The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-28
WEAK LINK IN
 OUR GOVERNMENT Office of Vice President and
 Its Menace EXALTING THE OFFICE Power of the Vice President Should Be Enlarged Either From an
 Executive or Legislative
 Point of View.
EXALTING THE OFFICE

Albert J. Beveridge in the Christmas 1 Century Magazine.
 Speaking by and large. 1t is common knowledge that the vice-presidency has been used to "harmonize' the party by giving the weaker faction the nomi- nation of the second officer of the re- public.
 Just where does this lead us? As our party system has evolved, there has been developed within every party two sets of opinion almost as violently op- 1 posed to each other as the principal op- posing political parties themselves are opposed to each other Let us suppose, 1 then, that the immense majority of sem timent in a given party Is highly con servative in economic policies; or, If economic policies are not to the front. that there is strenuous difference of opinion as to certain foreign programmes. Very well. A candidate for president who vigorously holds to the views of the majority is nominated by his party. i Thereupon, in order to make sure the l election, a vice-president is nominated who just as stanchly holds to the views 
 elected. but the president, having be- gun to carry out the policies the strength of which among the people secured his nomination, dies or is incapacitated. The vice-president representing antagonism to these policies, thereupon becomes president Immediately he reverses the policies of his predecessor; or, If not im- mediately. he certainly reverses them in the end
 Is Not in Sympathy.
 Not only Is 1t a fact that he does so. as is Illustrated by Tyler and by An drew Johnson, but it Is nothing more than human nature that he should do so. In his heart he does not believe in the policies of his chief, no matter what he may say for political effect More important still. he owes his nomination to that element of his party opposed to the views Of the element which nom- mated the president. Thus the will of the people can be negative in single moment. How grotesque that typhoid germ or a weak heart or bit of lead and a pinch of powder should suddenly change the designs of great people and the course of mighty nationl
 It Is plain to all thinking people that this is a weak link in our chain of gov ernment which needs strengthening. The best way to strengthen the chain and the strongest chain is never stronger than its weakest link-if of course to abolish the office of vice-president- But that Is quite out of the question Such amendments to our constitution are now virtually impossible. People are so pushed that that they cannot now be in- terested in constitutional amendments unless some calamitous crisis takes them fin its steely fingers and forces their at
 1w.Ar shd disunion as shameful before Fort Sumter was fired upon as 1t was after that lurid event: and yet all the eloquence of Phillips, all the heroism of Garrison, even the martyrdom of Lovetoy, could not arouse the people to concrete action until the flag was torn by shot and shell in Charleston harbor.
 A Fifth Wheel.
 And besides the resourcefulness of our thinkers usually finds some way of &C., l complaining the popular will and neu- tralizing the dangers without amending 1 the constitution. The abolition of the vice-presidency, the taking out of this | dangerous unnecessary and illogical fifth wheel in our government is plainly de- 1 sirable, because, for the reason already given, the vice-presidency is now and all ways was a useless office. Moreover. the ! law of succession passed in 1896 renders ] 1t worse than useless, for that law pro- i vides that in case of death of the presi- l dent (and the vice-president) the secre- 1 tary of state shall succeed to the pres l fdency and after him the secretary of the l treasury, and after him the other mem bers of the cabinet in the order of the establishment of their offices. If we had no vfce-president, this law would insure to the republic a president chosen by the chief magistrate himself because first, IA executive, and, second, because of his great ability. learning. patriotism and force of character.
 Thus under the present law, if there were no vice-presidents, the coutry would be certain, in case of the death oi the president of successor who would faithfully carry out those policies which the president himself was elected to car. ry out; and there would be no reversa of the will of the people in case of succession
 Should Enlarge Power.
 But. alas! 1t is not practical to talk O. eliminating this fifth wheel, which wal originally thrust into our governmental mechanism by little states and by little men and for little reasons and for whicf has been a source of annoyance and ap prehension from that day to this.
 So what is the next best thing to do l Y should be enlarged, either from an exec utive point of view or from legislative point of view. The office should be ex alted in real importance. The vice-pres ident should no longer be the queen kep in reserve as MT. Oliver picturesquel, described him. he should no longer b. an Their apparent" Scalling for the morn ing papers every morning at sunrise t' find whether the events of the night hav raised him to the throne. and with noth ing to do meanwhile except to let hi corrugating thought dwarf and malforn his soul. He should be given a substan tial. tangible, powerful part either in tn
 executive or legislative branch of ou government. Either might accomplish the supreme purpose of compelling polit ical conventions to nominate vice-pres ident with the definite thought in min, that he may become president. instea ! of with the thought of ''harmonizing' party; and insure the nomination of man in complete and perfect harmon
 with the president whose possible sue cessor he may become.