The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-07-12
Observations
Vice Presidential
Row Will Enliven
Democratic Session
BY Helen Essary

There's going TO be a big row
over the vice presidential nomi-
nee"
You hear this said almost yerba-
tim in every group that gathers in
the capital nowadays TO talk about
the next big goings-on in Chicago.
"Of course, President Roosevelt
will try TO make the convention
nominate Henry Wallace a second
time. But the southern Demo
Gratis are,up in arms And Sec
rotary of Commerce Jesse Jones
means TO keep his administration
enemy, Wallace, out OF the candi-
dacy come what may.
Uncle Jesse is not going TO the
convention. He will stay behind
in Washington surrounded by even
more long distance phones than
usual and tell the southern boys
and girls how TO keep Henry OUT
That vice presidency row will be
a swell show
And so the talk goes. Yet an
other possibility OF excitement is
added TO the convention forecasts
Who have the Democrats got
TO do a Clare Luce for them? The
Democrats will just naturally have
10 have SOMEBODY To rival the
Lady from Connecticut. For wheth-
er you liked her speech or not
Mrs. Luce did supply the drama
of the Republican convention. She
was the theater of the meeting.
Will Helen Gahagan, congress
sional candidate from California.
be put on the speakers rostrum TO
sway the delegates, TO make them
weep or rage while she uses her
gifts as an actress in the Luce man
ner-? Possibly so. Miss Gahagan
Cor Mrs. Melvyn Douglas III you
prefer) may be asked 10 turn the
tide for Mr.. Wallace. Miss Gaia
gan will be completely Roosevelt
tian in her convention behavior
Or the wife of the president may
descend upon the stadium as she
did once before. What a superb
lob Mrs. Roosevelt did then She
Gained the delegates who didn
want Henry Wallace
I have been critical sometimes OF
Mrs. Roosevelt's activities. Not
because | thought she did not
have the right 10 do what she pleas
ed as a woman, but because nave
never thought il possible 10 diner
entiate between Eleanor Roosevelt.
the individual, and Mrs. Franklin
d. Roose cit, wife of the Presi-
dent OF the United States. Yet
cannot forget how clever and Ell
fective the composite woman was
at the last Democratic conyen-
ton. She had those seething dele
gates smoothed down into submls-
sion a few minutes after she be-
aan with. Mr.. Chairman and mem
bers of the convention
Looking back on the vice presl-
dents OF yesteryear, it appears that
about all the vice president can De
anyhow is slightly humorous one
way or another. Jack Garner was
a popular vice president. He gave
the role a certain dash. But ne is
best remembered by his nickname
of Cactus Jack. the devotion 81
his wife. Miss Ettie". the whang
of his gayel and the sharpness or
his poker game.
woodrow wilson's vice president
Thomas Marshall-was also an
able and honorable fellow But
those people who recall his name
remember him best for his famous
remark. What this country needs
is a good fve-cent cigar Being
vice president Is a rocky tour OF
duty generally and dull and unre-
warding.
II is desperately important how
ever. that earnest prayer and stu
DIV be put upon the character Oh
the man chosen TO run second on
a presidential ticket. Six times
vice president has been called upon
to ill a vacancy in the presidency
left by the death OF the president
The office Of vice president Is
therefore one OF great potential
importance. In selecting a vice
president we ought to be almost
as critical as when we select
president.
II is SO obvious 1t hardly seems
worth while TO say it-but IT IS
worth while-a party convention
when nominating a candidate lot
the vice presidency should keep N
mind the interests of the country as
we'll as the interests OF the party
and refuse TO name as candidate
for the vice presidency any man
who would not be likely TO acquit
himself we'll in the presidential
chair
Yet the joker in this lovely plan
is this-few presidential candl-
dates want as a running mate any
man who is likely TO be a rival IN
brains, influence or showmanship.
The chief wants 10 steal the show,