Omaha daily bee., 1881-08-29
The Presidential Succession.

II constitution OF the United
States authorizes Congress to provide
by law for the case of removal, death,
resignation or inability both of the
president and vice-president and to de-
clare what officer shall then act as
president. Under that constitutional
provision. Congress in 1892 provided
that the order of succession to the
presidency in cases of vacancies such
as have been enumerated, should be-:
first, the president of the senate; or,
if there should be none, then the
speaker of the house Of representa-
tiyes. But either one OF these Of
fcials is only authorized to act until a
president can be elected. The mode
of election of president in such con-
tingency is thus described in the re-
vised statutes of the United States:
SEC. LAT. Whenever the offices Of
president and vice president both be-
come vacant, the secretary of state
shall forthwith cause a notification
thereof to be made to the executive Of
every state, and shall also cause the
same to be published in ut least one of
the newspapers printed in each state.
SEC. l48. The notificati Ii shall
specify that electors of a president and
vice president Of the United States
shall be appointed or chosen in the
several states, as follows:
First-If there shall be the space
of two months yet to ensue between
tho date ,f Snch notification u,,1 tb.
first Wednesday in December then
next ensuing, such notification shall
specify that the electors shall be APP
pointed or chosen within thirty four
days preceding such first Wednesday
in December.
Second-If there shall not be the
space Of two months between the date
Of such notification and such first
Wednesday in December, and if the
term for which the president and
vice president last in Office were cleo
ted will not expire OF the third day of
March next ensuing, the notification
shall specify that the electors shall be
appointed or chosen within thirty
four days preceding the first Wednes-
day in December in the year next en-
suing. But if there shall not be the
space of two months between the date
of such notification and the first
Wednesday in December ensuing and
if the term Tor which the president
and vice president last in office were
elected will expire on the third day Of
March next ensuing, the notification
shall not specify that electors are to
be appointed or chosen.
SEC. lao, Electors appointed or
chosen upon the notification pres
cribed ~ the preceding section shall
meet and give their votes upon the
first Wednesday Of December speci-
fed in the notification.
1t will be seen by the constitutional
and statutory provisions we have
quoted, thai in case the presidency
and vice. presidency becomes vacant,
the president of the senate or the
speaker of the house would act as
president only for the time which
might intervene between the occur
nee of tn, vacancy and an election
by the people. AS a matter of fact,
there is at present no president pro
ten. of the senate nor speaker of the
house of representatives, the senate
during its late extra session having
failed to elect a presiding officer, and
the house not having met since the
commencement of his congressional
term, has no speaker.