Evening journal., 1913-10-15
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
-
A Long Cherished Ambi-
tiOn to Become Vice
President
BY Holland.

Charles Levi Woodbury.. who was
for many years one of the leading
lawyers Of Boston, was a son Of
Judge LeW Woodbury.. who WAS sec
retary of the treasury in President
Jackson's and President Van Burons
administrations. was United States
senator from New Hampshire and
was associate justice Of the Supreme
Court at Washington.
Charles Levi Woodbury. possessed
great fund OF reminiscent anecdotes
especially relating TO prominent men
and events OF the time when his
father was of great interest in ma
tional Democratic politics Some Of
these anecdotes were told TO him by
his father and some related to mat
ters which had come within his own
observation.
was chatting with Mr. Woodbury.
one evening at the hotel in which he
lived for many years IN Boston when
something in the conversation re-
minded him of an anecdote his father
had told him about William Rufus
King, of Georgia.
After my. father went upon the
Supreme Court bench he of course.
took no active interest In politics. but
his personal interest remained very
strong until his death" said Mr..
Woodbury.. "I remember his saying
TO me--it must have been ABOUT the
year 1850, for my father died in 1851
that if he were permitted to make
any suggestions he would urge the
Democrats in their national cOnven-
tion in 1852. TO nominate William r.
King, of Georgia for Vice-President.
MY father said that he knew Of
his own personal knowledge that Mr..
King had set his heart upon the
Yice-presidontial nomination AS far
back as 1910 he wanted to be nomi-
mated for Yice-President on the ticket
at the. head of which Martin Van
Buren was placed for IL WIS certain
that President san Buren, would be
renominated.
MY father told me that Mr.. King
was bitterly disappointed when he
failed to receive the nopination. Be
tween 1S4O and 1914. Mr. King nursed
the hope that he would be nominated
for Vice-President in 1874. For that
reason be desired the nomination for
President of a Democrat representing
a northern state and father had no
doubt that il was his secret hope that
Martin Van Buren, would be nominated
Ia 1874 But James X. Polk was
nominated and as he came from Ten
nessee IL was impracticable to nomi-
nate a Georgia Democrat for the
Vice-Presidency.
"Still Mr.. King nursed his ambi-
ton. It was a curious ambition for
an influential man to have. He might
well, my father said. have been ambi-
tious for the Presidency. for he had
very great ability and powerful infu-
ence i'm Georgia and other Southern
States.
"He failed however, of the nomi-
nation in lS4S, but he did not give
up hope. lie nourished the wish that
In 1862 the Democratic party wOnld
nominate a northern man for the
Presidency, and il was his strong be-
lief that were il done he could be
nominated for Vice-president.
81 have always thought that my
father occasionally and in discreet
ticians at Washington of Mr. King S
availability for the Nice4presidcncy
in 1852
My father died about a year before
the national convention of 1852.
Had he lived he would have been re-
joiccd that his longtime FREUD and
neighbor. Franklin Pierce. of New
Hampshire. was nominated for Pres
ident aud would also have been very
glad TO learn that at last the party
had nominated William r. King OF
Georgia for vice-prosident
but what an extraordinary climax
OF MT Kings ambition the event
proved to bel His great desire had
heen realized. He was the candidate
for yice-president. morally certain OF
election and yet he was the only
candidate for y'cc-president who was
never able TO enter upon the office
lie was so I'm i'm the winter of 1853
that his physicians ordered him ia
Cuba. and as it was certain that he
could not leave Cuba in time TO be
present nc the Inauguration on March
4. Congress authorized the adminis-
tartion OF the oath TO him in Cuba
But H. was then SO far gone that ne
took lanquid interest. and he died
only about "a month after the inaugu.
ration OF President Pierce
Copyright. 1918. by Z. J. Edwards
All rights reservedJ
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards VIII tell
How tricsson's scheme 80 Saddle
the Gnu-r RaN. Eullnd -