The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-12-11
Frederic Haskin's Letter
The Vice Presidential Problem.

gambler. But II is obvious The.
many good men are going siths. !.
martyr themselves OK 10 taAe -
long chances of getting int ~. =.
Presidential chair. Everyone I,a. s
that Roosevelt, the livest occnrsss
the vice presidency ever had wv
put there to get him out Of the .a S
and that be resisted this for '.
retirement with all his might T,s "
the vice presidency. by its 1a,s, mus
tends to defeat its own pur,s.
which is to provide an adeouat. .ns
cessor to the president in ca,a J.
his death in Office.
How much better it would h !,
the secretary Of state Succeeded =.
president in case of de.,h
Furthermore he is a member ~ -.
cabinet and in close touch with ~, W.
policies of the Administered
chosen because he agrees with ,ssm
and therefore is presumably on.li'
fed to carry them out Tue via.
president is not even a membe, :.
the cabinet, and be might cheriss
views opposed to those OF the prss
ident without ever having 10 reyssl
the TACT as vice president
His S0c.:l Duties.
But in recent years certain dn,;..
have deyolved upon the yice nras.
ident, and have given MIN an oreu
patton which is necessary if no, i'm
portant. He has become, especially
during the administration which l.
just drawing to an end, a sort of
social representative of the pres.
I.ident, taking onerous burdens Of on.
tertaining and being entertained
on the shoulders Of the chief exsca.
, tive, much as the wife of a basv
man OF affairs represents him A.
teas and receptions. Official eate-
for the administration" is the vsv
Vice President Marshall is said
once to have described himself
Commissions from minor coun.
. tries, Populations of Latin-Ameriean
journalists and politicians, yisitin.
, oriental princes, are among ,hs
guests to whom the vice president
must function as host. All of them
want to see the president cd
course, but especially since the war
elevated the United States into the
position of the first money power Of
the world, the number of such visit.
ing individuals and DELEGATIONS
makes it impossible for the pres
ident to see any considerable par,
OF them. Here is a place where an
assistant president is really needed
He is also. needed to address con-
crosses of this and that, and So
cieties for the prevention Of so-and.
SO, the various organizations Of
Daughters and Sons, and all OF the
innumerable other aggregations
which convene. crate and resolve. 1t
is important that the good will OF
these affairs should be won for the
administration. Someone represent
ing the administrations must get up
before them, and say all the proper
things from Ladies and Gentle
men" to Il thank YOU
! Someone, too. must appease the
social voracity of the wives Of polit-
ically important millionaires who
own HOUSES in Washington and want
to 90 Official society" Hence the
vice president and Mrs. Domegoocl
were the guests last evening Of Mr..
and Mrs Greene-Smythers Of New
York and Newport, who have opened
their Washington house for The
month Of January" as the society
column relates.
Thus the vice president has been
endowed with a function in life,
and the president relieved Of bur-
den. But-the vice president gets
only $4,000 a year And he is sup
posed to entertain as we'll as be CO.
tertained. Hence the movement to
build him a house. He needs it. A
movement to buy him few grocer
les would also be appreciated.