Evening star., 1884-01-19
CITY AND DISTRICT.
TIE PRESEDENTIAL SUCCESSION.
a Practical Remedy for Anticipated
Dangers.
To the Editor of The EVENING STAR:

Dangers.
To the Editor of The EVENING STAR:
Your fair correspondent. Miss Grundy." is
communicating some valuable information to
the people of this era in reference to the legis-
latiye action OF former days. regarding the Pres
idential succession and kindred subjects. Par
ticularly important is the extract contained in
her letter OF Saturday last from '.Duer's Out
Ines OF the Constitutional Jurisprudence of the
United States" wherein that eminent authority
declares that IF the president pro tenn. OF the
Senate should die during a casual vacancy in the
offices OF President and Vice President the
Speaker OF the House of Representatives then
extinct. would probably be deemed the person
upon whom the Office was intended to deyOlve."
=. ~. chap Executive Departments Yourcon-
tributGr seems TO think this extraordinary but
tested 10y processes of reason and logic it will
be found not to he so. And. first 1t must be re-
meinbered that large proportion of the mem-
bers of the second Congress- during which the
act designating the Speaker of the House of
representatives as the person to act as Presi-
dent in a certain contingency. passed March /
1I'r3. had previously been members of the con-
VeItiOa which framed the constitution. So that
TIE act referred to may very properly be re-
EaF'icd aS that OF the trainers of the govern
ment themselves. who in this way directed the
filling ont oft original work prepared by their
own hands. Why We're they thus acting? Clear
ly under the behcSts Of the constitution. by sec.
empowered to provide by law for the perma-
ncfcy OF the Presidential office.
CAN ANY ONE SUPPOSE
Tor moment that in the performance OF so
momentous duty they named an officer for
the emergency whose official existence i'm this
direction terminated with their own. and thus
lett imminent at any moment between the Sd of
March 1913, and the first Monday in December
s93, then ensuing, and AT every similar legisla-
tive hiatus FOR all time TO come, the very dam
gers which they were then legisating to pre-
vent: Surely not; for to suppose so is to 0ues-
ton the wisdom OF men who III all they did of a
public character seemed to reflect the infinite
wisdom which comes from above. Evidently
from their standpoint the Speaker of the House
OF Representatives was regarded as an office,
whose tenure not being limited by the terms of
the Constitution. or by any law passed I'm pur-
suanCe thereof was therefore of q permanent
character. not to be interfered with unless b;
death. resignation. or the election of q success
sOr- So regarding him. after the most mature
deberatlon on their part, extending from the
9TH oi december. 1I91, to the 22d of February,
11S2, period of two and half months they
selected him as the final depository of the Exc
cufive authority in case OF the DEATH resigna-
tIOn or inability to serve on the part of those
chosen by the people to this high prerogatiye
They were legisating for futurity and they
built wisely and well: not proffering to the peo-
pie dead sea fruits to be turned into ashes upon
touching the lips
y.
From these premises one cannot but conclude
that the Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives. in addition to the high and potential
power which he wields as presiding officer of
that body, is also clothed, under the Constitu-
ton and the law, with quasi executive func-
tion-that OF succession to the presidency in a
Certain contnSeDcy-aDd clothed that he
cannot be diEested OF it by the limitation of his
term as the representative of particular con-
gFpS$lOnll district Ry his election 70 ho
spcakefshIp. under the law of March l. 11!D he
becomes something more than the representa-
tive of a district-he is president in embryo.
as it were-the executive function living dor
Mant until an xigency occurs calling for its eX-
ercise-and this at any time until superseded
and the function Withdrawn, as it only can be
done regularly 10y the election of his successor,
according 10 the terms of the organic law
Assuming, for the sake of argument that q
citizen al the republic, not q member OF the
hcuse Ut Representatives, was elevated to its
speakership {and there is nothing in the Consti-
iutl"ii or laws oi the United States to prevent
~, what becomes of the limitation implied by
the end OF a Congress in his case as Connected
Will tue great attribute belonging to him of
succession TO the presidency in q certain eraer-
gency: and who can doubt but that the vita!iz-
ing principle of official life-continuity-pe
'ahs 20 him until asGccessOr is elected and duly
qualified:
WHAT THERE CAN BE No DOUBT ABOUT.
Bat whatever may be thought OF the views
herein enunciated. there can be no doubt Of the
poWeT OF congress to perfect and properly con-
suulate the legislation initiated In the act of
March lst, i152. by further enactne that the at
tributes of the Speaker of the House of Repre-
sentatives shall remain intact until the election
and qualification OF his successor 1t has SO
been enacted as to the clerk and other officers
Ol the House. though technically their official
existence ends with the House which elects
Them; but IN the particular case weare consider
Ing. where continuity OF service NAV at any time
beeeiae indispensable to our national existence
there has been singular dereliction of duty ct
not the republic suffer further detrment for lack
OF so essential and yet osimple preventative
Inc presidential succession is In right drec-
tion In the Speaker of the House of Representa-
tlveS. being thus placed near the people and
tending to the people. All the ideas now Goat-
Ing loosely round on the subject had existence
ana found expoDents In the Second Congress
Az the record shows. where for period of two
anu half months they were carefully weighed
and then determined. the convictions OF the
Fathers OF that day CrystaliiZing in the present
law-sec. 1i6 Revised Statutes T. S. There LET
II remain and be perpetuated by proper amend
ment "a Indicated.
Congress may well be characterized as the
Iiie-giyin@ department of the government. tor
by sec. 5. Article |. Of the Constitution If is
empowered to make all proper and necessary
laws "r carrying INTO execution all the specified
powers vested in the government or in any de-
partment or otso'7- thereof.
The present Congress is therefore called upon
py every consideration OF patriotism to supple
ment section l45 of the Revised Statutes by
making clear its purposes and thus in precudinp
danger from that source strengthen the life of
'He iepuphc- EsTO PERPETUA.
Hy-leaf Verses.