Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1881-09-09
PREFERENTIAL INABILITY.
Vicwsofthe Nctr ran PAit;cian, Thur
low Weed. OF New York

HIN ThRrlow Weed Was interviewed IN New
York on SATURDAY relative 10 the question OF
Presidential inability. He said: II have re-
Elected anxiously upon this ooniingenov, and
so far rs my reflection goes 30 not think
tn. re should be any serious difference Of opin-
ion on the subject. think il is very clear
that If we can divest our minds of personal or
party feeling, We can be united in the opinion
that, from the lime The assaSsn's bullet str uck
the President down, up TO this time his ina
oiity has been precisely what is contemplate.
by the Constitution. But. by common con
sent, We are all of the opinion that, while their
was nothing pressing upon the executive de-
p.rtmeni of gr.a, importance, it was wise and
forbearing on the part of the Vice President
and The Cabinet to remain quiet and leave the
question open. II Congress should. however,
be eonvoked 10 an emergency, il would be-
come imperative in my Judgment, for the Vice
President to assume executive functions. Or,
if the Presidents inability should be so much
protracied rs 10 accumulate important ques-
tons requiring executive action, the inability
provision of the Constitution would, think.
apply. The Cabinet is certainly the best Judge
of the time a " hioh the public welfare demands
such a charge. In such an event, should the
Presidents il ability cease, and his ability to
discharge the duties of bis Office return the
Nice-President would, of cLurse. resume his
own position. General Arthur would, undoub-
tedly, retire in such an event. 1t is matter
of a constitutional provision, and when the
President has been, as we know, for two
months in condition which utterly untitled
him for The discharge Of his duties, the inability
contemplated by the Constitution exists. But
so far, there has been no emergency that has
caused the public interest TO suffer and rendered
it necessary that She Vice President should as
sumo to act on that provision. 1.-THE present
state of affairs is TO continue much lolger, dc
not know that the necessity for such action
would not come. Ii certainly would come il
Congress should be convened, or If the Presi-
dents severe Illness should continue In either
event provision must be made for the discharge
of executive duties. This subject should be
one Of mutual consideration between the Vice
President and the Cabinet. The Cabinet are
informed as to what the circumstances require.
1t is an issue of construction that requires good
sense and patriotism. Honest far-minied men
having equal opportunities of forming judg-
meut, should not disagree. The President, III
his unfavorabe and suffering condition,
should not be troubled with any of the exccu-
tive duties, and he evidently has not been. IT,
therefore, he cannot be consulted, clearly, when
the pressure of subject of importance comes
up, there should be some one 10 act rs the Con-
stitution provides. AS to the question as To
whether the Vice President will step out or not
when the Presidents ability returns, it is an
extravagant presumption that any Vice Presi-
dent would resist the Presidents Resumption
of his office The question would he speedily
settled by the fact that the President has an
clear title TO his Office, and
could resume il summarily. But, after all, il
we allow feeling TO come in and bias our judg
menl as TO this subject, we are afloat With
out it, do not regard ita difficult question"