The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-30
Tuesday. November 80. 1875.
WHO TAKES HIS PLAcEq

Who takes the place OF the late wee
President Wilson? and who will be pres.
dent should Grant die? are questions fire.
quently asked. The following is the con-
stitutional provision on the subject:
I'm else OF the removal OF the President from Of
flee or of his DEATH resi- snation inability to dis
charge the powers and duties Of the said Office the
same shall devolve on the Vice-President and the
Congress may by law provide for the case Of re-
moval, death, resignation, or inability, both of the
President and Vice-President, declaring what Off
Ger shall then act as President, and such officer
shall act accordingly until the disability be remoy
Section 8, C0Rstitu.ion Cfthe United States,
What provision has congress made, in
view Of the possible emergency? The Re
vised Statutes of the United States, Chap.
!, Sec. l46, page %, reads as follows:
In case OF removal, death, resignation, or inability
OF both the President and Vice-President of the
United States, the President OF the Senate, or, If
there Is none, then the Speaker Of the House OF
Representatives, for the time being shall act as
President until the disability is removed or Pres
dent elected.
The United States law further pro
vides that when both Offices shall be va
cant the secretary of state shall notify the
executives of the various states. and speci-
fly that electors shall be chosen within
thirty. four days before the first Wednes
day in December next succeeding, when
two months intervene between the vacan-
cy and that date, and of the December Of
following year when two months do not in
tervene, unless the presidential term ex-
pires on the Sd of March following the va
cancy.
In the first place, is there a president
of the senate as the law requires? At
the extra session of the senate last April
Mr.. T. W. Ferry, of Michigan, was elected
president pro teDtpore by q majority Of
one, after long and animated struggle in
the Republican caucus. over Henry b.
Anthony of Rhode Island. That election
was for a special occasion, and in a certain
sense exceptional to the regular session.
There are conflicting opinions, well sus-
tanned on both sides, as to whether Mr..
Ferry holds over by virtue of that election
until majority Of the senate shall reflect
or supersede him, or whether his authority
as president pro tenn, expired with the adj
journment of the senate. Neither the law
nor the rules determine this point, which
in the event of Grants sudden death
would become one of the greatest gravity,
involving necessarily the very highest polt
ical interests
At this pal ticular time, it may be SAID,
there would be only two weeks of delay,
and the senate would then settle all doubts
by a new election. But in the interval
serious mischief might he done iudicia
proceedings might be initiated. and the
presidency, with the power and patronage
might be attended with consequences
wholly unexpected.
The second contingency contemplated
by the act of 1892, is in even a worse con
dition than the other; for there is L,
speaker at all. Since the recent abolition
of the law which required new congress
to assemble Immediately after the close {
its predecessor, there is, every two years
blank space between the 4th of Marc
and the first Monday in December, i
which house Of representa- tives exists b
election, and may be summoned by tn
president, but is wholly unorganized. Cor
sequently, if there should be no presiden
of the senate, from any cause, and if thu
the first succession to vacancy in tn
presidency should be cut off, the alterna
tive to fill it now would have no legal ez
istence. With doubtful president of tn
senate, and no speaker at all, it must b
admitted that the supposed provisional
the removal, death, resignation, or in;
bility of the president is wholly inadequate
uncertain, and requires prompt amenC
ment