The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-08-06
The PreSIdentlal SuCcesSIOnss.H How
Accidents are Provided For.

Prom the N. Y. PoItD .r
In view Of the possibility thst both
these Offices Presidency end VioO Presi
dencyl might become vacant, leaving the
Government In an embarrassing position,
the Congress early took action under the
authority here given 1t. In March, 1792
1t adopted an act providing that "in case
oiremoRAl, death, resignation or inability
Of both the President and Vice President,
the President Of tho Senate, or, II there Is
none, the Speaker Of the House oil Repre-.
sentatives for the time being, shall act as
President until the disability Is removed
or President elected" This provision
Is embodied in the Revised Statutes of
the United States, Title III, Chgp. ], and
Is the whole Of section 10, treating Of the
succession without election. Sections II,
18 and 10 treat Of the manner In which an
election for q successor is to be made, for
neither the Presldent Of tho Senate nor
the Speaker Of the House can hold the Of.
fee OF President to the end Of the term, II
the vacancy occurs more than two months
before the first Wednesday In December
oi the second year preceding the year
which closes tho term In Whioh-the
'csncy occurs. This 10 10 say, the choice
Of President and Vice President must be
made by the appointed electors ON the.
arst Wednesday in December, and the
officers elected will take their BeGts on the
4th day Of the following March. II vacan.
cies occur, therefore, even as early ss No
vember Of the second year previous to
the year closing the Presidential
term, there will be no election,
because the electors could not be
called together until December OF the
next year, or month later than the
regular election OF President and Vice
President would be held for theneW term
beginning in the following March. II an
election Is 10 be held the Secretary Of
State Is required 10 send notifications to
the governor Of each State at least two
months proceeding the first Wednesday
in December, specifying that ELECTORS for
President and Vice Prcslden" shall bo
appointed or chosen in tho several States.
Under the present circumstances, should
both these offices become vacant, Senator
Matthew Ii. Carpenter, Of Wisconsin,
would temporarily succeed to the office
of President and there would be no Vice.
President. Senator Carpenter. was elect
cd temporary president OI the Senate last
spring, according to custom which has
long obtained; In the absence Of The Vice;
President ha is the onCiai president ot
the Senate, with all the authority of the
Vice. Presidents far as the business OF the
Senate Is concerned. Had the Senate not
elected q temporary president there would
be no legal successor TO the President In
case Of these vacancies, as there Is no
Speaker Of the House Of Representatives,
and that body will not organize until next
December. The succession could only
be held by the President Of the Senate or
Speaker Of the House until tho Sd Of
March, 1874, when the newly-elected
PresIdent, who would be designated by
the electors, according 10 the plan here
given, on the first Wednesday Of Decem- 1
Der Of this year, would take office.