The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-29
THE VICE PRESIDENCY.

The difficulty which the Republican party
popular candidate for Vice President. who
will accept the nomination. leads an East
ern paper TO ask. "Why should not the
office be elevated to place second in rank
to that Of the President of the United
States?" The question would be pertinent
II the Office were not already second only
to that of President. The Constitution
makes 1t so, and of almost equal dignity
by providing that the Vice President shall
be elected at the same time and In the same
manner as the President, have the same
term OF office. and IN case of the death of
the President shall succeed to the Office
The provision that the Vice President shall
be president of the Senate adds a dignified
function to an official who under the Con-
stitution, stands first in succession to the
presidency in case of the death of the Pres
ident. The trainers of the Constitution did
not omit anything necessary to make the
Office of Vice President an important and
dignified one. II il has lost anything in
these respects it is the fault of the people,
who are disposed to regard offices as i'm
portant in proportion as they carry with
them the distribution of patronage. The
Constitution makes the vice presidency a
higher office than the head of depart
ment. yet because the latter controls nu-
merous appointments he is generally re-
garded as the ranking official. This Is a
he Of he
stitution. Certainly an official elected by a
vote OF the people. who is not subject to
removal by the President and who stands
first in succession to the presidency itself
outranks the head Of department. who
owes his appointment to the President and
! may be removed by him. Among the sug-
gestions that have been made to elevate
the vice presidency are to make him ex
| oficio a member of the Cabinet, and again
to make him a senator at large, repre-
senting the United States I'm the United
| States Senate. AS to the first, there is
| nothing to prevent the President from
inviting the Vice President to attend Cab
met meetings at any time. or regularly if
he wishes to. The Constitution makes no
provision for the holding of Cabinet meet
ings nor to who shall attend them. The
President may hold them as often or as sell
dom he pleases, and may invite any OFF,
| cial to attend them whose advice or opin-
ions he DESIRES Attending Cabinet meet
ings would not add anything to the dignity
of the Office of Vice President. The sug-
| gestion that he act as senator at large is
absurd, because it would conflict with his
| constitutional function as president of the
Senate. In the early history of the govern
ment when the departments were few in
number and the public patronage small, no
person thought of ranking a Cabinet officer,
as they are popularity termed, above the
/ Vice President. This idea has only come in
vogue with the enormous increase of public
| patronage and of the power of heads of
departments to dispense it. 1t is an out
growth of the spoils system. Nothing can
be done and nothing need be done to elevate
the office of Vice President. The Consti-
tuition has elevated it to the highest place
possible, except the presidency, and the
people should not belittle it by placing a
| wrong estimate on it.