, 1881-09-04
MAYOR HARRISON.

HE W.AN Is -tItIulls lD 4-thF. ll1LQ-
Mayor Harrison was asked by 4 'rl:lBC:;R
reporter last evening what lie thought of the
inability clause lit tho Constitution.
My impression is" said lc, "wfsile prece-
dent has taken the other short, that the i'll
teltion Ut the franlers OF the Constitution
WAS that the Ficc-rrcsideut should take thu
place Ut the President i'll. the event of dis
ability. arising from. whatever cause. Which
continued for such 4 length Of time us fo
hamper the machinery of the Gsyernment.''
What TO you understand hy 'i11abi!ity'::''
''Such disability us preciudes the 1'resi-
dent from performing the functions of his of
iice-not disability Tor an hour or two, or. q
day, because there is no absolute necessity
for anything being done within 50 short 4
time; but II he is unable to per-
form any great duty incumbent upon
him. tile performance Of it being
absolutely demanded, inability eN-
lists ut once. Tie Secretaries OF tie
several departments are simply clerks. They
do not form i ministry, rs III England. and
without their he:su they have no power to
act. The design ut the National Government
is similar to that OF i State. Whenever u
Governor vacatcS his office temporarily. the
almost universal rule il for the Lieutenant
Governor to takes his place anu perform his
duties. l. have not examined very closely
the question in its National bearings, but iuy9
ilea is that 1
THE SAME GENERAL THEORY ArrL1Es
to the highest Federal otccs-tllat tt.e traul-f
crs OF the Constitution hal ilt mind the prac-
tice i'll the States when they provided for tie
election Of y Vice-Fresident-"
do you believe President Garfield is iu-
capable ut discl1arginy his duties ="
That is n question cal,nut answer at
fir1aatiscly, because. l a1n not ut his bedside,
and have ouly tie bulletins to yet intoruia-
t!oA FROM think. however. from what
weeks that lie has not been capable ot per.
forming the functions Of President Willie
tlO lnt say that the mantle should have been
worn by Vice President Arthur, I can sup-
would By absolutely necessary for i,iui TO pur
it Oil. Say President Garfield is tonaorrnw
III the state lie was represented tf, be in u
week ago-his pulse high, his stoniacll re-
wl'ol.: country fearing that 1t: 1nay dir.
Suppose at such Il time ! foreign soyt:r',-
ment commits all overt act indicating
war. or actaa! war Is declared
against the United States BY Great l;ritaIn
Or Mex'co? 1t would be necessary to l,:.yea
CoMnauder~ill-Chief OF our armies. When
we'll the President is commander. We wculd
bc without one, and the >'ice-Presitlent
would have to come forward and take con.-
lnand. LII thus expressing myself do not
mean to say that it is wrong for the Ses:re-
taries to perform. the functions OF the t.xecu'
tive III the name OF President (;artelt, but 1
do not believe that their Acts are i'll :lec0r..-
ance with the intentions Of the men who
framed the Constitution
'"rHEf SHOULD HAVE CALLED IN VICE
PRESIDENT ARTHUR"
~ have been thinking about the matter
good deal, and my opinion is that that would
not only have set 4 most excellent precedent,
but it would have been most graceful act.
It would have har1nonized the Republican
party II the advisers OF President Garfield.
us stIon rs they found him incapable, had rt:-
quested Vice~President Arthur to step III and
perform the duties of President. His doing
so would not have made him President II
doubt il tile trainers of the Constitution lit
tended any such thing), but simply acting
President on account of the disability os
President Garfield. And he would be Acting
President until President Garfield died.
ii we should be sd unfortunate a5
to lose him. LII the event Of President Gara
fields recovery, or his improving SO that la
could himself assume the duties Of his Office,
hold that lle would have the right to takG
the reil.s ut once. One great effect of Gen-
Arthur's elevation would be that future con.
yentiulls w0uld look more to the character of
the nominee for ce-Presidcnt-wouid uoa
select man merely tn catc'. Il State, without
reference to his qualifications for the posi-
finn -