The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-20
WHY is THE v1cE-pREsrprNr,

h4"'eS' aEhnst the present method Of
choosing the Vice President of the
United States No one. he says. has
the opportunity Of exercising any in
dependent choice for that Office. He
can vote only for the candidate who
happens to be on the ticket with his
ohoicc Tor President The candidate
for Nice-President is nominated bv the
national convention of the party after
the selection of a Presidential candi
date, and is apt to be Il chance selec-
ton by a few leading delegates. often
of a man without national reputation
ana unknown to most OF the voters.
There is ordinarily no preliminary con-
test for the Office before the people a
for the head OF the ticket Indeed.
the place is often Stunned by men
whom the country would select for
President
The truth OF history bears this out
The Vice-President usually answers to
Tom Reeds definition of statesman
a dead politician" Only thrice in the
annals of the nation have Vice Presi
Gssats become Presidents by election.
several have succeeded to the Presi-
deney through the death of the Presi
dent, but Martin Van Buren, is really
the only President who was ever
elevated to the Presidency under the
political system now in operation in
this country. John Adams and Thomas
Jefferson were Vice Presidents. but at
a time wl&n the Vice President was
the nominee for President receiving
the second highest vote and not nv
any means OF the same political faith
as the successful nominee for the Pres
idency. Instead of being stepping
stone 10 tho Presidency, the Vice
Presidency is the burying ground of
Presidential aspirations and ambitions.
Not only is the second place on tho
national party ticket Stunned by men
OF hrst-rate ability, but it also rarely
is filled by a man OF any special note
ce oalibre Who remembers the Vice
President under Lincoln or Grant.
Cleveland or Mckinley? Does ANY,
body recollect who Bryan's running
mate was in 1896 or 1900 or 1905? AS
l.
cian OF middle rank. chosen because
he will appeal TO a certain section of
the country. Recent nomina lions boar
this out-Kern and Fairbanks. OF In
diana; Stevenson, OF Illinois, and SO on
National conventions pay little at
tention to the possibility that the vico.
PRESIDENT nominated may. through the
death of his superior become Chief
Magistrate OF the nation. In every
case where the Vice President has he
come President through the death of
the President elected dissatisfac-
ton has resalted,... John Tyler as
President. able man that he was
was most unacceptable TO majority
of the party which put him on the
ticket Andrew Johnson, as statesman
Ike and patriotic as he was, brought
Down pfon his head the maledictions
OF his party when he succeeded Lincoln.
Previously. Willard Fillmore. who came
into the =sVhite House through the
death OF Zachary Taylor. was man
whose chief Characteristic was medioc-
rity, and whom nobody admired or
praised. Chester Alan Arthur. who
became President through Guiteau's
dastardly bullet. split his party in
twain by his administration OF the
ohice. If anybody had thought that
there was any chance that Theodore
Roosevelt would become President the
Rtpublican convention would never
have named him to run with Mckinley
in 1900. He was put in the Vice Prcsi-
idency because it was regarded rs a
tomb from which nc could not save
himself but that streak OF political
good fortune which made him the
luckiest of American politicians placed
him in the White House.
The correspondent OF the Springfield
Republican, to whom we referred.
makes what we consider an admirable
suggestion. He asserts that any
amendment Of the Constitution Of the
United States is so difficult that no
attempt has been made for a reform
of the Vice Presidency. There seems
he continues. 80 be one amendment
SO simple and Jet so effective that IL
ihf6Ht meet Win no opposition. Merely
abolish the Office of President"
That Is a most sensible suggestion,
when viewed in the cold light OF rea-
son According to John Randolph
fuckers commemorate on the consti-
tuition. in inc convention Of 1857. the
question as to the presiding officer
of the Senate was debated. AT nrst
the senate was authorized to choose
its own president. as in the case OF
the House Of Representatives. and this
was al one time during the convention
adopted. together with the provision
that the president OF the Senate. in
case OF the removal. death. resigna-
ton or disability Of the President OF
the United states. should discharge
Ittff or ~,