Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-11-22
DEATH OF VICE PRESIDENTS.
Six Have Died in ONCE Since the Be
ginning of the Govern

ment.
| WASHINGTON, Nov. 2.-(Special) Vice
President Hobart's death has called atten-
| tion to the fact that since the beginning of
the government six vice presidents have
| died in office. During the same time four
presidents have died in office, two of whom.
Lincoln and Garfield, were assassinated.
The mortality. therefore, seems to have
been greater among those holding the Sec
ond office in the government than among
| the chief executives. This has not been
due TO the worry and care of the office, for
the position of vice president has usually
been regarded as not very eXacting in Its
duties. The history of the office shows.
however, that its Importance has been
such as the incumbentS make 1t. 1t is a
place where man can take life very easy
II he so desires, or where he can Idake
himself useful and influential. Mr.. Hobart
| was OF the latter class, and made OF the
vice presidency very important and in
tiuentlal office.
Under the constitution the vice presi-
dent succeeds the president in case of
| the removal, death or disability of the lat
ter. Until the adoption of the twelfth
amendment to the constitution in 1904 the
candidate for president receiving the next
| to the highest number of votes was de-
clared the vice president. This plan, Of
course, did not work very we'll. and II 1t
had been continued would doubtless have
led to all sorts of evils and complications.
vice president would not get along very
well together, and in the event of the death
| of the former the will of the people would
be thwarted by the elevation OF the latter
to the presidency.
Vice presidential timber is believed to
be Inspected more carefully in these latter
days of our republic than 1t was earlier In
our history, because the possibility of the
vice president being called to the office OF
chief executive is more keeniy appreciated
than il was before examples of such
an accident had been furnished. The four
vice presidents who succeeded to the pres
idency by reason of the death of presidents
were John Tyler, who succeeded William
Henry Harrison; Millard Fillmore, VINO
succeeded Zachary Taylor; Andrew john
son, who succeeded Abraham Lincoln. ana
Chester A Arthur, who succeeded James
A. Garfield. With the exception OF john
son none of these men caused any re
proach or much criticism. But II VIII
probably always be felt that their admin
istrations were not up to what might have
been expected from the presidents whose
places they took
The first vice president to die IN once
was George Clinton. who died in 1sl2 near
the close of his second term during James
Madison's first administration. He was :,
New York man, but died IN asniISt2n H:;hridae as
Gerry. Massachusetts man, was inausu-
| rated in 1913 and died the next year IN
Washington, He was 20 years of age age. .,,r
gurated vice president in 1883. He Owed
but few weeks. and died at his home IN
Dallas county. Ala. at the age OF %: iilis
was at the beginning of the admlnistra-
| ton of Franklin Pierce. and the first an.
nouncement of a VICE 'res ''+nt death ol
which any record has been kept was
made by President Pierce on April ~, 1895
| This announcement was as follows:
The president has with deep sorrow, re.
ceived information that the vice PreSWldian' Wiaa
of the United States. William X. King,
| died on the 18th inst. at his residence IN
| Alabama"
In testimony of respect for eminent sta,
ton exalted character and, higher and
above all stations. for a career of public
service and devotion to this Union which
| for duration and usefulness. is. almost with
out a parallel in the history of the re-
public, the labors OF the various depart
| mentS will be suspended. -,
THE secretaries of war and navy Will
| issue orders that appropriate military and
naval honors be rendered to the nemo.y
| of one to whom such tribute Will not De
| formal, but heartfelt from the people the
pubs sS ocea viii be Closed
| row and badges of mourning be placed on
the Executive Mansion and all the execu-
| tive departments at Washington.
1t is interesting to note that the an
nouncement of the death of Vice President
King, of the army. was made by Jefferson
the necessary orders for the display of the
| flag at half-staff and firing minute guns
and the national salute.
The next vice president to die was Henry
| Wilson, who was elected on the ticket with
u s. Grant in 1872 He died in Washing
ton in 1873 at the age of 5S. and his death
was announced to the people of the coun-
| try in an executive proclamation by Pres
| ident Grant. Thomas A. Hendricks, Of In
diana. who was elected vice president on
| the ticket with Grover Cleveland in 1854
only occupied the position a few months,
| as his death occurred on November 70.
| 1885, and was announced to the people OF
| the United States by President Cleveland
| and appropriate orders issued by his sec
| retaries of war and navy for official mourn
| ing.