The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-09-10
WHAT WILL ROOSEVELT DO?
Speculation AS to Assuming Presi.
dents Office During Latter's Dis
ability.

dOIIleys ~
It is not believed that Vice Presi-
dent Roosevelt will assume the dut-
les of office as president pending Nc
Kinley's disability, although the con
stitution would permit it.
Garfield lived from July 2, 1881,
until Sept. 81, and Vice President Ar
thur did not assume the chief execu-
tive function. During that period the
nation, officially speaking. was so
bowed with grief that little attention
was given to affairs of state.
Will Col. Roosevelt feel like assum-
ing the presidency as long as the
faintest hope of the presidents re-
covery is afforded? In this connection
the words of Theodore Roosevelt offer
the best answer.
Shortly after the nomination of Nc
Kinley and Hobart, in 1896, Mr.. Roose-
welt wrote an article for the North
American Review on the subject of
the vice presidency. He said:
"The vice president is a character
unique in his character and functions.
There is no corresponding position in
any constitutional government. Per-
haps the nearest analogue is the heir
apparent in a monarchy. There are,
and must be, in every party factions.
The victorious faction may crush out
and destroy the others, or it may try
to propitiate at least it's most formid-
able rival.
I'm consequence, the custom grew
of offering a vice presidency as
A Consolation Prize,
to be given in many cases to the very
men who are most bitterly opposed
to the nomination of the successful
candidate for president. It has thus
frequently happened that the two IAN
didates have been totally dissimilar
in character and even in party princi-
pie though running on the same ticket.
The result was that when the elder
Harrison died, the presidency fell into
the hands Of a mar (Tyler) who had
but a %corporal's guard of supporters
in the nation, and who proceeded to
oppose all the measures of the i'm
mense majority of those who elected
him.
"a somewhat similar instance was
afforded in the case of Lincoln and
johnson. Johnson was put on the
ticket largely for geographical rea-
sons, and on the death of Lincoln
he tried to reverse the policy of the
party which had put him in office. An
instance of an entirely different kind
is afforded by Garfield and Arthur.
"The differences between these two
party leaders were mainly merely fac
tional. Each stood squarely on the
platform Of the party; the death of
Garfield meant a complete overturn in
the personnel of upper republican
officials, because Arthur had been
nominated expressly to placate the
group Of party leaders who most OBJ
jected to the nomination of Garfield.
"The vice president should, SO far
as possible, represent the same views
and principles which have secured the
nomination and election of the presi-
dent, and should be a man standing
we'll in the councils of the party, trust
ed by his fellow party leaders and
able, in the event Of any accident to
his chief, to take the work of the lat
ter, just where it was left off.
THE republican party has this year
nominated such a man, in the person
of Mr.. Hobart, but nominations of
this kind have by no means been al
ways the rule of recent years. No
change Of parties, for instance, could
well produce a greater revolution in
policy than would have been produc-
ed at almost any time during the last
three years II Mr.. Cleveland had died
and Mr.. Stevenson succeeded him. All
the elements, which have rallied be-
hind Mr.. Mckinley are just as heart
lily behind Mr.. Hobart. The two rep
resent the same force, and they stand
for a party with a coherent organiza-
ton and a definite purpose. to the
carrying out of which they are
pledged"