The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-07
THE VICE PRESIDENCY.

The time for the holding of the national
conventions of the two great parties is
close at hand. The Republicans viii meet
In Philadelphia on June 10. and the DEM
ocrats in Kansas City on July 4. Not
withstanding the nearness of these dates,
each party is at sea with respect to who
viii be its nominee for Vice President
There are several persons in each party
aspiring to the second place on the ticket,
but no present candidate has yet aroused
the least popular enthusiasm, and no
one of them, probably, would be able to
add strength to his ticket. On the other
hand, men OF recognized ability, who
would aid in popularizing the tickets. are
not only fighting shy of the nomination.
but actually refusing to entertain the idea
of acceptance.
II was the intention of the founders of
the government that the vice presidential
Office should be second in Importance only
to that of the presidency. 1t was prob
ably their idea, too, that it should be
sort of stepping stone to the presidency.
This was indicated in the first years of the
government. John Adams was Vice Pres
ident under Washington, and Thomas
Jefferson was Vice President under Adj
ans. AT that time, and for many years
afterwards, the Vice President was an ad-
wiser of the President. Now, however,
the Vice President is merely the President
of the Senate; that and nothing more. hav-
ing neither voice nor vote in that body ex-
cept in the case of tie, when he may
cast a ballot. From being the Office of
second importance, the vice presidency
has become of ninety-second Importance,
the presidency and ninety senatorships
taking precedence; and every man who
has reasonable grounds for thinking he
can secure either of those ninety-one su-
perior offices looks with disfavor upon the
ninety-second. If one has fair prospect
of future presidential nomination, ne
will most certainly refuse TO be nominated
for Vice President, since the holding of
that office has come to be regarded as the
end of mans political career The most
able men, therefore, are not attracted 10
the vice presidency. 1t offers nothing bet
ter than four years of rather colorless life,
with the barest possibility that the occu-
pant may step over a coffin to the chair
of the chief executive
There has been some talk in Washington
lately of an effort to replace the vice
presidency in the high position 1t occupied
in the times of Washington and Adams.
But how can that be done? The evolution
of politics has demonstrated it to be in
the nature of fifth wheel to the admins
tration carrIage-useful enough in its way.
but not of greatest Importance. The mere
resolve to treat The office as one of dig
nifty and Importance second only to the
presidency would not overturn the prece-
dents which have accumulated since Aaron
Burr, and each of which has aided in OBJ
securing the vice presidency. Unless the
party in power could guarantee that the
President would sit for only one term, and
that the Vice President would then be ele-
waited to the office-which of course. no
party could dot IS difficult to see how
the second pace on the ticket could be
made so inviting as to attract the very
best and most desirable men; men who
may reasonably hope to get something
higher. q