The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-11-12
THE VICE-PRESIDENT
LID orrlIE A SINECURE YET SUCCEEDS
TO THE PRESIDENCY.


IO THE PRESIDENCY.
justice Walter Clark Discusses +ha
question of What to Do With the
v'ce-President-Make Him Secre-
larry fx=officio of Department Of
Interstate COmmerce-SbouIdh ha
S'otned With Greater dignity and
| Power.
tHon. Walter Clark in the Green Rao ,
In the beginning it was contemDla-
'ed oy our constitution makers that
while the successful candidate should
De PRESIDENT, his chief rival should
be the VIce-President. Accordingly
when John Adams became President
Thomas Jefferson was chosen Vice,
President. AT the next election. when
thomas Jefferson was chosen, Aaron
Burr, who was not in contemplation
at the polls for the chief place, ieop-
ardlzed the choice of Jefferson, and a
danger OF the repetition of this state of
things caused constitutional amend
ment to avert it. Under the practical
workings of the constitution we have
the present anomalous condition, that
the Vice-Presidency is an office with
out power and almost without duties,
and consequently almost without i'm
portance. His sole duty, that of pre-
siding over a Senate in which he has
no voice, and, save in case of tie, no
vote, can be, and often for long pc
rod is, discharged by some Senator
! who is elected as President pro tenn.
The Vice ePressdent is not vested with
the power of appointing the commit
tees, since, unlike the Speaker of the
House Of Representatives, he is not
chosen by the body over which he pre-
sides, and not infrequently is of a diff
ferent political party from the majority
of the Senate.
Thus being without power and prac-
tically without duties, the Vice-Presi-
dency offers few inducements to an
able, ambitious man, and the nomina-
ton has often been refused. This has
III very many instances, though not
always, thrown the nomination as
compliment to some man who would
not by the nominating convention be
considered for moment for the Pre-
sidency. Yet the Vice President has
the terrible potentially of succeeding
to the Presidency in the event of
vacancy. This condition has brought
about some most inconvenient results.
In I84o John Tyler was nominated to
conclllate the minority of Wing party
who differed widely on some material
points from the great bulk of the party.
The death of President Harrison, after
4 short month in office, robbed the
Wings of the fruits of their victory and
brought catastrophe upon them in a
revolution in the policy of the admin
istration. In 1S4S, after the nomna-
tion Of Gen. Taylor, MIR. Webster de-
clined the Vice Presidency as beneath
him, and thus lost bis last chance of
filling his fe-long ambition, for few
months later Mr.. Fillmore became
President-a a most excellent man, but
one who would have never been
though; of for the first place. Had
President Lincoln died during his first
term, it may be seriously doubted if
Mr.. Hamlin would have been satisfac-
tory to his party or the country, and
it is very certain that Andrew Johnson
was not.
1t is not necessary to prolong this
review. While there have beeL few
Vice Presidents who were possible
nominees for the Presidency, the rule
has been otherwise. As out Of nine
teen Presidents s. far elected, four
have fallen in office, the ratio Of sue
cesson for the Vice Presidency has
been more than one in five, in fact,
over 81 per cent. This opens up a
serious danger, and some plan should
be devised to make the Vice Presi-
dency more attractive to men Of the
first order, by adding to its dignity
and powers.
Among the plans discussed, that Of
giving the Vice President voice and
vote in the Senate would require a
constitutional amendment. Nor can
il be expected that the Senate will
amend It's rules to confer on the Vice
President the important power Of ap-
pointing committees which is possessed
} by the presiding officer Of the House
) of Representatives, seeing, as already
stated, the Vice President is not chosen
by the Senate and not infrequently
belongs to different political party
from majority of that body.
There is, however, an opportunity
to make the Vice President something
more than the mere moderator, with
out voice or vote, Of the upper House
land the fifth wheel Of the coach. The
subject of interstate Commerce and
1.-The regulation of the rates and con
duct of interstate railroads and can
ais is one of growing importance, and
is of sufficient interest to the Union at
large to Justify the selection by the
people of the chief officer to supervise
that immense business. The Depart
nent of "Inter- State Commerce. can
be created by statute, without the ne
cessitv of constitutional amendment,
to which department shall be assigned
as bureaux, the Inter State Commerce
Commission, the Pacific railroads, the
Nicaragua canal and collateral matters
The same statue can assign to the Vice
President, not as separate office, bu'