XIX
IS A VICE-PRES NEARLY A KING?
San Francisco, July 12th.
Editor New York Newspaper which are responsible for everything.
Dear Sir—Noted Greek patriot, Erysipelas, were once offered job of Street Cleaning Department in Athens, Greece, which was then in a very insane state of dirt. Intimides, Mayor of Athens, offer him this job for a insult, because it was. How useless however!
“Ah!” commute them Erysipelas, “I will took such a publick jobs & show what a elegant muck-sweep I can do.”
So he done it by history.
Mr. Editor, some patriot of America should become like Hon. Erysipelas & be a Vice-President without doing a sulk. To be a Vice-President are like such a Street Cleansing job, only it are more hummbel. He are like a street-sweeper without a broom. He are not permitted to carry turkey-dusters or other dangerous fire-arms. He are placed in a very high seat & commanded to set there 4 years enjoying silences. Raking, brooming & dusting are a forbid. If he are caught trying to wipe cobwebs off of Senate with silk handkerchief he are given a upbraid. He enjoy very hopeless position—and yet he might do something for somebody some days. If he start young being a Vice-President might he not work up to good position by this? Might he not, by eventual time, get a job being 3d secretary to German Embassy or clerk in Subtreasury Dept?
I ask for anxiety.
I have just-but & recently become sad about Vice-Presidents. Formerly I imagined it were pretty nice kind of grandeur. Some weeks past-time I hear wildly news & go with run-step to saloon of Hon. Strunsky who thinks politically because he are Irish.