National Republican., 1885-12-01

fn much "a UuC tu uuih. We honor The
virtues n tbo distinguished dead, but Il Ia
not night that BE great mistakes should h.
ignored, n ilucoln Mortou, ami Andrew
were patriots, Mr Hendricks was not
a -
The Question ~ Presidential Succession.
The New York Times evpresacl hope
that, "Iu default of such provision ~
presout elect the Senate viii act 90 the
matter ~ choosing o. president pro ten,
not in a spirit oi partisaushlp. bat in
spirit - Che highest patriotism" Tho
Times mrgcsts-whatw we have no doubt an
senators fcclHthnt "thC avoidance of p1pu.
lar ill-ferlinr und rcchmiuation in this
grave crisis, aud, above an, the avoidance
II any invitation 90 or suggestion of
courses subyersiyc uf The expressed will 1f
the people, should outweigh with every
member Of the Senate the question Of mere
party advantage" Having thus paved the
way for a wclghty piece of solemn counsel
tie Times Says
Ifn democratic member OF tia, body, quail
fed for presiding over its sessions aud worthy
10 stand next the President Iu tbc order OF sue.
a general agreement that the hanpla., and
most commCniablC issue frUm the delicate s.t.
uaiiJn has been reached.
A similar suggestion, made last week In
tie Washington correspondence of a New
York newspaper, was discussed in these
columns, and shown 20 be a near approach
TO ahsurdity. There Is neither precedent
nor occasion for such mnguauimlty as the
Republican party Of the United States,
through its representatives In the Senate,
would display II II should decide to restore
to the Democracy the political advantages
which that party lost IN the dendseOfthe Vice
President. Republican senators would give
most serious ofTense TO the Republican
voters behind them n they were 20 put
Democratic senator into the pro tom. presl-
dency Of the Senate. Any variation from
the course which custom sanctions and
which the country expects senators to fol-
low would be condemned as smacking Of
scntimcntalism rather than Of sense. There
Is nothing In the history Of the Democratic
party as regards its bearing toward its op-
ponent that calls for any concessions; aud
the Democratic party would laugh at the
folly of the Republican senators II they did
not take that which Is their own. II may,
therefore, be set down as morally certain
that Republican senatOr--one whose Re-
publicanism is pronounced and whose zeal
for his party Is unqucstioned-will be
, placed IN the chair of the Senate and first In
line Of succession to the presidency OF the
United States sin case Of removal, death,
resignation, or inability" OF the elected In
cumhent.
THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN cheerfully
comedies that 1t would be better for the
country, because mora In harmony with
the theory on which our system OF govern
ment is based, II 1t were impossible for a
party to be ousted from executive control
by the "remoyal, death, resignation, or IN
ability both of the President and Vice Presl-
dent" Equity seems to require that, when
a quadrennial election has put party into
| power for the term of four years, nothing
but the decree of the people In the next
election shall change the relative position
of parties. The stability of government
and the prevalence Of good feeling would
be promoted by such an arrangement.
There is another consideration, one OF
extreme delicacy, but 1t cannot be ignored
in any fair discussion of this great question.
There would be no inducement for politl-
cal "cranksn or homicidal lunatics to create
a vacancy in the Presidential Office for the
| purpose Of ousting one party and installing
another, II the entire line Of succession
were confined to the dominant party. In
times Of great popular excitement and in.
tense political feeling there may be danger
that some wild-eyed fanatic, or some dis.
charged placeman, who has brooded over
real or imaginary wrongs till his brain has
become disordered, may feel that duty call;
him to commit horrid crime for the pur
pose of bringing his party into power. We
do not regard such danger as imminent al
any time and it has no existence when, al
now, the public mind is calm, the public
temper unruflled. In our opinion
President Cleveland Is as safe from per
sonal violence now, and will be so to tn,
end of his term, as he would have been Il
the Vice President had not passed away
But it is always best to avert all possible
dangers Our laws should be adapted tc
all contingencies 1t is an unquestionet
fact that there might come such tempestl
of popular passion as would draw the at
tention Of homicides to the head of thu
government II his removal would bring
change of parties, This being the case it 4
the duty Of Congress to pass a law control
ling the succession in such manner us equity
demands.
When Congress meets, on Monday next
the Senate will undoubtedly elect a presi
dent pro tempore. The proprietles demand
that Gen. Logan should have the position
II he will accept it. In our issue for Thurs
day last-the issue containing the announce
ment Of the death of the Vice President
We said:
A change of 5G2 votes In tho state OF New
York would have made Gen, John A. Logal
Vice President of the United States instead o
Thomas A. Hendricks. What could be NOR
fitting than the election Of Gen, Logan, by tn
Senate, to I'll the vacancy accustomed by tn
death of Vice President Hendricks2
The suggestion struck the popular hear
us well as the sound judgment Of thought
full Republicans in all parts of the country
We have no doubt 1t will be carried int,
effect, provided that Gen. Logan interpose
no objection.
But 1t will be the duty of the Senate now
IS much as IT would have been had ther
been no vacancy in the Vice Presidential
Office, to pass the Hoar bill or its equiva
lent. 1t is supported by reasons which ar
uuGuswerable, and which will be Just a
stIeng when that bill is u concession by tn