Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-28
SUPPOSE.

Wall Street Journal.-Suppose that
Judge Parker is elected president, and
with Henry G. Davis as vice president,
there would be Immediately an intense
interest and concern as to the man Sc
lected by Judge Parker to be secretary
of state.
The reason for this special concern
lies in the fact that Mr.. Davis would
be SO years of age when inaugurated
as vice president, and, therefore, al
though now In the enjoyment of Wig
orous physical and mental health,
might not live out his term. In the
event of his death, under the new laws
of the United States, the secretary Of
state would take the place of the vice
president as the successor to the pres
ident in the case of the latter's death
or incapacity. This is the position to-
day. There being no vice president
Secretary of State Hay would succeed
president Roosevelt in. case of his
death. No one feels any sense of in
security now on account of the situa-
ton because of the great confidence
which is felt In Secretary Hays policy
and character.
most likely be secretary of staten If
Judge Parker be elected president? 1t
is usual for presidents to name as sec
rotary of state men who occupy such a
commanding position in the party,
that they have either been candidates
for presidential nomination or stand
naturally in the order of succession to
that position. More than one presi-
dept has named for secretary of state
the man he defeated in the con-
vention for nomination, or the man
who has been in the preceding. cam
paign a defeated nominee for presi-
dent Thus, in 1925, President Adams
appointed secretary of state, Henry
Clay, who had been one Of the oppos-
ing candidates for the presidency.
Daniel Webster was more than once
a candidate for the presidential nomi-
nation, and was twice selected for sec
rotary Of state. Lincoln named as his
secretary of state w. H. Seward who
was the leading candidate against him
In the republican convention of 1860.
Garfield selected as secretary of state
James G. Blaine, who had been one Of
two leading candidates for the repub-
ltcan nomination the year previous.
Cleveland selected as secretary Of
state Thomas F. Bayard who had been
a candidate for the democratic nomi-
ed James G. Blaine for secretary Of
state after Blaine had been the de-
feated candidate of the party in 1884.
If Judge Parker, as president, chose
to follow any of these precedents, and
should honor the democrat who receiv-
ed the largest number of votes in the
democratic convention next to himself,
his choice for secretary of state would
be William Randolph Hearst: or IL he
desired to honor the defeated leader
of his party in two preceding cam
paigns, and also extended the "olive
branch" to the opposing faction in his
party, his choice would be William j.
Bryan; or If he desired to pick out
one of the most noted democratic
leaders of his own political family, a
man who had been governor of the
state of New York United States SEN
ator and a candidate for the demo-
cratic nomination in 1892, as well as
for many years the leader of the party
in his state. his choice would naturally
be David B. Hill. This choice would
be, indeed, most probable, inasmuch as
ex-senator Hill has engineered the
campaign for Judge Parker, and was
largely instrumental in securing his
nomination at st. Louis, and has,
moreover, been his political friend for a
great many years. AS governor. Hill
appointed Parker to the bench. and
when Hill was candidate for governor
in 1885, Judge Parker was chairman of
the democratic committee, and thus
managed Hills campaign.
What would, therefore, be thought
of an administration made up as fol-
lows:
Judge Parker as president.
Ex-senator Davis Gagged S2) as vice
president. 800
David B. Hill as secretary or state