The morning times., 1896-06-18
W. W.D.Clark & Co.,
8II Penna. Ave.
AN OFFICE OF CONSEQUENCE.
Vice Presidents Have Filled an I'm
pvrtant Placein A american n History.
Ne,c York Sun.

The routine duties of the office Of Vice
President are unimportant. and the inf1u-
cnce of Vice President in the adDinistra-
ton OF which he is a member is insignifi-
caut. He has less to do with the course OF
legislation than any of the members of the
Senate over Which he legally presldes. In
sexecutivema ALTERS and in the ec0nsiderationOf
appointments President consuits with bis
Cabinet-neyer with the Vice President.
The Presidents private secretary. indeed.
outraDks usually in point Of influence and
Authority the Vice President. and the latter
parsonage has come to be regarded as an
amiabie figurehead. whose only real im-
portancc arises from the possibility of the
Presidential office becoming vacant.
Yet some OF the most important men in
American history, especially in the early
da VS. OF the republic. have held the office Of
Vice President, and have brought to the
discharge of its duties qualities OF the very
first Importance.
The iirst Vice President OF the United
States, John Adams, was afterward Presi-
dent, and certainly no New England man
was more prominent than Mr. Adams in SUP
port OF the revolution. A signer of the
Declaration OF Independence, he was ac-
credited as minister to France in 1877
and as minister TO England in 1875, two
of the most important offices which an
ranked 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 President of the United
States swastheillustrious Democratic States
men, Thomas jefferson, whose participa-
ton in the events leading up to the reyo-
ton was certainly more active and i'm
portant than that of any of the members
of the Senate over which he presided.
George Clinton who enjoyed the remark
able distinction OF being Governor of New
York, for eighteen years consecutively (and
the first Governor of New York, tool,
was the fourth Vice 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 of
American political history that the most
distinguished dstatesmen-Henry Clay. Daniel
Webster. and others of like prominence
have by some political fatality fallen short
of the Presidency. and the name of John C.
Calhoun. of South Carolina, has generally
been included in this list. But Mr.. Calhoua
did not fall short of the Vice Presidency.
for lie succeeded in office Gov. Tompkins.
of New York. and was for eight years the
Vice President. having as his distinguished
successor Martin Van Buren,. OF New York.
Mr.. Van BBfen was certainly tile most
prominent democratic statesman in tie
period in which ne lived. and after serving
as Vice President he was elected Presi-
dent in 1896. defeating William II. Har-
rison. grandfather of Mr.. Cleveland q
predecessor.
A careful and satisfactory performance
of the duties of the Vice President was
in the case of Mr.. Van Buren,. no bar u
his subsequent promotion to the Presidency
and later Millard Fillmore. elected Vice
President in 1848. became President, and
in the Presidential contest OF 1856. though
running on an outside ticket Of third
party. Mr.. Fillmore received for the Pres
| ideDcy S00.000 votes. In more recent
years the office of Vice President has
| become of less prominence. but it has
been held with distinction by at least. We
New York Republicans-Crester A. Arthur
and Levi p. Morton-the former afterward
President and tile latter a candidate for
| that office.