The Washington herald., 1915-02-02
HISTORY BUILDERS.
How Some of Our Presidents We're
Made.

NldOC.
Cwdi:-n Expressly for The Washington Herald)
BY DIR. E. }. EDWARDS.
a few days after Vice President Roose-
welt succeeded to the Presidency l spent
c. Clarke, then vice president o: he
Vanderbilt system of railroads, having
authority over the financial department.
Mr.. Clarke, I knew, had vivid recollec-
tions of the circumstances which brought
MilIard Fillmore to the Presidency. He
had been in intimate association with
Fillmore at the time the latter was comp
troller OF the State OF New York; for
treasurer Of New York State. Their
relations were as cordial and intimate
as any Fillmore ever permitted himself
TO share.
In response to a question of mine, Mr..
Clarke said: II often think OF the Curl
Gus destiny which has brought five who
were elected as Vice Presidents to the
Presidential office. I don't mean by that
the tragedies-in two cases OF mortal
illness and in three OF assassination
which placed in the Presidential Office
those who had been elected as Vice Pres
idents. ! do mean. however, the curious
and apparently accidental circumstances
which led to the nomination of all OF
these men to the Vice Presidency.
For instance, I was a very young
man when John Tyler succeeded to the
Presidency, but 1 was old enough to
hear understandingly many men say that
II was by the purest accident that Tyler
had been nominated for Vice President,
he having accepted the offer OF the
nomination after three others had de-
clined ii.
Andy johnson, as everybody knew.
was = second thought at the Republic
an convention of 1854. You yourself
remember we'll how after Garfield had
been nominated for the Presidency the
nomina ton OF Arthur for Vice Presi-
dent was brought about. Neither he
nor mis- friends had the slightest idea
OF that nomination when the conven-
ton met
"fiood friends OF mine have told me
that but for one thing Cornelius n.
Bliss would inevitably have been nom
mated for Vice President in 1900. Nc
Kinley was anxious for the nominal
tion CT Bliss, and II Mr.. Bliss had noC
peremptorily declined, having had his
surfeit OF public office, he would have
been nominated because the conven-
tion would have known that il was
McKinleys wish. Therefore, Roose-
welt would have had a second term as
governor of New York instead of the
Vice Presidency and Presidency.
Now take the case of Millard Fill
more. l had more complete personal
knowledge of the circumstances which
led to Fiilmore's nomination for Vice
Pres dent in lS4S than l had with re-
spect to the Vice Presidents whom
have just named. The circumstances
associated with their nominations /
knew only by hearsay. Fillmore, how
ever. was comptroller of New York
State and l was deputy treasurer. l
used to hear much political talk al AL
bany, and one of the things which was
commonly said was that the wings
expected to nominate Zachary Taylor,
of Louisiana, for President and to
nominate Abbott Lawrence, of Massa-
chusetts, or Albert II. Tracy, of Buff
falo. for Vice President. Taylor was
a cotton planter. Abbott Lawrence
was a manufacturer of cotton goods.
Somebody at the Philadelphia conven-
tion ventured to say that 1t would not
do to have cotton at both ends of the
ticket. That remark deprived Law
renee of the few votes which were nee
essary in order to bring to him the
Then in the confusion and
excitement occasioned by the failure
10 ld"TcHCCt
gested Millard Fillmore, and without
any special consideration he was NOM
mated. 1 have the best reason for
knowing that the common impression
at that time that Fillmore's nomina-
tion was due to skilful work done by
Thurlow Weed is untrue. Weed was
satisfied when Zachary Taylor was
nominated for President. think he
would have been glad If the conven-
tion had nominated Albert H. Tracy for
Vice President. Tracy was a man of
very great ability, but he was unable
to take part in the convention on ac-
count of illness. Had he been there, he
instead of Fillmore would have been
for Vice President, and at
the death of President Taylor would
have succeeded to the Presidency"
Copyright 1915. by E J. Edwards All rights re-
serTed)
Tomorrow DIR. Edwards will tell Of
"The President Who Never Lost His
Dignity"