James S. Sherman had been added to the 1908 Republican ticket as a means to appease the conservative wing of the GOP , which viewed Taft as a progressive . As Taft moved to the right during his presidency , Sherman emerged an important ally to the president . Nominated for a second term at the 1912 Republican National Convention , he became ill during the campaign and died on October 30 , 1912 , just prior to the election . As the Constitution lacked a mechanism for choosing an intra-term replacement prior to ratification of the Twenty-fifth Amendment in 1967 , the vice presidency remained vacant for the final days of Taft 's presidency . During that time , Secretary of State Philander C. Knox was next in line to the presidency , per the Presidential Succession Act of 1886
1912 Republican National Convention
1912 Republican National Convention
Presidency of William Howard Taft