The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-22
Is t ROOSEVELT SF|N|SHl.
THE PRACTICE IN. VOGUE SINCE
VAN BUREY's TIME MAY
AFFECT HIM
HIGHEST OFFICE OUT OF REACH
New York's Governor VIII Have, to
Break the Long-standing Prece-
dent tot Secure n Presiden-
tta1s Nominations

st. Louis Globe-Demoerat.
The most remarkable phase OF the
Roosevelt nomination is its comprising
the possibility, Of sweeping away es-
tabhshed and Unauthorized precedent and
restoring thsyoEigfna1 order of executive
succession. And. we will probably see in
his case a conflict of the power of his
tory and that OF reason and right. This
IS called free country, with only that
| degree Of Individual restriction COM
| mensurate with good government, and
| naturally the people prefer to consider
the chances of all for promotion equal.
| 1t may be said that this intelligent
preference is responsible for the develop
| ment of American resources and has
| given the United States it's international
| standing. 1t has brought hither the for
eign element, a large factor in the speedy
population Of the country. The presi-
| dency, of course, is exclusive, but that is
open alike TO Americans. And there is
| no reason, no shadow of reason, why q
vice president should be denied accession
to the first Office. Yet it is seen very
plainly that he Is precluded by practice.
But that is unjust and may be detri-
mental. The first national convention,
after twenty-eight years, restored the
| original order of succession, and the
question is whether or not Roosevelt s
nomination can break the habitual
method of almost seventy years and
| make again operative the purpose of the
first convention. That was to put man
in the way Of promotion by nominating
| him for vice president. And this idea
Simon Cameron got from the old way in
augurated with the government
But the convention of 1882, which was
| the first ones,, had a still more extensive
purpose, and that was to perpetuate the
POWER OF JACKSON
| through the administration Of Van Buren,.
and make as nearly practicable as pos
sible the inauguration of the third term.
jackson, it HYdli be observed, died hard.
He went in with the promise of four
years, but att the taste of authority his
| greed became boupdless. There is, to be.
sure, nothing in Roosevelts nomination.
that suggests perpetuation. He is no
favorite, or4do we know Of any attached
to this administration. The rough rider
candidate is,Taab6vc all things. indie
pendent ando should his exaltation ex-'
coed that Of the vice presidency, it will
be through no petty personal instru-
mentalities. ILeiiS among the best of the
nominees fora SECOND place, and it re-
mains to be Seen if he is more potential
than they Excepting. Van Buren, not
one of them was made president. SO,
if history is accepted as conclusive, it
must be admitted that there is no adj
vancement for a vice president If his Is
the highest honor but one. The way
this matter has been treated Is singular
and unprecedented Weslook in svair for
. comparisons. The singularity consists in
the precedent being totally at NaFiance
With what wasg intro dpced. and, intended
as! an. example. Washington was fol-
lowed by ADAMS, and adams by Jeffer-
son. but the cons tiIutionaIi amendment
! of 1904 counteracted this order absolutely.
And it remained obsolete until the action
of the second national convention, which
nomfnated5 Vans BarsI1s for the presidency.
But the restoration in Van Buren, died
with his tenure of office, No man who
came after him. however high his quail
fications was capable. of duplicating his
experience; III We gEasped5 the -
UTILITY ZOE NOMINATING
by a general convention and the custom
has remained While the spirit of it has
been permitted TO depart. The manner in
Which, Van Buren was, brought forward.
was certainly not eff a character to rec
ommend itself to an upright and, level
judgment, and that, no doubt has had
its weight in relegating the vice president
instead of advancing him. And it was one
of the triekiest pieces Of business that
Simon Cameron ever INDUCED in But
later on, with new. associations, he speed
lily attained alfeputation for the most un-
questioned methods of management
Cameron was all right in good company.
Indeed, he Is a very brilliant specimen of
a good man Reclaimed from bad coupan-
ionship. 1t isn't SO much what he did In
the first convention as the 'nawsty way"
he did it. This it was that helped to bring
the vice presidential succession into dis
repute and blind the people to its virtues.
Calhoun, an old and mighty friend, while
under cloud, Wtss slaughtered In the
interest Of jackson. There seems to
have been q general understanding then
that the candidate for second place would.
after four years, be given the first honor,
and this was% the way devised to meet
Jackson's preference.
The two things of special prominence to
be consfderedlin connection with the first
general convention, which assembled al
Baltimore, are. the purpose in view and its
logical and just effect. Animated by the
first example Of succession, the origi-
majors Of the new scheme proposed to
demonstrate the 4fallacy of a practice in
augurated by a constitutional amendment
and effectually choose a candidate for
president by first making him what Is
called a running mate That was the pur
pose. And the legitimate effect of this
would have been to establish rather than
deny the right of a man to the head of
the ticket whose qualifications in an as
seciate capacity passed unquestioned.
But precisely the reverse of this, we see.
has resulted. The
RUNNING MATE IS Os1'RA CIZED.
whether the president has one term or
two. There is more or lass prejudice
about this, and it is one of the most DO
tent of illustrations that people easily
submit to and are overpoWered by the
force Of custom, They are inclined to
Drift frequently contrary to their intelG-
gence. The INSCRIPTIONS and relentless
way that prevails of dealing with the vice
president has hiteherto made his d,1ty a
somewhat mournful and sacrihciaI one
cameron instituted, or, rather, re-estab-
llsned an equable precedent, but the
trlckery and malice of it seem to have
preciuded It's popularity It was specific
and exclusive In character.
And now comes. Roosevelt. the REFORM
er, the hero, the most conspicuous of the
governors and an ideal candidate for anv
Office that represents the people. OF such
Importance is the goyernorship of New
YORK in the:seye of its occupant and the
general estimation that it has long been
looked upon as door to the presidency
van Buren,, Seward Seymour, TiIden and
cleveland all considered that their stand
Ing as executives qualified them for the
chlef position ofeffe government in that
department. And not one of them was
able TO command larger following than