Evening star., 1947-12-06
The Political Mill
Few Seek Vice Presidency,
Far From LowIy Position
Candidates for President Shy at
Second. Place Suggestion
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

Second.Place Suggestion
By Gould Lincoln
Candidates for presidential nomination
we have by the dozen-but avowed candidates
for vice presidential nomination are rare
indeed Aspirants for first place on tho
national tickets of the major political parties
not unnaturally feel they might hurt their
chances If they admitted they would take
second place Senator Robert A. Taft Of
Ohio, frank and outspoken as he Is, shied
away from question-"Would you accept
vice presidential nomination under any cir
cumstance?" His reply was, Il don't think
so," which did not exactly close the door, but
certainly poured cold water on the suggestion.
Harold E. Stassen, Republican, former Gov
ernor Of Minnesota, the first man to announce
his candidacy for the presidential nomination.
months ago first admitted he might-if the
presidential nominee was acceptable to him
take vice presidential nomination. He back
pedalled later-when his statement was in
terpreted as meaning he was really a candi.
date for Vice President-which of course he
was not.
No Lowly Job.
The vice presidential Job is by no means .
lowly job. The Vice President Is always an
understudy for the President-who must take
his place as Chief Executive of the Nation in
the event the President dies or is incapaci-
tated or resigns. The selection of vice presi-
Dental nominee, therefore, becomes a matter
of the gravest interest to the American people,
Ten Vice Presidents have moved into the White
House-three by subsequent election, and seven
a result of the Presidents death. John Adams,
Thomas Jefferson and Martin Van Buren were
those who were elected President subsequent
to their immediate service as Vice President
Those who became Chief Executives following
the deaths of Presidents are Tyler, Fillmore,
Johnson, Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt, Coolidge
and Truman. Theodore Roosevelt and Coolidge
were both elected President after they had
filled out the unexpired terms Of Mckinley and
Harding, respectively
1t was foregone conclusion that the Demo-
Gratis would renominate President Franklin
D. Roosevelt in 1944-after he had announced
his intention OF running for a fourth term.
The selection OF vice presidential nominee.
however was In the laps of the President and
the Democratic National Convention. Usually
President seeking reelection Is accorded
the right of selecting his own running mate
If he desires to make the choice If the vari-
Gus memoirs of Roosevelt's cabinet officers
are to be believed he had had enough Of
his then Vice President, Henry A. Wallace.
Further, some Of his principal political ad-
visers and supporters turned thumbs down
on Mr. Wallace. So Harry S. Truman was
substituted, with Mr.. Roosevelt's OK-quits
a substitution. Had Wallace been renominated.
there might have been chaos in this country.
The vice presidency can readily be stepping
stone to election as President. True, certain
Republican bosses thought to shelve Theodore
Roosevelt, then Governor of New York, when
he was nominated for Vice President on the
ticket with President Mckinley. Nevertheless,
had President Mckinley lived out his second
term, his Vice President Roosevelt would have
been knocking strongly at the door for first
place on the Republican ticket.
Truman to Be Renominated.
Only his death or fiat declination to run
can prevent the denomination Of President
Truman by the Democrats next year. So. once
more, the principal problem for the party's
national convention will be the selection Of
vice presidential candidate. The woods are
full of Democrats willing to take second place
on the ticket. They are skeptical about an
nouncng themselves as candidates, however.
Each and every one Of them is waiting for
and hoping for-the presidential nod. In .
measure this places the responsibility on Mr..
Truman for selecting the man who might b.
come his successor in office It's responsibility
which should rlghtfully lie IN the hands OF
the Democratic National Convention. II Mr.
Truman leaves the choice Of the convention,
one of the liveliest scrambles in the history
of such events may take place.
Every "favorite son candidate for the Re-
publican presidential nomination is a potential
vice presidential candidate What will be the
position of the leading candidates for first
place on the ticket in the event they are denied
first place, remains to be seen. In 1914 the
vice presidential nomination went to Gov
Dewey's closest competitor for the presidential
nomination, then Governor and now Senator
Bricker of Ohio Gov. Warren Of California,
an announced candidate for President, has .
disinclination to become a nominee for Vice
President. Nor is it likely that Gov. Dewey
would be interested in q second place.