The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-07-14
As to tho Political Aspect.


The American republic never stood 80
near to being without head at all Us it
is ut present
The failure of tho last Senate to elect
n president pro tenn. has left, with Gar.
field dead. but one life between the gov.
ernment and anarchy. If Mr.. Arthur,
after Gartield's death, were to die or be
killed by railrond accident on the way to
the Capital, or be in any way ineligible,
there is no power that could take the
reins Of government. The law says that
the president pro TEN. Of the Senate
shall become President if the President
and Vice President die-aud if the pres.
dent pro TEN should die the speaker of
the house shall succeed him. 1t will be
seen therefore that four lives arc thus put
against anarchy. But at present there
Is no President, pro TEN. the senate hav.
ing failed to elect, and there is no speak
er of the house, the term of the last house
having expired, and the new house not
having yet elected speaker. If the
President dies-and he will doubtless be
dead before this reaches the public, the
life of Chester A. Arthur will be all that
from now until December will stand be-.
tween government aud anarchy. OF
course, We use the word anarchy" in its
technical sense only, for the patriotism
of the country would find some honorable
and peaceable way out Of the trouble.
The writer remembers to have heard.
while in New York during the winter, a
curious rumor as to why the democrats
did not elect President protein, and
gives it rs lie heard it:
Mr. Rovord 90 Tho rop;o~ b,,y Al .
right to The Presidency pro. tenn, if he
wished to insist upon it. Dir. Bayard is
known to be very poor presiding officer
while Mr.. Harris, of Tennessee, is very
fine one. The democrats, in caucus,
therefore suggested Mr.. Harris as the
proper name for the believing
that Mr.. Bayard would Withdraw his
claims. He insisted. however, that he
had the right and would stand by it.
The democrats, disliking to vote him out
by force, and yet unwilling to give up go
foe presiding officer as Mr.. Harris for
so poor one rs Mr.. Bayard, kept post
poning the election from day to day un-
I'll the senate adjourned. Mr.. Arthur
was very bitterly hostile to Bayard, and
did all he could to hinder and postpone
his election.
when the senate next meets, provided
that republicans are elected in place OF
Conkling and Platt from New York, it
will stand 38 to SO. 1t will have no
President. The President will of course
be named by the democrats as they will
organize before the two New York seua-
tors are sworn In. When they are sworn
in the vote will be tie, as the President,
being also q senator. will vote on all
questions. This will bea complete dead
lock on all party questions.
The suggestion arises as to whether,
under the new condition of things, the
democratic caucus will adhere to its
choice of Mr.. Hurris for President of the
senate. He was chosen by the caucus
when there were two lives between him
and the Presidency and the contingency
of his succession was too small to be con-
sidered. His parliamentary skill was
therefore made the only requisite.
The President elect of the senate now
however, becomes next to the President
If Mr.. Arthur should die ur resign, the
democratic President of the senate
would become President. This contin-
gency, unless it is cnt short by realiza
ton, will last over three years and hal
making the chances 80 great that they
should be considered.