Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-08-28
A Wise and Timely Precedent.

Inc course which was taken in Indiana
while Governor Morton was at the head of affairs
in that state is one which should be adopted and
followed hereafter by the general government.
When Governor Morton was stricken with
paralysis in 1865 he went to Europe in search
of health, and while he was gone Lieutenant
Governor Baker exercised the functions of the
executive office under clause i'm the state con-
stitution exactly like that i'm the national
constitution relating to the inability o.
the President. In his official signature
Mr.. Baker subscribed himself Lieutenant Gov
ernor. acting Governor" and when Governor
Morton returned. he resumed the duties he had
laid down in leaving the state without the
slightest jar or friction in the machinery of its
government.
Thisis precisely the practice which should
obtain in the administration of national affairs.
Whenever the President leaves Washington for so
long as over night. whether for pleasure or on
account of sickness, the Vice President should be
on hand TO take his place and discharge his
official duties, for the time being, as ''vice
President, acting President of the United
States"
This course is both safe and simple, and it
ought to be adopted. If an act of Congress is
necessary to its enforcement. such an act should
be passed as soon as Congress next meets; and
If an amendment to the constitution is re-
quired such an amendment ought to be adopted
by Congress and submitted to the states for rati-
heatiOn at once. The two Houses should
also. without delay. adopt and submit an amend
ment to or a change in the constitution requiring
each new Congress to meet on the 4th of March
L. e., immediately on the dissolution of the old
body-for organization and any other business
that might be presented. instead of waiting, as
now. until the first Monday in December unless
sooner convened in extra session by proclama-
ton of the President With these two measures
In force many perplexing questions would be
prevented from arising, and serious complica-
lions liable to occur at any time would be
avoided.
The proposition for one standard of time
made at the recent meeting of the Science Asso-
citation at Cincinnati does not meet with pop-
ular favor. 1t is proposed that all of the rail-
way trains in the United States and Canada be
run on one standard. In theory this is excel
lent, but in practice it would lead to confusion.
at least for awhile. In San Francisco. for in
stance, the railway time table would be several
hours apart from actual local time 1t would
be very pleasant to have all the clocks in Amer
lea strike twelve at the same time, but 1t would
be confusion worse COMPOUNDED" to have time
pieces say it was twelve o'clock when in
fact it was but ten o'clock. In lieu of this it
was recommended to the association to have
several standards of time. New York to GOV
ern the east,-St- Louis the center one hour
later, Salt Lake the Rocky Mountain district,
and San Francisco the Pacific coast But prac-
teaily for the running of trains that is the plan
low The railroads running long lines have no
difficulty in making schedule acceptable alike
To the public and themselves.