Evening journal., 1911-01-19
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Merchant Who Mar
rOWly Missed Being
President
n ora.rr-an
BY "HOIIand."

Every President of the United States
at the time Of his election, was either
a lawyer or else had gained great mill
tary rcnOwn; it. was the military ac-
tivity of Colonel Roosevelt in the war
with Spain which brought him into
prominent association with politics
which made his pathway 10 the vice
presidency inevitable. Yet there was
time when, but for tho narrowest
chance and the queerest sort of politi-
cal sentiment. a manufacturer and
merchant would have been nominated
for vice-president upon a ticket with a
candidate for President, who, two
years after his inauguration, died.
II was In 1S4S. The great Whig
leaders of that time had pitched upon
General Zachary Taylor of Louisiana
as the man for presidential nomina-
tion who would be more likely to ap-
peal to the voters Of the United States
than any other Whig General Taylor
had gained renown in the Mexican
War, and after its termination had
retired to his cotton plantation in
Louisiana. He himself was reported
TO have said that he didn't know ex-
| actly whore he stood politically, he
wasn't sure whether he could prop
erly call himself a Whlg or not. but
he was a protectionist-and that was
enough for the party leaders. one Of
tho most prominent among their num-
ber being Thurlow Weed. Indeed, It
was Mr. Weed who first suggested
/ General Taylor for the Presidential
nomination, and he II was who con-
vinced his fellow leaders that they
could make no wiser choice.
AFTER We had decided upon Gen
eral Taylor" Mr. Weed was fond of
telling IN the closing years Of his
life. Eve OF one accord felt that II
would be well to select for the vice
! presidential honor a man from New
England. We also felt that the candi-
date should be o strong advocate Of
the principles Of protection so strong
~ advocated and supported by Henry
Clay and so, finally we decided upon
Abbott Lawrence, Of Massachusetts as
! just the man we were after.
"Mr Lawrence was manufacturer
of cotton goods. He had utilized the
water power of the Merrimac river,
built great mills upon tho banks of
the river. and thus founded the city
which bears his surname. He was a
| splendid mana public spirited citi-
zen, a man Of much cultivation. and
one Of the leaders OF the development
in manufacturing interests In the
United States. We were sure that the
! Presidential ticket of Taylor and Law
renee would appeal TO 2 majority Of
the voters of the United tSates, and
when. prior to the assembling OF our
convention. the split came in the DEM
oCrauc party, which resulted I'm Martin
Van Buren, being nominated for Pres
ident upon a Free Soil platform, we
were more than ever sure that our
ticket, as agreed upon IN conference
would be elected.
But we had overlooked one little
thing Shortly before the convention
met. Louisiana Whig wrote TO us
saying that il would never do TO have
Abbott Lawrence on the ticket, and for
one reason. General Taylor. he said
was a cotton planter; Abbott Law
renee was manufacturer Of cotton
goods--it would never do TO have cot
ton al both ends of the ticket
1T had never occurred TO US, but We
saw instantly the force of the argu.
ment. Therefore, we reluctantly ab8n.
doned Mr. Lawrence, and at the last
minute Millard Fillmore. OF New York
was selected as the Whig candidate
for vice-president. And that is why he
and not "a manufacturer and merchant
through the constitutional succession
became President OF the United States
in July OF 1S50.'
Copyright. 1911. by z. J. Edwards. All
rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell
laHorx Sfanheu II EIEiuc Helms IN