The Washington herald., 1912-06-18
The Vice Presidency.

III vain nave we SCdTCQcQ lne press
dispatches or other news purveyors for
some expression, some hint, as to whom
the Republicans have in mind for run
ming mate to their Presidential nominee.
Not once has there been any one named,
with the exception of the incum-
bent, James S. Sherman, who might
fit the occasion and the high Office. No
doubt the tension with respect TO the
first place has been so great that the
question of a candidate for the second
place has been given less consideration
than usual
The fact is that in these days the
Vice Presidency never has had as much
Of it as it deserves. The nominee for
the second place generally has been Sc
lected at the national conventions after
all other business had been disposed of
As a consequence, that selection, more
often than not was a complete surprise
to the rank and file Of the party. 1t
always has been the result of 'balanc-
ing" the ticket, healing factional differ
enoes, or allaying sectional disappoint-
ments.
We read with gratifcation that at
last II is the aim to concentrate efforts
upon the nomination OF as strong a man
for the Vice Presidency as for the first
place. And though the suggestion has
been arrived at by a Democratic na-
tionsl committeeman, for use at the
Baltimore convention, the plan is so
consequential and so in keeping with
what the man who, by some accident
may step into the White House, should
be made of. that We believe it ought
to be adopted also at Chicago, even if
II emanates from the opposite camp.
We maintain that the Vice Presidency
should be regarded exactly as what it
implies, namely, the second place in
honor and potential responsibilities But
unfortunately this is not the case with
US nowadays Prominent men. who
would be glad to accept a Senatorship
or be the Governor of their State, hesi-
tate TO take a step that generally is
considered TO mean the end of all po-
ltical aspirations or preferment We
all Tecollect what the late Mark Hanna
said at the Philadelphia National Con-
vention when Roosevelt began to loom
largely as national figure in politics
Give that everlasting kicker the Vice
Presidency and shut him up forever He
will then be dead politically" Mark
Hanna, Judging from the usual workings
Of that maxim, was absolutely correct
in his estimate, but he forgot one little
thing: The inscrutable doings of Prov
idence, McKinley's assassination, and
that II made that kicker (Roosevelt)
much more alive than ever before.
In former days the Vice Presidency
was regarded as a prize worth winning.
even by our greatest men. whose names
figure conspicuously in the annals of
our national history; men who did not
decline for fear that acceptance may
have a suicidal effect upon their po-
litical future
A Presidential ticket should be well
rounded. We say that it is poor COM
bination to yoke strong man With a
weak one. We also say that the Vice
President, for obvious reasons, should
be of Presidential size. Instead of con-
signing him to comparatively obscure
place in craftsmanship, he should be
one with whom the President should
take counsel on equal terms and who
should be his trusted representative on
important occasions. 4
Isn't there enough glory for two in
the executive Offices of this great na-
ton? We think there is.