Evening star., 1936-05-31
RY MARK SULLIVAN

r. VERYBODY has heard much
- talk about the Republican
nomination for President. But
- il the reader will ask himself
how much talk he has heard about
the vice presidential nomination, he
will observe, in most cases, that he has
heard none. And what is true about
the average man in the street is al
most equally true in circles close to
the heart of politics. Rarely is there
any discussion about who should be
the vice presidential nominee. And
what Is true this year has been true
thought given to the second place on
the ticket. The public doesn't think
about 1t, party leaders don't think
about it. In both parties. nine times
out of ten, the vice presidential NOM
ination is an ter-thought. In many
cases 1t is sheer accident. do not re-
call any vice presidential nomination
that was planned, none that was given
half as much thought and care as
the directors of most businesses cor
porations would give to the choice OF
a new assistant business manager. (It
is true that in most cases a Vice
President already in office, as in the
present situation Mr.. Garner, is given
a denomination. But even that is
hardly planning. And the original
nomination of Mr.. Garner. in 1882,
decidedly was not one planned In
| advance.)
In the present situation, il some one
person or group were responsible for
the Republican party or for the coun-
try he would undoubtedly put his
| mind on selecting q good man Tor
vice presidential candidate. II any
of us were to put himself in such a
mood. we might say that the best can
didate for vice president would be
| the man who stands second, or near to
second, in the race for the presidential
nomination. To be concrete, In the
present situation, If Gov, Landon is
the nominee for President, an ap-
propriate candidate for Vice President
would be Senator Arthur H. Vanden-
berg of Michigan. This time it may
work out that way.
For no hostility has been generated
between Gov. Landon and Senator
Vandenberg. Ordinarily, however
there is hostility between the man who
wins the presidential nomination ano
the one who runs second to him. Or
dinarily these two have been pittec
against each other over a period o.
months. Frequently, In the heat o.
opposing each other for the presi'
Dental nomination, they have sale
harsh things about each other. o.
friends Of the one have said harsf
things about the other. If, after gen
i, Grating hostility to each other in th'
race for the presidential nomina'
ton, they should at once begin tt
point with pride to each other as run
ning-mates on the ticket, the picture
would excite some skepticism in th'
public.
Not Usually Practicable.
No, the easy suggestion that th'
man who runs second for the presi
; Dental nomination should get tn
second place on the ticket Is no
!, usually practicable. Offhand ! cai
recall but one recent case in which
the vice presidential nomination wa
given to one who had been q stronl
contender for the presidential nomi
nation. When Mr.. Hoover was nom
.. mated for President by the Republic
! ans in 1928, q leading opponent o
: him had been Senator Charles Curti
of Kansas, yet Mr.. Curtis was mad
the candidate for Vice President.
The present situation is extraor
dinary. Gov. Landon and Senate
vandenberg have generated no hos
tility to each other, have not appears
! before the public in opposition t
' each other. Almost literally on
might say they have not run agains
. each other; for Senator Vandenber
! has not been q candidate at all, an
r Gov. Landon has hardly been can
: didate in any active, opposition-pro
! voking sense.
Not only that. In many respect
Gov. Landon and Senator vandenber
would be compliments of each othe
The temperaments of the two diffe
e markedly. Each would bring to tn
It ticket qualities that the other hs
/. not. Gov. Landon Is quiet, restraine,
slow-spoken, cautious; Senator Var
denbers u aggressive, active, fertil