Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-07-16
THE CHOICE OF v1cr-rREs1Dssr.


into the hands of man who was certainly
not the choice of majority of his own
party, and who certainly would not have
been elected Vice President had it been
possible to separate his candidacy from
that of General Garfield. Mr.. Arthur, as
every one knows, was not chosen, in the
strict sense of the word, at all. His nom
ination at Chicago was made during an
access of excitement which rendered cool
reflection impossible. 1t was made entirely
without reference to the fitness Of the
man, but with single eye to the placation
of the defeated Grant faction. 1t was in
fact an illustration of that blind and reck-
less spirit of compromise which has SO
often created dangers Of the gravest kind
in our politics. The men who had just
nominated Garfield had the whole situa-
ton in their hands. 1t was alike their in.
terest and their duty to go on and COM
plete the ticket by naming as Vice Presi-
dent man fit to stand upon the same
platform with Garfield But all reason
had been swept away in the enthusiasm OF
the victory won over the third term fac
ton, and false sentiment of generosity
led the victors to give away the second
place on the ticket, not merely to man of
inferior caliber, but to one who was the
very antithesis of General Garfield. The
nomination of Arthur, in fact, was both an
insult to the head of the ticket and a
travesty upon the alleged character of
the latter. It was, moreover, in headlong
disdain of the teachings of experience,
which were Enthusiastically to the effect
that the place of Vice. President could not
safely be treated with levity or careless
ness.
But the truth is that as our nominating
| Conventions are and have been conducted,
| it is almost hopeless to look for any i'm
provement in this respect All the interest
concentrates on the Presidency. All the
combinatiors are made upon that. When
the conflict ends in the choice of one of the
candidates, the successful contestants are
so satisfied that they have nothing more to
ask, and they at once abandon all that fol-
lows to their late adversaries. The latter,
however, are never at this stage in con-
dition to deliberate. All opportunity for
the employment of cool judgment is in fact
IL =. = T
the Vice President from the ranks OF the
opposition, and nobody is in state to ex-
anime closely into his qualifications. He
islnominated with the utmost haste and con-
fusion, as rule. The Convention always
wants to adjourn as quickly as possible
after making the Presidential nomination.
All the rest of the work is done in bung-
ling and perfunctory way. The fact is lost
sight of that the Vice-President may at
any time become the President.
1t is easy enough to perceive the gravity
of this mistake after it has been COM
mitted, brit the practical question is, how to
prevent its commission. We cannot indeed
see how it is to be prevented SO long as
the current methods OF making nomina-
tions are followed. For these methods
inevitably cause the interest of the Con-
vention to eliminate in the Presidential
nomination, and everything after that is
necessarily an anti-climax. There is, how
ever, way by which the present danger
of making bad choice for Vice President
can be avoided, and it is by reversing the
order of nominations, and choosing the
Vice President first. We propose this
change as the only practical mode of
securing equal attention and care for both
the nominations, and we shall proceed to
demonstrate that this result must necessa-
rily follow the innovation suggested. In
the first place it is clear that the Presi.
Dental nomination will under all circum-
stances claim and receive the first con-
sideration. It is impossible to render that
less important by putting it second instead
of first. Therefore the proposed change
would in no way initiate against the Sc
lection of the best man for the head of the
ticket. In the second place, it is evident
that if the choice of President had
to be made before that of President, per-
sonal qualifications would have to be
brought prominently forward, and it would
be impossible to nominate men who were
mere figEre-heads or shadows.
The Convention net having parted with
its reason at this stage of the proceedings,
moreover, would be prepared to examine
the claims of the candidates sobezly. But
the NEST important advantage to be OBJ
tanned from this change would be the ne
eessity that it would impose upon the
politicians of discussing and canvassing
the candidates for the Vice. Presidency as
much as the candidates for the Presi.
dency They would find it necessary to
make their preliminary selections, not as
heretofore, for the Presidency alone, but
for both offices. The effect would be to
increase the Importance Of the Vice Presi.
Dental nomination, and SO to give addi-
tionaI assurances of care in the selection.
No faction or party would dare to make
reckless or unfit selections when they knew
that this place on the ticket had to be
filled first, and that the nominations must
pass muster with a clear-headed and as
yet unheated assemblage. The proposed
change would not necessarily make any
difference in the usual combinations upon
the Presidential nomination. Its main
tendency would be to elevate the charac.
ter of the Vice. Presidency, and this we
are satisfied it would do unfailingly. Nor
is there, so far as we can see, any other
method available by which the required
reform in this respect can be brought about