Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-01-07
Vice Presidents in History.

the vice president has had the least to
do with the administration to which he
belongs, writes q correspondent of the
Cleveland Leader. Many of our vice
presidents have been able men, but few
of them have made any stir while in
office, while number have been dia-
metrically opposed to their chiefs.
Thomas Jefferson, rs vice president un-
der Adams, was the leader of the oppo-
sltion, and after the first few days OF
his term Adams counseled with him in
nothing. Aaron Burr and Jefferson
during the next term were at logger
heads, and it was due to Jefferson that
Burr was finally prosecuted for treason.
1t is hardly possible that John Quincy
Adams and Calhoun had much in COM
| mon, and we all know how the latter
fell out with Andrew Jackson as vice
president during the next administers
ton. Van Buren, and Jackson got
| along very we'll, but it was only because
President Jackson was king and Van
Buren, merely factotum. It was another
case OF me, too" only more so. and
Van Buren,, as reward for his submits
sion, was made Jackson's successor.
Van Buren's vice president was Rich
ard Nj. johnson, OF Kentucky, the first
vice president selected west of the Ale
ghenies, and, though he was the man
who killed Tecumseh, his name is now
almost forgotten, John Tyler, the
next vice president, was cipher as long
as Harrison lived, and Harrison's cabi-
net tried to control hi1n after Harrison's
! death. Fillmore had little influence
while Zach Taylor was alive, and the
troubles of Andrew johnson after the
death of Lincoln show that his influ-
ence was small during the life of old
Abe. So far as I can learn, we never
had vice president who has ruled the
president or directed the administration
Even the ablest of them have made no
reputation while filing the office, and
John G. Breckenridge, Buchanan's Sec
ond, George NJ. Dallas, who reigned
with Polk, and William Il. King, wee
president with Pierce, go down to his
tory through other acts rather than
those done during their vice presidency.
Mr.. King, by the way, died in Office.
He was the third vice president who
did so. The first was George Clinton,
who had been vice president under
Jefferson and was then serving under
Madison. The second who died was
Eldridge Gerry, signer of the Declar-
alton of Independence and the author
of the system of changing legislative
districts for congressional purposes,
called after his name, Gerrymander-
ing" The sixth vice president was
Daniel D. Tompkins. of New York.
He is one of four vice presidents who
were twice elected, and be held the
place through the whole of Monroe's ad-
ministration. Now everyone remem-
bers Monroe, but how many can tell
anything about Tompkins? Still in
/ the decade between 1910 and 1920 he
was far more of man than Tom Hen
bricks is now. He made great reputa-
ton as war governor of New York, and
at one time when the state put out $780,
900 Of bonds and there were no takers.
he personally Endorsed them and thus
made them good, for he was wealthy.
The other vice presidents who have had
two elections are John Adams, George
Clinton, and John G. Calhoun. OF the
last vice presidents, Colfax, Wilson, and
Wheeler, the world knows how little
prominence they had while Grant was
president and nnder the pacific reign of
Rutherford B. Hayes. Chester A. Ar
thur was little talked of until Garfeld's
death, and his relations with the great
Ohioan were not more friendly than
those now said to exist between Hen
bricks and Cleveland. There have been
altogether twenty-one vice presidents
elected by the people. OF these, four
have died in Office, three have risen to
the presidency by election, four have
become presidents by the death of the
president, and none of them has made
a reputation which will outlast this
century.