The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-08-03

March. We count upon your wisdom
and experience and loyal aid as an
element of ever present strength in
the coming administration.
As to the supreme responsibility of
the Vice-President in case of success
sion to the Presidency, we shall all
pray, and no one more earnestly than
yourself, that it may not come to you.
But we are not at liberty to ignore
the possibility that it may come. Sad
and bitter experience admonishes us
that provision for succession to the
Presidency is no idle form. Of the
last twelve Presidents elected by the
people of the United States five
nearly ene-half-have died in office
and have been succeeded by Vice
Presidents. A serious obligation rests
upon the political parties which Sc
lect the candidates between whom the
people must choose, to see to it that
they nominate men for this possible
succession who have the strength of
body and mind and character which
shall enable them, If occasion comes,
to take up the burdens of the great
presidential office, to endure its try
ing and exhausting demands, to meet
its great responsibilities, and with
firm hand and clear vision to guide
the government Of the Country until
the people can express their choice
again.
Our opponents of the Democratic
Party have signally failed to perform
this duty. They have nominated
as their candidate for the Vice-Presi-
dency an excellent gentleman, who
was born during the presidency of
James Monroe, and who before the
4th Of March next will be in the
eighty-second year of his age. Before
the next administration is ended, he
will be approaching his eighty-sixth
birthday. 1t is no disparagement of
this gentleman, for whom I believe we
all have the highest respect, to say
that he shares the common lot of
mortals, and that the election of any
man of such great age would furnish
no safeguard to the American people
against the disaster which would en-
sue upon the death of a president
with a successor not competent to per-
form the duties of the presidential
office. 1t is common experience that
very aged men, however bright and
active they may appear for brief pc
RODS, cannot sustain long continued
severe exertion. The demands of the
presidential Office upon the mental
and physical vitality are so great be-
yond the capacity of any man of
eighty-fve.
The attempt by such a man to per-
form the duties of the Office would
with practical certainty be speedily
followed by complete breakdown
both of body and mind. In contens
plating the remote possibility of the
election of the Democratic candidate
for Vice-President, the people Of the
country are bound to contemplate al
so a necessary result of such an cleo
ton in case of the President s death,
that others, not chosen by the people,
and we know not who, would govern
in the name of nominal successor
unable himself to perform the consti-
tutional duties Of his office; or worse
still, that serious doubt whether the
Vice-President had not reached con-
dition of inability within the
meaning of the constitution would
throw the title to the Office of Presi-
dent into dispute.
The serious effect Of such an event
upon the Government and upon the
business interests and general well
fare of the country, and the serious
effect even of the continual menace
of such an event, must be apparent
to every thoughtful mind.
In your election, on the other hand,
this chief requirement will be fully
met. In the full strength Of middle
life you are prepared for the exhaus-
ting duties of the Presidency. Your
successful and distinguished career,
the ability anr probity with which
you have already discharged the du-
ties of high office, the universal res
pect and esteem Of the people Of Indi-
ana who have delighted to honor you,
the attachment Of hosts of friends
thr0uohont the TJnion-a11 assure rs