The Raymer enterprise., 1912-06-06
new NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Cherished Plan That Zachary
Taylor Gave Up.
He Wanted to Make viee-President
Fillmore Member Of His Cabinet
But Yielded to Opposition
Of Senate.
eY E. J. EDWARDS.

II have often wondered whether
President Zachary Taylor was not
right when he tried to make the vice
presiden, OF the United States an eS-
otlicio member Of his cabinet" said
Thurlow Weed. tie great Whig lead
er. 10 me about two years before his
death. which occurred in 1882. wien
he was chatting rcn!niscently OF Cen
eral Taylor. who more than TO any
other man, owed his election 10 the
presidency to Thurlow Weed.
For scme reason the explanation
for which | never learned" continued
Mr.. Weed. Taylor conceived great
liking for vice.President Fillmore. |
doubt whether the two men bad ever
met Until the time OF their Inaugural
ton, as president and yice-presidant
was close at hand However Fill
more had an inslnuating. almost cap.
tiyatlng manner which he knew well
how TO use, especially when brought
into contact with man Of the blunt
ness. simplicity and rugged honesty
OF Zachary Taylor. II may be that
Fillmore In that way bad capayated
Old Rough and Ready. having In
mind the desire to keep II good grip
upon such New York state patronage
as Taylor had to dlspen-e.
Whether this surmise be correct or
not. It Is the fact that when Genera!
Taylor was deciding uron his cabinet
4 short time before his inauguration
he determined to iE.fte Mr. Fillmore
10 bProme a member OF the cabinet
ex-ofiicio.
"He spoke OF that determination to
one or two members of his proposed
cablne, who were with him day or
two before the Inauguration. He said
that in bis opinion the vice-president
should be MADE thoroughly familiar
with administrative business. since
he might at any moment be called
upon, as John Tyler had been, to
take the oa,iI 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
hin, to him. however. that before he
invited Fillmore TO become ex-oficio
n member Of his cabinet he should
ask some OF the whig senators what
their opinion about the expediency
Of the rlan was. At flrst General Tay-
lor declined TO take the hint He
said that the cabinet was his official
family. and II was not necessary for
him 10 find out what the senate
thought respecting cabinet appoint.
meDts. since he had learned that the
senate. ms matter OF form md
courtesy always confirmed nomina.
tions TO the cabinet.
Then Il was said 10 General Tay-
lor that he ought TO remember that
the vicc-president OF the United States
is the presiding officer OF the senate
and In case Of a tie has power 10
vote SO MS 10 break II. For that rea.
son II would be no more than cour.
tetsy 10 learn what senators thought
Of the proprlety OF having the vice
president sit ex.ofIicio 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-officio ap.
pointment OF the vice president as
member OF the cabinet: that il would
be regarded as n grieyous mistake II
the president were to invite the vice
president TO attend all the cabinet
meetings. even though the vice presl.
dent was present only Informally.
when General Taylor learned how
the senate was sure 10 feel In case
he followed this plan he abandoned
II. hut ! know that as long as he
was president he felt more than ever
convinced that It would be he part
OF wisdom to recognize the vice.pres.
ident as ex-oflcio and informally 4
cabinet officer
u don't know but what | am In.
clined to agree with the view taken
by General Taylor The vice.presi.
dent is now only firurehesd. con.
,Ingent possibility He Is about the
most uninfnential of oil our public
officers. and think he ought to be
as influential as any except the
president himself"
Copyright. ',i. by r. J. Edwards. Al
Rights ReEcryedb