The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1882-06-18
Something Definite Needed.

~ thS piCot'chCN' Ihc o1LiO onO"
ing is made by the question raised
by the deputation by Senator
Davis's absence from the SEN
ate of the presidency of that
body to another senator. Sup
pose that the president and Sena-
tor Davis should both die. Who
would discharge the duties of the
presidential Office until new elec-
ton could be held? The consti-
tuition is silent upon that point.
Indeed, after the death of the
vice-president, the constitution
leaves the succession, not indeed
to the Office of the presidency, but
to the powers and duties Of that
Office, to be settled by statute.
The statute provides that III case
of "the removal, death or inability
of both the president and vice
president of the United States, the
president of the senate, or, if there
is none, then the speaker Of the
house of representatives, for the
time being, shall act as president
until the disability is removed or a
president elected" The words ''for
the time being" arc mere surplus
age. But the question which would
arise at this time in case of the
death both of President Arthur
and Senator Davis would be a very
serious question. 1t would be the
question: Is there apresident OF the
senate? The president of the sen
ate after the vice-president has be-
come president, is an officer elect
ed by the senate, and he continues
to be president Of the senate, I'M
less he is. removed by the senate,
until the term of the presidency
expires which the vice-president is
serving. But if he deputies his
powers with the acquiescence OF
the senate, and dies while they are
thus deputed, is not the acquies-
cence of the senate to be taken as
the action of the senate, and is not
the person SO deputed and 50 act
ling the president of the senate
within the meaning of the statute:
There must be a limit 10 the
strain which our system will stand
from disputed elections and dis
puted successioDs. We have had
a disputed election decided, in
favor OF minority candidate.
We came last summer very near
having a disputed succession. II
President Garfield had fingered for
a month or two longer disabled, or
if he had recovered bodily but
had become mentally disabled,
very grave questions would haze
arisen which were left unso!ved
by the constitution and laws. If
President Arthur and Senator
Davis were both to die, and
Democrat were speaker of the
House, we should have to confront
a question more dangerous than
that which was answered by the
electoral commission in 1877. It,
is clear that we need clearer and
more explicit statement than the
laws now supply, both OF the
mode of election and Of the order
and manner of succession to the
Presidential Office. But even
more than these we need TO have
taken away the enormous tenDta-
ton 10 grasp at the presidency
which is now supplied by the
enormous power and patronage of
that office. 1t is evident that the
constitution did not contemplate
the presidency as the headship of a |
party, or, as we now call it, tie |
control OF machine. Imagine |
what would be the state of things |
II the President were of one party, |
as was originally contemplated. |
and the Vice President of the |
other. This was what was ment |
by the founders of the govern. |
ment, and this was actually effect |
ed in the earlier elections. 1t
seems clear that, so far from ex- |
pecting the President to be the head |
OF the party,lthe trainers of thcco
stitution meant him to occupy the
position of a constitutional mon.
arch. In other words, they meant
fo foha +ba D.