The Seattle Republican. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1???-1915, 1901-06-28

the workers
The American people are accumu-
Iating wealth faster than they ever
did before, and are enjoying more
generally than ever before the ease
and social improvement that wealth
brings-Inter Ocean.
VICE PRESIDENTS AND ROOSEVELT,
What shall we do with our vice
presidents? The question always has
interested politicians and people.
Precedent, as far as there is a pre-
cedent, is in favor of the succession
of the vice president to the presi-
dency. John Adams, who served as
wee president through Washington's
two terms, was elected president on
Washington's retirement. Thomas
Jefferson, who had been Washing
toms secretary of state and vice pres
ident with Adams, was elected
president on Adams retirement.
Madison, who had been Jeffer-
sons secretary of state, succeeded
Jefferson as president. Monroe,
who had been Madison's secretary of
state, succeeded Madison as presi-
dent, and John Quincy Adams, who
had been Monroes secretary Of state,
succeeded Monroe as president.
Martin Van Buren, who was jack
sons first Secretary Of State and
Vice President IN Jackson's second
terms, succeeded Jackson as Presi-
dent.
Here are two precedents estab-
lished in the early days Of the re-
public-one in favor of the success
sion Of the Vice President to the
Presidency and the other in favor of
the succession of the Secretary of
State. But there was a disinclina-
tion in both great parties to follow
or to establish any invariable rule
of succession. There was goood rea-
son for this, but the departure from
the early custom was not intended
to prejudice permanently the Vice
President or the Secretary Of State.
The tradition which fayors the po-
lItical retirement of a man elected
to the Vice Presidency is of very
modern origin 1t is, in fact, no
tradition at all. Calhoun, Vice Pres
ident under Jackson, was in public
life for over twenty years after his
retirement from the Vice Presiden-
cy and added greatly to his reputa
ton. Hamlin, Vice President in
Lincoln's first term, became more
conspicuous in public life and in his
party after he left that office than
he had been before his election.
When Colfax had served his term
as Vice President he had the oppor-
tunity to continue in public life as
Grants Secretary of State, but he
declined the offer. It was said by
friends Of Hendricks that President
Cleveland was disposed to Ignore the
Vice President, but Western Demo-
Gratis believe that if Hendricks had
lived he would have been Cleve-
lands successor.
The old rule as to the Vice Presi-
dency was to elect to that Office the
most experienced, most popular, and
most conspicuous man in public life,
except the President. When the
choice of candidates was delegated
to political conventions there were
occasions on which the Vice Presi-
dency was made matter of com
promise between sections. This was
the case with Lincoln and Hamlin,
but was not the case with Grant and
Colfax. In the latter case the candi-
date for the Vice Presidency was
chosen to strengthen the ticket in
the close October states.
In the cases of Cleveland and Hen
bricks and Cleveland and Thurman
and Cleveland and Stevenson, the
candidate for the Vice Presidency
was selected to strengthen the ticket
in the West. In the case of McKin-
ley and Hobart, the candidate for
the Vice Presidency was selected to
strengthen the ticket in the East.
In the case of Mckinley and Roose-
velt, strangely enough, the candi-
date for Vice President was selected
from the East to strengthen the
Presidential ticket in the West.
There was departure from prec-
edent in this as in other particulars
last year. Roosevelt was not like
Hamlin or Colfax, or Wilson or
Wheeler, or Morton or Hobart. In
his nomination no precedent or ira
dition was regarded. 1t is needless
to say that neither tradition nor
precedent will govern his future.
If he lives he will be, in 1904, not
simply Vice President Roosevelt, but
the most popular Republican in pub
lie life, and is likely to have before
him career as notable in its way as
that of Vice President Adams, Vice
President Jefferson. Secretary al