The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-06-26
High Office ShancIeSsIy BciittIcd.
Philadelphia Times, Ind. ]

|
When a great political party nomi-
mates such man for Vice President
Of the United States as Chester
A. Arthur, OF New York, it is
about time to think whether this
office has not fallen too low already
in popular esteem. 1t was the evil
dent intention Of the fathers Of the
Republic that no man should by any
possibility reach the Vice Presidency
who was not, in the opinion Of his
| fellow. w.citizcns, equal also to an Cili-
cient discharge Of the higher duties to
which, under Providential dispensa-
| ton, he might at any moment succeed.
The theory Of the old Constitution
| was in fact that the second choice Of
the peop for President should become
Vice President. George Washington,
receiving the ire number of votes
in the Electrical College in 17S9 was
declared President and John Adams, |
of Massachusetts, having received a |
plurality Of second choiccs,n was |
declared Vice President. Adams was |
the peer of Washington in everything |
but generalship and the service of his |
country in the field. So in 1897, when |
Adams succeeded to the Presidency, |
Thomas Jefferson became Vice Pres- |
dent. At the fourth Presidential elec-
ton it happened that while Adams
had only IS votes Thomas Jefferson
and Aaron Burr each received 73,
without designation on the ballots as
to which of the two offices either was
to fill This dilemma threw the
election into the House of Representa-
tives which, by vote Of States, gave
the first place to jefferson and the
second to Burr, although each was
pushed through thirty-iive ballots for
the Presidency. Incidents of this
struggle, some of which were of Il
scandalous nature, gave reason for the
adoption of the twelfth amendment to
the Constitution, which provided that
the candidates for President and Vice
President should be voted for separate
ly, as they are to-day.
1t is a long step from John Adams
and Thomas Jefferson to William
Wheeler, but it would be 4 ,
much longer one to Chester a. Arthur.
There have been lapses now and then
in favor of mere mediocrity, and the
has been downward, with
an occasional check, but the Vice ,
Presidents chair has generally been ,
filed by worthy and able men. George
Elbridge Gerry, Daniel ID. :
John c. Calhoun, Richard /
NJ. Johnson, George NJ. Dallas land ;
John c. Breckenridge were all men f
who reflected credit upon the Office +
md would have worn Presidential ,
lonors worthily, and John Tyler, Z
Willard Fillmore and Andrew johnson 4
rave the country reminders in one n
way or a"Other that it was a great L
mistake to take it for granted that !,
President would live out his term, and "
hat being partisan worker and -
Iaving knowledge Of parliamentry ~
lw are the principal considerations i
n the choice of Vice President. As \.
0 the present incumbent, to say ~
othing Of the only man now living /.
Tho has occupied the place, it is :,
nough to say that he has done 7
great deal to bring it into contempt,
ut nothing to birng il into disrepute.
The trouble is nowadays that the
Ominatinn for Vice President is an
fterthought. Before the national
invention meets il is scarcely given / ~
moments attention. There i no ~
npular ante-cOnVvntiOn Cau.Hs~ over "
lc candidates. The people and the
Jliticians have their eye on the first j.
lace alone. Who shall take the Re
,cond is apt to he determined in part iIl
Y the geographical location Of the n'
cad Of the ticket and in part 10y a u
sposition to conciliate the interests /
lflering defeat i'm the first uumiua- p
on. In the Chicago case sectional u.
m might have been placated by the II
loice OF a good Eastern man like cd
oar or Hawley to keep Garfield it
mpany, and the ticket would have =,
zen immcasurably strengthened. ih
ut it was thought Necessary 10 make gt
sace with the beaten Bosses, and 50 At
e convention, which had been DOM pr
ated and inspired by opposition to the u
achine, puts up the most plant tool OF W
ese Bosses for the second office in the dt
fl of the nation. Such a nomination
not only an insult TO the administra-
,n and a groveling to the machine te
fiuence, but it i a dangerous belit- W,
ng OF the Vice Presidency and an is
excusable affront to the public in kr
lhgence. The Democrats will have i'm
chance to emphasize this outrage by ep
ereditable nomination for Vice Pres II,
ent, such as they made i'm 1876, and W
they do, il will he a point Of great pa
vantage i'm the campaign. dl