Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-01-15
HAMPTON, PHOEBUS AND OLD POINT-Continued
Vice Presidency NOT Appreciated


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"Borryman's clever cartoon In The
Star recently" said II member of the
House Of Representatives depicting
a number of the leaders of the domi.
nant party fleeing In terror from an
ignited bomb labeled Vice presiden.
cy. 1905 lest II explode and hit one
OF the group and land him as the tail.
end candidate in the next national
Republican convention. calls TO mind
a point or two regarding the high of.
| fee which WAS made the subject of
the artists sketch.
The yico presidency. together wi,n
n portfolio In the cabinet of the Pres.
ident. has long been popularity sup
In the graveyard of disappointed pc.
lit!cal hopes and ambitious for the
most exalted OF tho olectiyo positions
within the gift Of the peoplo-thc
presidency.
Accepting the truth of this subpo.
sition according TO ones own indi-
vidual volition. the fact remains that
more than one representative OF the
lower house of Congress at the south
end of the Capitol has ngurative
lightning rod extending skyward in
hopes that convention lightning may
strike II and transport the strlck-
en- member to the north end uf the
building TO tho vice presidents lux
uriously furnished private ROOM and
there are many reasons why this Is
SO.
Position OF Dignity.
Although the vice presidency Is
only OF comparative insignificance
with the presidency itself. as against
other Offices yet to my mind 1t is n
position of great dignity and import.
ance. and could never understand
why It has not been moro eagerly
lsought. Three times within the past
generation ii has elevated it's incum.
bent TO an occupancy Of the White
House. and this may he said to be q
good average of percentage as against
the whole number of times the office
has been filled in this period.
"The social Importance and family
prestige attaching to tho Office are
very great. while officially. of course,
the position ranks second to that OF
the President. Perhaps one reason
why so many statesmen have declineL
| 1t is because II carries with II bu.
comparatively little political patron.
age and In many instances compare.
lively little political influence with the
very administration of which II may
be n part.
Although this would seem an ano
maly. there are many instances with.
In our memory where the chief exc
| cutive has all but effaced the vice
president from the political patronage
map of the capital. This fact. how.
ever then or now, In nowise inter.
feres with the office itself. and there
are but few OF IFS at the other end
of the Capitol who wouldn't rise to
the bait like trout TO the fly II the
line happened to be cast in our wa.
tiers, though to preserve the national
tradition we would have TO he very
coy when the hook splashed and seem.
inGly reluctant to bite.
| "One thousand dollars n month viii
so long way toward the providing
of the winters coal, paying the rent
and buying car tickets, to say nothing
of few other incidentals OF every.
day life which are termed essentials
to human comfort. Though tho sal.
AIRY attaching to the Office ought to be
double this figure. according to tho
ideas of some persons, It is OF suf.
cient magnitude to prove an attrac.
ton. for 1t must not be supposed that
the office should be sought by rich
men alone. or that political honors
are the only resultants from Office.
holding.
Place of Honor In the Senate.
And as to the latter, the honor of
presiding over the ablest. deebera.
tive body In this or any other country
ought to be sufficient in itself to sat.
isfy the ambition OF the average man
competent to fill such a position. while
the number OF average mon compe.
tent to fill the position whose profes.
sion or work yields them less than
the salary, but who can't get 1t. Is
legion. Then there are several sec.
retaryships and confidential clerks
positions at disposal. as Well as a few
minor appointments at the other end
of the Capitol which count for some.
thing, especially when bestowed upon
members OF the family or relatives
In fact. have always thought the
country at large has misiudged the
Importance of the position. and IL has
done so is perhaps because the prerog,
atives and Importance OF the flee OF
President arc so tremendous and 20
tential that everything else in the
nature of political office Is dwarfed
IN comparison. The same rule holds
true as to corporations and business
concerns In that the President has
such supreme power and authority
tut I will excrange my legislative
billet for that of the vice presidency
on sight. but. like the rest OF US. ma.
tional tradition and mate modesty
prevent public announcement of the