The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-08-03
SENATOR
B ANkS OLE FICIAL
NOTIFIED TODAY
.econtinued FROM FIRST Page.)

only from intimate association and
confidence and sympathy. Too often
it has happened that after excited
contests for the Presidential nomina-
ton the candidate for Vice President
has been selected from the defeated
faction for the purpose Of appeasing
their resentment, and that after cleo
ton he has remained antagonistic in
spirit, and a stranger to the coun-
sells of the President whom he may
be called upon to succeed. Happily
we are now in no such case. The peo-
pie would fam see again such re1a-
TORS of sympathy and loyal he.pf1.l.
ness for the public good as ex:;-'
between President. i:cI ;ls!ey and :,:cc
president Hobart; and the personal
relations; between President Ro ,st1-
welt ard yourself, Your mutual esteem
a!.,i good understanding assure ;.s
thai these happy conditions will COM.
again after the fourth of next March.
We count upon your wisdom AMI es
per:ence End loyal all: IS an element
OF ever present strength in the COM
ing administration.
AS to the supreme responsibility of
the Vice Presidency in case of sue
cession to the Presidency, we shall
all pray, and no one more earnestly
than yourself, that it may not come TO
you. But we are 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
a1nrfaH Inv the
people of the United States five
nearly one-half-have died-in office
and have been succeeded by Vice
Presidents. A serious obligation rests
upon the political parties which select
the candidates between whom the peo-
pie must choose, to see to it that they
nominate men for this possible sue
cession 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 Pres
idential office, to endure it's trying
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 eiShty-sixth
birthday. 1t is no dispara cement of
this gentleman, for whom l 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 President
with successor not competent to
perform 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 eXertions. The demand of the
Presidential office upon the mental
and physical vitality are SO great, SO:
continuous and SO eXhaustinS, as to
be wholly beyond the capacity of any
man of eighty-tive.
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 of mind. In contem-
plating the remote possibility of the
election of the Democratic candidate
for, Vice President, the people OF the
country are bound to contemplate
also as a necessary result of such an
election in case of the Presidents
death, that others, not chosen by the
people, and we know not who, would
govern in the name of a nominal sue
cessor unable himself to perform the
constitutional duties of his office; or
worse still, that serious doubt wheth
er the Vice President had not reach
ed a condition of 'inability" within
the meaning of the constitution would
throw the title to the office OF Pres
ident into dispute.
The serious effect of such an event
upon the government and upon the
business interests and general welfare
of the country. and the serious effect