The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-08-15
N oFFIoE % CONSEQUENCE.
15e Presidents Have ruled an Important
Pl4oe in American History.

Doe Presidents Rave ruled an Important
Place In American History.
The routine duties OF the office of
cs-president are unimportant and the
nfuence Of a vice-president in the adj
nfnistration Of which he is q member
insignificant. He hasless to do with
lie course Of legislation than any Of
be members Of the senate over which
ae legally presides. In executive mat
ers and in the consideration of apc
Dointments q president consults with
lis cabinet4neyer with the vice-presi-
lent, The presidents private secrc-
airy, indeed, outranks usually in point
IF influence and authority the vice.
president, and the latter parsonage has
come to be regarded as an amiable fig
arehead whose only real Importance
nrises from the possibility Of the presi-
aential Office becoming vacant.
Yet some of the most important men
In American history, especially in the
early days of the republic, have held
the Office of v-ice-president and have
brought to the discharge of its duties
qualities Of the very first importance.
The first vice president of the United
States, John Adams, was afterward
president, and certainly no New Eng
land man was more prominent than Mr..
Adams in support of the revolution.
A signer of the declaration of indie
~pendence, he was accredited as minister
to France in 1777 and as minister to
England in 1885, two of the most impor-
tant offices which an American at that
time could fill, and outranked only by
the Office held by George Washington,
Mr.. Adams predecessor as president,
who was commander in chief of the
American army. The second vice-pres-
ident Of the United States was the illus,
trious democratic statesman, Thomas
Jefferson, whose participation in the
events leading up to the revolution was
certainly more active and important
than that of any of the members Of the
senate over which he presided. George
Clinton, who enjoyed the remarkable
distinction Of being governor of New
York for Is years c~onsecutively (anj
the first governor of New York, too)
was the fourth yice-president of the
United States, and Daniel D. Tompkins.
who was governor of New York for ten
years, was the sixth.
1t has been said often by critics o:
American political history that the
most distinguished statesmen, Henry
Clay, Daniel Webster and others of like
prominence, have by some political ia
tality fallen short Of the presidency,
and the name of John C. Calhoun, OF
South Carolina, has generally been in
Guided in this list. But Mr.. Calhoun
Hid not fall short of the vice-presidency
for he succeeded in Office Gov. Temp
kins, of New York, and was for eight
years the -vice-president, having as his
distinguished successor Martin Van Blu.
rem, of New York. Mr.. Van Buren, wa
certainly the most prominent demo
cratic statesman in the period in which
he lived, and after serving as vice-presi
dent lie was elected president in 1886
defeating William Fl. Harrison, grand
father of MI. Cleveland's predecessor
"A careful and satisfactory performance,
Of the duties of the vice-president was
in the case of Mr.. Van Buren,, no bal
to his subsequent promotion to tn,
presidency, and Later Willard Fillmore
elected vice-president in 1S4s, becam,
president, and in the presidential con
test Of 1856, though running on an out
side ticket of a third party, Mr. Fill
more received for the presidency 800,
BOO votes. In more recent years the OF
nee Of yice-president has become of les
prominence, but it has been held will
distinction by at least two New Yorl
republicans-Chester A. Arthur AM
Levi P. Morton-the former afterwarr
president and the latter a candidate 70
that ofice.-N. Y. Sun.