The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-05-12
VICE PRESIDENTS WHO HAVE
REACHED THE PRESIDENCY


! whig party which had nominated and
State bank.
He hoped that the Democrats would
give him the presidential nomination.,
which his quarrel with his own party
precluded him from even asking but
was disappointed. Like the two
Adamses, he did not attend the inaugu-
ration of his successor 1t is said that
he left the White House early on the
morning of March 4 and drove to the
wharf of the Potomac river steamer to
boat was leaving. Some one called;
Hold on there! President Tyler is COM
ing The captain, Clay Whig, shouted
back: Eek President Tyler be hanged
Let him stay! And the presidential
party was left on the whaorf.
Millard Fillmore served three of the
four years to which Zachary Taylor was
elected. At the Whfg convention of 1852
he was candidate for the presidential
nomination, and on the first ballot COM
manded 1873 votes One hundred and
On the fifty-third ballot Winfield Scott
was nominated. In 1856 Fillmore won
the coveted nomination but the Whig
party was at that time in it's death
throes. Fillmore had only eight votes in
the electoral college. The Democratic
candidate, James Buchanan. won the
election, though the newly organized Re-
publican party, with The Pathfinder."
showed lusty growth.
Only once has it been necessary for
the senate to exercise it's right to elect
the vice president, a right conferred by
the twelfth amendment if no candidate
for the vice presidential office receives a
majority of the votes. This happened in
1887 when Richard NJ. Johnson. nomi-
mated on the same ticket with Martin
Van Buren,, received Just one-half of the
29i electoral votes. The amendment pro-
4
on the list of those voted for vice
president, the senate shall choose the
vice president. To do so a quorum of
two-th.rds of the whole number of sena-
tors must be present and a majority of
the whole number is necessary to a
choice.
Two men nominated for the office of
vice president have refused to accent
the honor. At a Democratic caucus held
in Washington May u, 1872, James Madi-
son received the unanimous vote of the
caucus, eighty-two votes, for president
John Langdon, of New Hampshire, was
nominated for vice president. receiving
sixty-four of the eighty-two votes. Lang
don declined the nomination At a sec
ond caucus, held in June. Elbridge Gerry
was nominated. was elected and served
as Madison's possible successor.
At the Democratic convention of 1874
United States Senator Silas Wright, of
ident in the hope that the friends of
Van Buren, would be placated Van
Buren, had been defeated for the presi-
dental nomination by the enforcement
of the two-thirds rule, despite the fact
that he commanded a majority.
The convention of 1874 was the first to
have its proceedings reported by the
telegraph. From Baltimore to Washing
ton the news of Wright's nomination
was sent over the mysterious wire. In
dignant at what he considered a base be-
trayal of Van Buren. the senator de-
clined the nomination by electric ele-
graph, thus distinguishing himself as
certainly no man had ever done before
OF the twenty-six men who have
filled the Office of vice president, four
have been selected for a second term
John Adams served as Washington's po-
tential successor throughout the first
presidents two presidential terms.
date both times that Adams was chosen.
was elected to the second place with
Jefferson and James Madison, dying be-
fore the close of his second term. Clin-
while Franklin Pierce was president;
Henry Wilson, elected vice president
with Grant the second time; Thomas A.
Hendricks and Garrett A. Hobart all died
before the completion of their terms of
Office as vice presidents John G. Cal
houn, the last of the four men honored
by election to second term as vice
president resigned during his term of
office because of differences between him
and the president Andrew Jackson.
During his first term as vice president
JOHn NQulHGS AuEtIlS WAS ltD5 executive.
Daniel d. Tompkins, vice president dur
ing Monroe'S era, served two terms
The number four is small compared
with the number of men who have been
given a second term as presldent-ten
in all.
In 1892 congress passed an act provid-
in that the president of the senate, and
after him the speaker of the house
should sucosed to the presidency in case
that the president and vice president
should not be able to perform the duties
of the office When Vice President Hen
bricks died in 1888 It was seen that the
death of the president would place the
government In the hands of the Repub-
licans, though the people had voted the
Democrats should be in power for four
years In January, 1886. congress passed
a new presidential succession act by
which after the president and vice presi-
fdent, the members of the cabinet sue
ceeded TO the presidency-the secretary
of state, the secretary of the treasury.
the secretary of VIZ the secretary of the
navy, the postmaster general. the sec
retary of the interior and the attorney
general, in the order of the creation of
the departments, down to the time of She
act which does not include the later de-
partments Of agriculture and commerce
and labor.
Gard ~ ThankR