The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-05-30
THE SECOND PLACE.


DxIU<rat0u<ts-
In 1896 the republican party cnn give
more time to the consideration OF the
claims of different aspirants to the vice
presidency than IL had an opportunity
TO do in recent canvasses. There Is not
much uncertainty an 70 who will be
nominated for president. 1t Ii clear
now that Mckinley IL the choice OF the
republican masses for that Office, and
the party should soon begin 10 turn its
attention to the selection OF the man
for the second place on the ticket. In
few conventions Of the past the only
contest was that on the vice presidency.
The democratic gatherings of 1854
1886, 1910 and 1883, in which Jackson.
Van Buren, and Cleveland. respectively.
were the unanimous choice for presi-
dent. were of this order. So was the
wing convention of 1914, which nom
inated Clay by reclamation. The re-
publican conventions of 1864, 1868 and
1872 were of the same kind, for the Mis-
souri delegations vote for Grant In
1864 was an empty formality to obey
the instructions given by the state when
there appeared to be some chance OF OPP
position TO Lincoln, and the vote was
Immediately changed and Lincoln's
nomination made unanimous.
The trouble which has come TO parties
from mistakes made in the choice of
vice presidential candidates would make
q long story. OF the four vice presidents
Tyler, Fillmore. johnson and Arthur
who went to the presidency on the
death of it's incumbent, only one
Arthur--gave satisfaction to his party.
Fillmore, IL is true, pleased a faction OF
his party, and, in the trying circum-
stances in which he was placed, he did
fairly well. Tyler. however, Immediate
ly after going to the higher Office, got
into a wrangle with the whig leaders
on vital question OF policy, and from
the effects of that feud the party did
not fully recover until three or four
years before his death. The reason why
the republicans did not suffer from the
Johnson disturbance was that the
democracy's punishment for secession
had not yet been completed. Tyler, of
course, was really democrat on the
chief issue of the day aid not n whig,
and the wings who nominated him 10
attract the democratic vote framed no
platform, while Johnson's nomination
was q concession to the war democrats.
The convention In neither case thought
of the possibility OF the death OF the
president.
IL Is well-known fact, of course,
that conventions seldom give any intel
ligent consideration to the question of
the choice of vice-presidential candi-
date at all. The selection of the man
for the first place on the ticket is the
only thing that these gatherings or
dinurily concern themselves with. Even
in the instances in which this man is
determined upon beforehand, geograph-
zeal or fractional considerations gener-
ally dictate the nomination of the sec
ond officer. Some other locality and
some other element of the party than
the one which gets the president is all
lowed to "name" the vice-president.
Thus the second Office becomes a sort
of consolation prize for the side which
was beaten in the contest for the first
Office. But even under these limitations
the conventions seldom take intelli-
gent advantage OF their opportunities.
In the conventions in which there are
contests for president the delegates are
usually exhausted and anxious to get
home when these are ended, and they
rush the nomination of the vice-presi-
dent through without any thought OF
the fitness OF the candidates Tor the
higher office TO whish he is heir contin-
gent. There will be no excuse for any
such precipitancy in 1s96.-St. Louis
Globe Democrat.