The Washington herald., 1908-01-02

In the course Of some recent remarks
concerning the availability of Gov. John
A. Johnson as the Democratic nominee
for Vice President and the advisability Of
his nomination. The Washington Herald
took occasion to say that the time is past
when that high and important Office
should be looked upon as q mere shelf
upon which to lay statesmen whose as
phyxiatiOn is desired by party bosses. and
TO add that TO Mr. Roosevelt is due some
measure Of thanks for having brought
about. in part. so healthy A condition.
our always interesting contemporary
the Lynchburg Advance. rather doubts
that Mr.. Roosevelt deserves especial credit
in this regard, and says:
We agree with The Herald that the Vice Presi-
dency should be an honor TO De desired. bat We
think that the case OF Mr.. Roosevelt is not aifi
cieut proof that the office has outgovu its old
habits. It should be remembered that Nlr. Ro0se-
gclt's was an exceptional case. Not often does il
happen land praises he that such is the easel that
VICE President is called 10 the highest executive
Office in the land through the death Of the Pres
dent. Mr.. Roosevelt has done something as PTes
dent, not as Vice President
Of course, one swallow does not make
a summer, nor does the citation of Mr..
Roosevelt conclusively prove our conten-
ton; still. it must be confessed that he
has served a good purpose i'm this mat
ter, inasmuch as he has demonstrated
that a Vice President need not necessa-
rily, abandon hope when entering the Sen
ate chamber provided he has in him in
the beginning the stuff that marks the
strong-minded, earnest, and determined
statesman. Previous 10 Mr. Roosevelt's
election no Vice President providentially
called 10 the Presidency had ever been
subsequently elected President, and in
only two instances in our earlier history
had a former Vice President been elected
President under any circumstances. At
the time of Mr.. Roosevelt's elevation to
the Vice Presidency it is not too much to
say that such an election was tantamount
to a death warrant. so far as future po-
ltical activity or progress was concerned.
In selecting AIr. Roosevelt as its Vice
Presidential candidate. however. the Re
publican party. whether aware OF it at
the moment or not. was selecting a man
in whom the people We're destined 70 be
well pleased in the days TO come. His
nomination was made without reference
TO his ability TO command a BARI with
widely gaping bunghole, and his eventual
occupancy of the White House demon
strated his ability to win and retain the
confidence and loyalty OF the rank and
file Of his party to an extent that made
possible his election TO the Presidency in
time by a vote almost unparalleled in
this country's history.
Unwritten laws of custom. ancient and
persistent usage, perhaps somewhat mixed
with superstition, prejudice, and ultra
conservatism, had at the time of Mr..
Roosevelt's one and only election to the
Vice Presidency clothed that office with
that which amountedto to political shroud.
Arthur could not resurrect himself, though
personally popular man, and an ambi-
tious and worthy official The Vice Pres-
dency was a graveyard, nothing more or
less. Mr. Roosevelt Tevolutionized that
idea. and a Vice President may lift his
thoughts to election to the higher office
now, largely because Of the activity and
success Of Theodore Roosevelt.
Therefore, in nominating Johnson for
Vice President, the Democracy need not
feel that it is spiking his guns forever, or
rendering him practically ineligible for
election TO the Presidency later on. The
Vice Presidency should be the most care
fully guarded Office under the government.
after the Presidency. It should be filed
by man who might be depended upon to
step into the Presidency fully prepared
for its responsibilities. And it is idle 10
deny that Mr.. Roosevelt has played well
his part ii. restoring much of the real
meaning of the office to the understand
ing Of the American people.