The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-05-22
Observations
Status of Vice
President Should
be Changed
BY HELEN EsSARY

You don Z need a PAIR OF glasses
10 see that some sharply needed
pieces OF government reorganiza'
tion should grow out Of the chaos
OF this war.
For instance, should like 70 d.
rect the first piece of reorganiza-
ton to the vice presidency.
Il is really about time the vice
presidency be given the power and
prestige il requires-for the good
OF the nation. To date in this
widespread, boastful Democracy
the vice presidency has been a
sort OF comic supplement TO the
presidency II has been an ONCE
about which TO make vaudeville
jokes and giddy songs.
OF course YOU remember "Throt-
tlebottom" in "Of Thee | Sing.
And also that What the country
needs is a good fiye-cent cigar
Quip OF Thomas Marshalls. The
quip was said TO be the outstanding
accomplishment Of Mr.. Marshall 5
two-term tenure OF Office.
Henry Wallace tried TO be an ac-
tive vice president. Whatever he
undertook was generally viewed
with a half smile. Not because OF
Henry Wallace. himself. But be-
cause vice presideut-a harm
less vice president-was trying 10
give the impression that his office
amounted 10 a row Of pins.
when Mr.. Truman was vice presi-
dent, he sought to be an active
liaison officer between the United
States Senate, OF which he had 50
lately been q member and the
White House. How we'll this plan
would have succeeded is doubtful
For It has been the custom OF
presidents OF the United States TO
act as If their vice presidents were
not there at all.
According TO the laws OF this
generous but sometimes Eighty
America. Il has been customary 10
give the vice president a seat as
presiding officer OF the Senate and
a nice new gavel. With this he
could bang away for order"
when the gentlemen of the Senate
got tso noisy. That has been about
all the poor vice president could
do-eXcept to attend parties. II.
however. he was seen at parties.
people said he was light.minded.
And what a contrast 10 the Presi-
dent,
Yet iron the beginning OF the
country. the man. whose Office We
have failed to take seriously, has
been the second most important
man in the government. Never
before has the importance OF the
vice presidency been so evident as
today.
A few weeks ago president
died. A president who had been
something OF a president Of the
world, who had dealt not only in
the lives OF millions of people but
in the political and physical lives az
nations. And the man who had been
Just the vice president" inherited
the stupendous responsibilities Of
his predecessor with only a gen.
eral knowledge OF the plans or the
commitments his predecessor had
made for the safety OF this country
and support Of the world.
My point is that all the public
business Of the president-and by
public" business | mean trends in
policy and hopes for better adjust
ments here and there-should be
official. They could so easily be
made Official il the job OF the vice
presidency were given the import
ance II desperately needs. The
vice president should be the con-
hdant of the president. 1t has been
said a thousand times, but tire
mains only a phrase. that he IS re.
moved from the presidency by a
heart beat.
James A. Farley recently recall
ed, in an interesting address, that
seven times in ourshort history the
vice president has succeeded 10
the presidency. Farley also men
toned Is times when the ONCE OF
vice president has become vacant.
in addition TO the gap left by the
seven vice presidential SUGGESTIONS
10 the presidency, at eight other
times the country has been with
out a vice president because seven
vice presidents have died in ONCE
and one, John c. Calhoun, resign
cd 70 become senator.
Here. according TO Farley. is a
bad situation for a Republic. It
gives a vice president who sue.
ceeds to the presidency, the chance
10 choose a secretary of state who
might become president OF the
United States.
Mighty loose business. this vice
presidency situation. Now is the
time 10 give IL proper legal stand
ing and importance. For the sake
OF the country and the guidance of
the heavily burdened man who may
Eome day succeed TO the post for
which he has had no fair prepare
ton,
To SHOW PEpItCA