The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-07-01
THE yIcE-PREsIDEEcY.

have said be hoped the nominee for
= ice-President upon the ticket With
hiu would Be a man Who would be big
enough to hIl the Presidential chair.
IN nominating Theodore Roosevelt foE
the Republicans s@-
Iected a man who Is in every way quail
led to hold the highest place in the
zift OF the American people, and no
aoub, win be chosen for the Presi-
aeney by the Republicans four years
hence
In the early days of the republic the
yiee-Presideney went to the man re-
ceiying the second highest vote for
President. but this resulted in the
President and President not being
in political accord. and an amendment
TO the Constitution was adopted pro-
viding that electors should vote for
both President and yice-President at
the same time
Then came the nominating eonyen-
tions. At first nominations were maae
by the party representatives in Con-
gress. the first national political con-
vention being that which nominated
POLK at Baltimore in 1874. Almost from
fhe start nominating conventions So
lected some man for Vice-President as
son to disaffected elements of the
marty. without regard to fitness foE- the
position. This was the case when the
wings nominated William Henry har-
rr--5-- b rcaa-- n--.i.>-
was a mediocre man, but he represent
! ed a strong Whig element in the South
| that had opposed Harrison. and his
l nomination was for ,ne purpose OF con-
| ciIiating the Southern Wings. Later,
as President Tyler, ne showed himself
untitled for the grave responsibilities
of the Presidency.
| So it was in the nomination of Lin
| coin and Johnson in 1864. Green Clay
Smith of Kentucky was within one-half
a vote of the nomination for Vice
/ President in the convention that re-
nominated Lincoln. but Andrew John
son was finally nominated. Lincoln
himself had ueen anxious for the re-
nomination OF Hamlln of Maine, but i
large element of the party believed 1t
would be political wisdom to recognize
the Union men Of the South by nomi-
mating one their number for Vice
President. Johnson was totally unfit
for the Vice-Presidency, much less the
Presidency. He was narrow and big
oted and his strife with the party lead
ers later brought on restrictive legisia-
ton of the reconstruction period that
did much TO keep alive bitterness and
sectional prejudice engendered by the
war.
The republican convention of 1884
was the first to nominate for Vice
President a man who had been candi-
date for the Presidency. the ticket be-
ing Blaine and Logan. Recognizing
the strength of this ticket, the Demo-
cratic convention of that year adopted
the policy of nominating one of its
strongest men for the second place on
the ticket and selected Thomas 4. Hen
bricks of Indiana. one of the brainiest
men of the nation, as its candidate for
vice-President on the ticket with
Cleveland.
Again in 1855 the Democrats placed
in nomination man big enough Cor
President" in the person of Allan G.
Thurman, but the Republican nominee
for second place that year. Levi P. Nor
ton, while an able business man and
banker. was not broad man OF affairs.
Both parties nominated almost un-
known men for Vice-President in 1896,
the Republicans selecting Hobart TO
please the New York and Pennsylvania
bosses, and the Democrats selecting
Sewall because il was believed he
would bring liberal donations TO the
campaign fund.
With such man as Roosevelt as
candidate for viee-President there
need be no fear of disastrous changes
in the administration should President
Mckinley die while in Office Roose-
welt is qualified for the Presidency as
few men in public life are He is man
OF wonderful executive ability and
thoroughly trained in public life. The
only bad feature of having such man
in the yice-Presidential chair under
existing conditions is that all his won-
derful ability is for the time hidden.
There is no doubt. however. that Mr..
Roosevelt viii occupy a much more
prominent part in public affairs than
any other yiee-President has ever oe-
cupied. President Mckinley was
wont TO consult great deal with Vice
President Hobart. and he is likely to
do this even more with Roosevelt The
! President has very high regard for
Mr.. Roosevelt and his ability. and ii is
known that he sought Roosevelt's ad-
vice very freely just proceeding the war
with Spain and during the preparations
for thar conflict. Under these cirrum-
stances President Roosevelt win
undoubtedly be much more than a mere
afth wheel to the Government after the
4sh Of next March