The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-28
The CANDIDATE IN OFFICE
PRECEDENT AGAINST MOST or
THE REPUBLICAN, ASPIRANTS.

No President Ever stepped Directly From
the senate to the white House as Knox
n Foraker Seek to Do-Few Cabinet
Onnccrs Have Won. None Since 1874.
WASHINGTON. July 27.-In this years pre-
iminary skirmishing for the Republican
Presidential nomination seven statesmen
have been more or less prominently men,
toned. all except one Of whom are identified
with Federal official life at the present time.
Fairbanks is Vice President: Knox and Fo-
raker are Senator's; Taft, Root and C~ortelyou
are members Of the Cabinet, and Shaw has
recently retired from the Presidents Official
family.
None Of these men will be elected to the
Presidency unless the almost unbroken
precedent is departed from in 1908. II has
been a notorious fact. frequently cited In
political discussion for many years. that
only twice since Jefferson's time has any
man who served as Vice-Prssident been
elected to the Presidency; and the office
which Mr.. Fairbanks now occupies has gem
orally been regarded by national politicians
as a place in which to "shelve" ambitious
statesmen.
The p~artisans of Mr.. Roosevelt used to de-
clare with much vehemence that the Vice.
Presidency TO which he was elected in 1900
would never prove to be q shelf" for him.
Only three Vice Presidents have been elected
to the Presidency when they held the lower
office and none Of these since 1885. when
Martin Van Buren, was the successful stand
ard bearer Of the Democratic party to sue
coed "Old Hickory" To and the other
examples of successful Vice Presidential
candidates for the Presidency il 10 neces-
sary to go back almost to the foundation OF
the republic, when John Adams was elected
as the successor of George Washington, and
when Adams was in turn succeeded by Vice
President jefferson.
Since 1924 no member OF the Cabinet has
been elevated TO the Presidency Of the
United States. and only three in tho whole
history of the Government. In 1924 John
Quincy Adams Of Massachusetts, was the
candidate Of the Wings against Andrew
jackson. but there was no choice by the
people and Mr.. Adams was elected by he
votes of the Hous Of Representative.
At the time OF his election Adams was
Secretary of State in the Cabinet OF President
Monroe. TIT two immediate predecessors |
Of PresidAut John Quincy Adams were also |
members Of the Cabinet at the time Of their !
nomination for h Presidency, James |
Madison being President Jefferson's Score
tary OF State at the time of tho nominating |
convention Of 1908 and James Monroe
the same portfolio under President |
Madison when he was nominated in 1915.
Madison. Monroe and j. Q. Adams found
the Cabinet a stepping stone 70 the highest
honor in the gift OF the people, but this
history has never repeated itself.
man now alive can recall q time. however, /
four members of tho same Cabinet
Tor the Presidency in the same year. Secre-
tary Cortelyou. Secretary Taft and ex-
Secretary Shaw will find nc precedent
Tor the elevation Of a Cabinet minister,
other than a Secretary Of State. to the ONCE
1f President.
Superstitious persons who may admire
Foraker and Mr.. Knox will probably
be impressed with the fact that no Senator
Df the United States ever stepped directly
his Senatorial office into that Of tho
In fact only two or three
s~x-Senators ave been elected President.
although some OF the most DISTINGUISHED
members OF the upper house have been
aspirants for the Office. Among
he Presidents who held oftoe subsequent
20 the time OF John Quincy Adams IL TO
be recalled Andrew jackson. who resigned
rom the Senate to be q candidate for
President. but who WAS defeated. That
I'm the campaign IN which jackson
opposed TO j. Q. Adams, resulting in
he election Of Adams by the HOUSE Of
representatives. When at last jackson
elected President he had been out Of
he Senate for -four years.
Only one member OF the House Of Repre-
has reached the Presidency
u the time OF his incumbe acy in the HOUSE,
That was James A. Garfield OF Ohio. who
vas one Of the best examples Of the dark
iorse' candidate which the history Of
he country affords. His nomination was
'prung at the eleventh hour and was
unheralded M unexpected &C
he tins the convention convened. He
lad been elected Senator. but was elected
soon thereafter and before he
ook his SCAT in the Senate.
A remarkable number OF the Presidents
ave come from the ranks OF those states
men who at the time Of their nomination
or the Chief MaSistracy had been retired
rom Federal once cither by their own
or by defeat. William Henry
iartson had been out OF public life in
for twelve yearu when ho vaa