Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-02
This MOST SUPERELUOUS HIGH.
NESS,
The Vice Presidents Of the United
States.

The Vice Presidents Of the United
| States.
| SOME CURIOUS FACTS ABOUT THEM-sgyEN WHO HAVE
| FILLED THE PRESIDENTIAL CHAIR-CoNTENPr FOR
THE oFFICR-INsTANCEs IN WHICH THE PLACE HAS
| HAD POWER
A few curious facts were related in THE STAR OF
Saturday, January a6th, in connection with the
early history OF the Office OF Vice President One OF
the most curious is how few comparatively even
OF those familiar otherwise with the history of our
country even remember the names of those who
nave held the second Office in the gift OF the people
OF the United States Yet counting those who on
the Presidency, have been elected to serve in his
stead as Acting Vice Presidents and Presidents pro
tenn. OF the Senate, there have been more indiyfd-
uals who have served in that capacity than there
have been who have held the Office Of President
P01r a residents have died while holding that Office,
George Clinton, Elbridge Gerry, William R King,
One vice President only has ever resigned his
ofiice-John c. Calhoun-who resigned in December,
1892 little more than two months before his term
| succeed him on the ticket with General Jackson
when the latter was elected to a second term Cal
houn had been elected Senator from South Caro-
ma the same month in which he resigned as Vice
President, and his resignation took effect In Janu-
airy, 1888 when he took his seat as Senator He had
been twice at successive elections chosen Vice
President, first serving with John Quincy Adams
ana next with Andrew Jackson in the highest
o rea He Is one Of two Vice Presidents who have
! ton was the other. He served during Jefferson's
last term and Madison's first term dying lust before
dents and John Adams and Daniel ID. Tompkins
are the only Vice Presidents who have been elected
ds SECOND erdr lme , to the Office The only Vice Pres
ADAMS, Thomas Jefferson and Martin Van Buren,
AS Is wei known, four Vice Presidents have sue
ceeded TO the presidency on the deaths OF Presi-
dents. Thus seven Vice Presidents have stepped
directly from the second Office to the first which is
fraction more than one-third OF the whole num-
| Der OF Vice Presidents
VIZ, Rlc i NJ johnson, of Kentucky, Is the only
wee PRESIDENT ever elected by the Senate accord
ance with the clause in the XII article of the
amendments to the Constitution which provides
tnat In case no person voted for as Vice President
| appointed then from the two highest numbers on
tne list the Senate shall choose the Vice President !"
Mr.; Johnson was chosen Vice President OF the
received majority ofthe electoral vote in the cleo
tion OF 1896 and he served from March 4th, 1887 to
! March Sd, 1S41.
WHAT BLUNT JOHN ADAMS SAID
From the beginning the Office of Vice President
has been, with rare exceptions, looked upon with
contempt by those who have held it. John Adams
SAID OF IL: ut has pleased my beloved country to
DestoW upon me the most insignificant Office that
ever the mind of man cOntrived or his Imagination
conceived" He also thus delivered himself with
regard to 1t when presiding In the first Senate April
"Gientemen, do not know whether the trainers
OF the Constitution had in view the two Kings Of
sparta or the two Consuls of Rome when they
formed lt-one to have all the powers while he held
IL, and the other to be nothing. Nor do know
whether the architect that formed our room, and
Constitution before him. Gentemen feel great
ol1Ilculty how to act. / am possessed OF two
SeParate one in esSe the other in
may be everything. But am President, also, of
the Senate. When the President comes into the
think what Shall be-"
Senator Maeiay, who chronicles the above In his
Sketches OF Debate In the First Senate" adds "a
enSup6. fort
involuntary, but the profane muscles of my face
We're IN tune for laughter. Ellsworth thumbed over
tne sheet constitution, and turnedit for some time
AL length he rose and addressed the Chair with the
most most profound gravity: 'Mr: President: have
SIR 1t is evident and clear sir-that Wherever the
senate Is to be- there, sir you must be at the head
OF them; but further, sir, There he looked aghast,
as II some tremendous gulf had yawned before
him. shall not pretend to say"
foot note by the editor Of the 'Sketches OF Debate
IN the First Senate says in reference to the above
remarks OF Mr.. Adams that In J. C. HamiItOn,s
history the following appears: "Are we," Adams
observed In the Senate, 'the two kings Of Sparta,
tne Two Consuls OF Rome, or the two Suffetes OF
Carthage?"
This Of course has reference to the fact that Gen.
person to consult with the Senate about appoint
ments, as many then thought it was intended by
tne constitution that the President Of the United
States should do:
Charles Francis Adams says OF the Office Of Vice
PRESIDENT In his "Life Of John Adams:"s
the second Office in the United States are not labor
los They give no scope to the peculiar talents in
debate which had distinguished Mr.. Adams in the
carry congress, and they imposed silence, calmnesS
and impartiality, virtues. the practice Of which
was by no means In unison with his natural Gisro-
stion strongly to take side and ardently to advo-
cate It," ~ '"e'S'
Senator Anthony, a few days after declining to
accept me oilce OF President pro tenn Of the Sen
ate SAID TO the writer, that while its duties are
not labOrOus they exactng especially so In re-
curing The President OF the Senate to open the
senate daily at 12 o'clock punctually, and in his
state OF health he could not Undertake tn do that
| regularly.
Vice President Wheeler during his term used tn
say that the 'Office Of Vice President was very
lonely one as there so little occupation for the
Incumbent" He also said more than once to the
writer that he thought the best thing ever said OF
the Office was the remark attributed to BENJAMIN
Franklin who, when there was debate in the con-
title should be bestowed on the President and Vice
PRESIDENT said that the latter should be styled,
ellis Most Superfuous Highness.n
Ex-senator Hendricks said OF the Office OF Vice
President In the summer of 1877 that he was far
from being sorry to have lost it, since," said he,
debates on the floor of the Senate during the period
OF OF the southern states could be
as Vice President must be-"
Henry Wilson, while Vice President, and little
more than year before his death, said: 81 permit
at least ten years too SOON"
AS was mentioned in the article in THE STAR of
opportunities Of giving the casting vote SO DESPITE
the contempt he manifested In the remarks quoted
ABOVE Tor MS OfliCe, John Adams was really power
IN the land during his first term. "He gave the cast
Ing vote twenty tines during the first Congress
and always upon points Importance In the organic
laws" says his historian,
HE CASTING VOTE.
But 1t is said by the editor of the "Works of John
Adams'-h1S grandson, Charles Francis Adams
In speaking OF the power, so frequently exercised
Dy the hrst Vice President, of giving the casting
VOte IN important contingencies, tthiS great power
LOGGED with the Vice President has never been
Drought into exercise by any subsequent occupant
OF the presiding chair Of the Senate to the same
ONCE. An examination Of the journals shows that
this took place almost entirely during his first term
OF once. 1t happened to him six times in one SEES
sion uhat OK 1915 to be enabled to give the cast
Ing vote When important measures were pending in
the Senate. and but three cases occurred in The
remaining three years"
me first instance in which John Adams exer-
President occurred in the case of the law prOpOsed
ITO organize the department OF foreign affairs"
me question most earnestly disputed In both
houses turned upon the power vested in the Prei-
9ent 10 remove the person at the head OF that
department. at his pleasure One party maintained
IL was an absolute right. The other Insisted that
II Was subject TO the same restriction OF rattca-
0nlcer Is appointed. After long contest in the
House OF Representatives, terminating In favor of
the unrestricted construction, the bill came nm tn
the Senate for its appreciation. w
ltSOOn became clear that the republican Iaal
Ousy OF Capitalization OF power in the President
would combine with the esprit de corps of the SEN
ate to rally Mt least half the Senate In favor of snh
Jectine removals to their control. In such case
the responsibility OF deciding the point devolyed
1 Dy the terms OF the Constitution foil ,non Mr