitehouse at 66, he saw7 out James Monroe’s administration of 8 years, John Q. Adams’s of 4 years, and 7 years and 4 months of Andrew Jackson’s administration of 8 years. Harrison and Tyler’s ad ministration ended March 4, 1845. Expresidents then living were Jackson, John Q. Adams, Martin Van Buren. Tyler and Van Buren lived through Polk’s administration and 13 years longer. Abraham Lincoln was president from March 4, 1861 to April 14, 1865. It is legendary to think of him as old when he was killed, but he was only 56. Five expresidents were living during almost the whole of his first year in office: Tyler, Van Buren, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan. Fillmore, Pierce and Buchanan lived him out. "Fillmore and Pierce survived Johnson’s administra tion, Buchan’an 3 years of it, so most of the time Johnson was in office, 3 expresidents were living. Grant survived Hayes’s, Garfield’s and Arthur’s administrations; Hayes, Garfield’s and Arthur’s. Until Grant’s death, July 23, 1885, and Arthur’s, November 18, 1886, three expresidents lived under Cleveland’s first administration, but Benjamin Harrison was the only expresident living during Cleveland’s second term, 1893-1897. During McKinley’s first term, Harrison and Cleveland were both living. Theodore Roosevelt’s administration began September 15, 1901, and ended March 4, 1909. Cleveland survived 7 years of this period and was the only expresident living under Roosevelt, just as Roosevelt was the only one living under U. S. PRESIDENTS Name Birth Term Death George Washington................ Feb. 22,1732 1789-1797 Doc. 14,1799 John Adams.............................Oct. 30, 1735 1797-1801 Julv 4, 1826 Thomas Jefferson....................Aoril 13,1743 1801-1809 Julv 4,1826 •Tames Madison.......................March 16,1751 1809-1817 June 28,1836 James Monroe.........................Aoril 28,1758 1817-1825 Julv 4,1831 John Q. Adams.......................July 11,1767 1825-1829 Feb. 23,1848 Andrew Jackson......................March 15, 1767 1829-1837 June 8,1845 Martin Van Buren................. Dec. 5,1782 1837-1841 Julv 24,1862 W. II. Harrison...................... Feb. 9,1773 1841......... Aoril 4,1841 John Tvler...............................March 29, 1790 1841-1845 Jan. 17,1862 James K. Polk........................Nov. 2,1795 1845-1849 June 15,1849 Zacharv Tavlor.......................Nov. 24,1784 1849-1850 Julv 9,1850 Millard Fillmore.....................Jan. 7,1800 1850-1853 March 8,1874 Franklin Pierce....................... Nov. 23,1804 1853-1857 Oct. 8,1869 James Buchanan.....................April 28,1791 1857-1861 June 1,1868 Abraham Lincoln................... Feb. 12,1809 1861-1865 April 14,1865 Andrew Johnson.....................Dec. 29,1808 1865-1869 July 31,1875 Ulvsses S. Grant.....................April 27,1822 1869-1877 July 23,1885 Rutherford B. Hayes.............Oct. 4,1822 1877-1881 Jan. 17,1893 James A. Garfield.................. Nov. 19,1831 1881......... Sept. 19,1881 Chester A. Arthur..................Oct. 5,1830 1881-1885 Nov. 18,1886 Grover Cleveland....................March 18,1837 1885-1889 1893-1897 June 24,1908 Beniamin Harrisop............... Aug. 20,1833 1889-1893 March 13,1901 William McKinlev..................Jan. 29,1843 1893-1901 Sept. 14,1901 Theodore Roosevelt................Oct. 27. 1858 1901-1909 Jan. 6,1919 Wm. II. Taft.......................... Sept. 8,1857 1909-1913 March 8,1930 Woodrow Wilson.................... Dec. 28,1856 1913-1921 Feb. 3,1924 Warren G. Harding................Nov. 2,1865 1921-1923 Aug. 2,1923 Calvin Coolidge......................July 4,1872 1923-1929 Jan. 5,1933 Herbert Hoover...................... Aug. 10,1874 1929-1933 still living Taft’s administration. Wilson’s administration ended March 4, 1921. Roosevelt saw 6 years of this administration, Taft lived it out, as chief justice of the U. S. supreme court, and died March 8, 1930. Harding’s death ended his adminis tration August 2, 1923. Taft and Wilson survived it. Coolidge’s administration ended March 4, 1929. Wilson saw 6 months of it, Taft survived it. Coolidge witnessed 3 years and 9 months of Hoover’s administration, enjoyed unim paired health and died without prolonged suffering—simply lay down and was found in eternal sleep. Presidents who survived their administrations more than 10 years, and the years they lived after leaving the White house, are: John Adams 25, Jefferson 17, John Q. Adams 19, Van Buren 21, Tyler 17, Fillmore 21, Pierce 11, Hayes 12, Cleveland 11, Roosevelt 10, Taft 17. Dean of this list is John Adams, 91 years old when he died, a president who lived to see his son president. The presidency, even in contentious times, seems not to be a killing office. Among men who filled the office and lived longest after leaving it are some of the presidents who had the bitterest quar rels with congress—quar rels more bitter than death. But they were men able to sustain their views. It is not the fact that presidents commonly sur vive their administrations for many years that is most remarkable about American public affairs. It is the grace with which the constitution and their own deference to democratic forms retire them to civil life. This was observed in Coolidge, firmly be lieving in the integrity of the states and a Federal government not too cen tralized: lie said central ization inevitably entailed bureaucracy and invasion of personal liberty and the domain of local institutions. He stepped quietly down, however, for Herbert Hoover of dia metrically opposite views. A federation of 48 sovereign states, the United States changes presidents as easily as a city changes mavors; and the brave display of military force and pomp, at the inauguration of succeeding presidents, is a display of the people’s power of defense and not of the personal power of him who, still president at the hour, is commander-in-chief of the American army and navy. The highest in America defer to the rule of the people, else of course presidents could not be changed at all—one military ruler would succeed another. And when a president leaves the Whitehouse, he leaves all power; if he ever goes back there, he has to build it all up from the bottom again. He chooses to do so. Cleveland did. Roosevelt almost did. Coolidge might have had he lived. And Hoover may, since Cleveland who had lost all popularity was able to regain it. The point is, the whole appeal is to the franchise: though every president from Washington on might have effected a coup d’ etat and thrown the country into the confusion of a (Please turn to page 7) January, 1933 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 7 American Shipping During 1932 By R. Stanley Dollar President, Dollar Steamship Lines, United States Lines and American Mail Line That confidence and optimism have returned, not only to shipowners but to all other business and trade activities, is the big factor to be considered in the United States today. Out of the depths cf dr ion the mid-year brought a shadowy, alm xinperceptible change for the better. So t .ustomed to economic hard ships, business men of the nation hardly could credit the fact that the upturn had started. Then from all sides seemed to come the glad opinion, “things are getting better’’. This rose to a cry which swept from Atlantic to Pacific. Then confidence and optimism took command and what at first was but a filmy improvement was nursed into strength, until today the United States is going ahead with a firm, steady stride which eventually will lead to the goal of “good times”. In my opinion this trend toward betterment is not temporary nor is it a mere spurt in business which will dwindle after a certain period. Each iX brings new lines of commercial activity which join in the opinion that the backbone of the Depression has been broken and that normal times are returning. Reemployment is on the way and that is of major importance. We never will be back to true prosperity until our un employed once more are busy. Every effort is being made by employers to bring about this happy condition. That prosperity is immediate, or as so often described as being “just around the comer” is over-optimistic. But, with the confidence which has been reborn in our people by this trend toward good times I feel there can be no failure in the battle of business against an economic depression, such as the United States never knew before in its history. Depression took its hideous toll of bankruptcy and priva tion; death too being credited to it. The days since the auturrfn of 1929 are not pleasant to contemplate. But it seems the inroads of this enemy of progress have been checked. Our people are prone to forget the past and face the future with a smiling confidence which can bring them nothing but success. Confidence is an invaluable ally. That shipping is looking better and better is an opinion I have reiterated frequently in the past few months. Volume is increasing gradually and I believe will continue to pick up steadily. Shipowners and operators can afford to take cheer in the trend of the last few months. It is a certainty that we could not have reached a much lower level than observed some six months back. This country’s history is that we never stay on one level long; we move either up or down. We had about reached our limit of descent, so upward was our natural course. The minute a revival is noted in any form of business, the transportation industry feels the effect almost immediately. Some where some form of transportation benefits. Thus shipping and other forms of transporta tion are good to watch as a weathervane. There can be no question but that sentiment among the shipping fraternity in this country is much better. However, shipping men are not unmindful of the fact that there is still much surplus tonnage in the Trans-Atlantic trades, with new Italian lines, the English and French liners and other ships planning to go into commission soon. The volume of merchant shipbuilding through out the world for the first time in fifty years has fallen below the 1,000,000 ton mark, as was recently revealed bv Lloyds Register of Shipping. Decreases wore reported in the quarter between June and September by all nations except Japan, which showed a slight increase. In the case of the United States this comparatively slight decrease may be described to completion of vessels in our govern ment’s ambitious merchant shipbuilding pro gram, which was made possible under the pro visions of the Jones-White Act. Notable in the 1932 list of completed ships which were built under the beneficent scope of this Act, an aid which did more for American shipbuilding than anything in the history of the industry, appear the United States Lines Manhattan, the largest ship ever built in our country; the Monterey of the Matson Line, with their “Lurline” rapidly reaching readiness; the Grace Line’s Santa Rosa, with three sister ships crowd ing close behind her, and the Chiriqui, Antigua, Veragua and Quirigua of the United Fruit Company. That the volume of shipping has fallen to a low not recorded in fifty years may be explained in part by the fact that ships planned before the slump of three years ago have reached com pletion. In the hitherto depressed state of the world no new ships were contemplated and building naturally was slowed down. It is to be hoped that the trend toward good times will rehabilitate commerce to such an extent that continued shipbuilding at the former rate will be demanded. -When the turn for the better came around the middle of this year, shipping seemed to feel its effect almost immediately. Several big spurts in the Eastbound intercoastal trade (North Pacific to North Atlantic) and also to the United Kingdom were noted, but as is usual with such sensational advances they soon declined. However by now there has been a good pickup in many routes, notably the Oriental, Hawaiian, Australian and Westbound Inter coastal, all showing steady gains which are holding. Every service in which the Dollar Line is engaged has shown slight accumulative gains in tonnage since mid-summer. Of our country’s volume of laid-up tonnage, a bit of it has gone back into service since summer and more may be expected monthly. Despite previously disturbed conditions it is noticeable that conference control has been restored to a great extent after a moderate breakdown in 1931. In many cases rates have been raised, but of course not to the levels prior to the dissolution of the conferences. However, bulk freights have been and still are moving at very unattractive rates. Conservative management and cheaper op eration are two lessons which came out of the difficult period of the depression. Coupled with the upturn which is now seemingly assured these two elements will be invaluable aids in bringing back shipping to the position it once held. Necessity of retrenchment taught ship owners, not only in the United States, but elsewhere, new ways to operate and still provide adequate and efficient service. Closer cooperation of shipowners of all nations, in trade routes all over the world, is absolutely essential in order to hasten the return of prosperity to shipping. With this accomplished, equitable rates could be establish ed and maintained, thus placing shipping on a firm basis. In conclusion, I believe that the present rate of gain shown in America shipping is indi cative of a material upward trend in business of the world, for the improvement in this in dustry in one country cannot fail to react favorably throughout the world. Just How “Wearing”... [Continued fr^m page 5} sudden rebellion, not one has harbored the temptation. It was not easy for John Adams to see Jefferson sweep his Federalists out of Washington, nor for John Q. Adams to see the West marching into power with the rough-hewn Jackson, nor for Johnson to see the majorities in congress, over his repeated veto wielded to save the constitution, ride roughshod over the defeated South. But Johnson would use no power beyond the little congress had left him, and the use he could make of the courts in defense of the constitution, to avert the wrath and vengeance of congress. He lived to adorn the senate that tried the impeachment charges brought against him by the lower house. He lived to have his oldtime enemies for friends. Not least among the presidential upholders of the constitution will stand Calvin Coolidge, when the biogra pher delves the record. In the Philippines he will be remembered for unswerving, though unobtrusive, opposition even to toler ating the thought that the islands should be separated from the United States. Compromise Independence Bill Full Official Text Complete in this Issue Begins on Page 15 This ParkeDavis ger micidal soap is a wise pre caution against skin infections of all kinds. IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL
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