Evening journal., 1911-09-01
NEW MEMS OF YESTERDAY
A Cherished Plan That "0Id
Rough and Ready
Gave Up
BY Holland.

Il have often wondered whether
President Zachary Taylor was not
right when he tried to make the vice
president of the United States an ex-
offcio member of his cabinet, SAID
Tburlow Weed, the great Whig leader,
to me about two years before his
death which occurred in 1882, when ne
was chatting reminiscently OF General
Taylor, who more than to any othor
man, owed his election to the presi-
dency to Thurlow Weed.
For some reason the explanation
for which ] never learned" continued
Mr.. Weed Taylor conceived a great
liking for vice-president Fillmore.
doubt whether the two men had ever
met until the time Of their Inaugural
tion as president and vice-president,
was close at hand However Fillmore
had an insinuating, almost capuyat-
ing manner which he knew wen how
to use. especially when brought into
contact with a man of the bluntness,
simplicity and rugged honesty of
Zachary Taylor. IL may be that Fill
more in that way had captivated Old
Rough and Ready having in mind the
desire to keep a good grip upon such
New York state patronage as Taylor
had 10 dispense.
whether this surmise be correct or
not, it is the fact that when General
Taylor was deciding upon his cabinet
short time before his inauguration he
determined to invite Mr. Fillmore to
become a member of the cabinet e0-
officio.
"He spoke OF that determination to
one or two members of his proposed
cabinet who were with him. "a day or
two before the inauguration. He said
that in his opinion the vice-president
should be made thoroughly familiar
with administrative business. since ne
might at any moment be called upon,
as John Tyler had been, TO take the
oath as president
Whatever their private opinions
may have been of this plan. the men
to whom General Taylor talked did
not venture to suggest any objection
to II to General Taylor. They did hint
10 him, however, that before he invited
Fillmore 10 become eX-ofdcio a mem
Der of his cabinet he should ask some
of the Whig Senators what their opin-
ion about tho expediency of the plan
was At first General Taylor declined
TO take the hint He said that the cab
met WAS Ulo hlnildl AdAiliGs anu IL Mdc
not necessary for him TO find out what
the Senate thought respecting cabinet
appointments, since he had learned
that the Senate. as a matter of form
and courtesy always confirmed nomi-
nations to the cabinet.
"Then IL was said to General Taylor
that he ought TO remember that the
vice-president of the United States is
4 h.. ..Ft nd
in case of "A tie has power to vote so
as to break it. For that reason Il would
be no more than courtesy to learn
what Senators thought of the propriety
of having the vice-president sit ex-of-
| ficio at cabinet meetings
General Taylor saw the force of
this suggestion, and conferred with
two or three Senator's They told him
bluntly that the Senate would not FOR
an instant tolerate an ex-ofhcio ap-
pointment of the vice-president as
member of the cabinet; that II would
be regarded as a grievous mistake II
the president were to invite the vice
president 20 attend all the cabinei
meetings, even though the vice presi
dent was present only informally.
when General Taylor learned how
the Senate was sure to feel in case hs
followed this plan he abandoned IL
But l know that as long as he wa'
president ne felt more than ever con
vinced that il would be the part o
wisdom TO recognize the vice-presiden
as ex-officio and informally a cabine
officer.
Il don't know but what / am IN
clined to agree with the view taken b.
General Taylor. The vice-president j
now only a figurehead, a contingen
possibility. He is about the most unin
fuential of all our public officers, ant
! think he ought TO be as influential a
any except the President himself"
Copyright 1911. by r. J. Edwards. AL
Rights Reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell q
sSenator Frye and the Vice Pres
dssey."
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