The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-10-02
VICE PRESIDENTS.
Tyler, Fillmore and JOhnsOn-HOw
Presidents Always Reverse the
Policy of Those They succeed.
Philadelphia Times.

Tyler EthImOre ana JOnnsOh-hON
Vice-Presidonts Always Reverse the
Policy of Those They succeed.
Philadelphia Times,
Death has so unusual an ending Of presi-
dental career that the accession of vice.
president is but vaguely understood: Since
the election Of the first president, George
Washington, within few years of century,
the government has devolved upon q vices
president but four times. A half century
passed after the formation of the Union be-
/ fore the blow of death left the presidential
4 function vacant. BY curious chance no
: vice-president has ever carried out his term
Z Of office with satisfaction to the party elects
q ipg him. presidenis.have been elected
\ after serving in the second office and have
4 carried out all that was expected of
A them, but there seems fatality in the access
4 sion Of man through the fundamentally of
death. The first proof of this was in l84l,
I when for the first time death removed a
president, Harrison substituting for him
Tyler, too, as shat functionary was some
times irreverently called by friends and
foes.
Tyler was put on the tickle! 10 give II bal
Gnce, IA tho politicians automatically char
/ acterizo it. Harrison had been elected after
q q most animated campaign. His rsrty was
!, in expectation of something Ike aIevolution
in the policy of the government. Harrison
4 was 10 iull sympathy with his pariy's desire
and was waiting his own chosen time 10
Z carry them out, BE had been inaugurated
f but q month when he was brought TO bed by
bad cold while marketing in the treacher-
Gus March weather of the Potomac. he
4 fingered nine days only, but his death was
n no surprise. Age and debility of various
kinds left but little hope as soon as tho hold
n the cold had taken on his system was recog-
4 nized. Tyler was Ut home in Williamsburg,
Va, when messenger from the cabinets
son Of Daniel Webster-made known the
vacancy.
Acrid as the political personalities of mod.
ern politics are and Isncorous as the hates
with which factions pursue each other, the
Tyler episode is perhaps the most heated in
4 the history of administrations. He was be-
lieved 10 be erraiic by the wings before they
elected him; but he turned out to he more
than erratic. He SGT TO work to defeat every
policy dear 70 the heart of the opposite or
half-breed faction of his day. lie vetoed
4 cherished measures; he dismissed all the
cabinet of Harrison save Webster, for whose
favor II would have been infinitely better to
have been dismissed. But even Webster
wss forced TO retire still later The new
cabinet was made up Of men wholly repug-
nant TO the coalition that had nominated
Harrison and Tyler end the spill. in the
party became final and permanent. Tyler
went daily further and further toward the
democrats until tho end of his term, when ho
was confessed member of that party.
, Among Other points settled by Tyler's obsti-
macy was the title of the vice.president sue
ceeding to the office. The cabinet was Of
opinion he should use the official style, vice.
president acting president. On advice from
Justice fancy, Tyler rejected the suggestion
and was in name, as well as fact, president Of
the United States.
Fill more, like Tyler, came in with his eye
on the moon for signs Of blood. AS vice.
! president he had been persistently snubbed
by the opposite or Seward faction Of the
4 party. He had asked and asked IN VA for
the appointment Of collcc'o- 81 postmaster
in his owh town of BufnO and % b.terest
enemies had been sppoin,eu instead. He
made short work of everything and
\ everybody that had Gourished in the noons
4 tide of the defunct administration. Daniel
\ WebsteF was appointed secretary Of state,
Flllmore's law partner, n. X. Hall, OF Buff
falo, was made postmaster general, and
changes continued down to the remotesl
tidewaiter 10 vindicaie the new rulers wrath,
II was the feud Of the stalwsrts and half
brseds over again, only the chance was re-
yersed-it was the leader of tho stalwart wing
that died aud II was the half-breed, or
silver.grsy whig, that came TO the
presidency. The amnesty growing out Of
these successive vice presidential SUGGESTIONS
brought tho democrats 10 power and the
factions had leisure TO study the profit OF
political yendettae. The third vice president
translated by death 70 the presidency was
Andrew johnson. Tho horror of Llncoln's
taking~oil is still too fresh in the mind 10 re.
quire more than the bare details. The great
liberator had passed but six weeks OF his
second term when the bullet of Booth
brought his boau,iful, blameless life to an
end. Andrew Johnson, the vice president
was southern man, a Tenne1eesn. He
had exhibited sturdy courage in the fire, ,rys
ing moments when the secsdors were trying
70 te1uce the voters Of the state. BE had
been appointed military governor and had
won tho confidence Of the military aulhori.
lies. he was nominated q. Chicago as n
southern loyalist, but was rover cordially re-
eeivod by the republican party. so soon as
the president expired the whole OF Mr.. Lin.
ooln's cabinet save Seward, who wss though,
10 be expiring, sent nclo 10 An.
ureW Johnson, informing him.
Johntou Immediately Informed the cabine,
lhas he expected to r0taln them and would
not accept their designations. He sot on,
NAs,a Al.