Smyrna times., 1885-12-02
The Presidency Of the Senate.

A question as to the Presidency of
the Senate is raised by the sudden
death of the Vice-President a few
days prior to the.fnal adjournment of
the Senate to vacate the chair and no
tify the Senate of his purpose to be
absent during the remainder of the ses-
sion in order that President pro tenn
pore might be chosen to provide
against just such an emergency as is
precipitated by Mr.. Hendricks death.
There was no interruption of this
practice until 1881, when Mr.. Arthur
declined to vacate the chair, because
the two political parties were equally
divided. This action of Mr.. Arthur
was severely criticised at the time, and
the death of President Garfield a few
months after the adjournment of the
Senate concentrated public attention
upon the danger involved in Mr.. Ar
thurs exceptional act of omission, and
renewed popular discussion of this sub
Iect. At the last session of Congress
Mr.. Hendricks followed the precedent
made by Mr.. Arthur and continued to
preside over the Senate until final ad-
jOurnment, thus preventing that body,
for the second time in its history, from
selecting a temporary presiding officer,
that its organization might be pre-
served through the recess and that q
legitimate successor might be provided
for the executive offices in case of the
death of the President and Vice-Presi-
dent of the United States.
According to precedents in the few
similar cases that have occurred in the
past. the Senate will be called to order
on December 7th by the secretary of
that body, who will make official an
nouncement of the death of the Vice
President and constitutional presiding
| officer of the Senate. Immediately
| thereafter a Senator previously selected
by a caucus of the majority party will
| present a resolution declaring that A.
B. is thereby chosen president pro tenn
! pore of the Senate, upon which reso-
| luton a vote will at once be taken.
! The Republican SenatOrs-elect, Messrs
Blair, of New Hampshire; Logan, OF
Illinois, and Mitchell, of Oregon, are tC
be sworn in at the coming session, and
this will probably be done before q
president pro. TEN. is chosen. But
should the admission of the three Sen.
atOrs-elect be DELAYED until after the
selection of a presiding officer, it would
make no difference, as in such an event
the Senate would stand: Republicans
38; Democrats, So.
There is likely, however, to be {
lively contest among the Republican
Senators over the nomination for the
office. Mr.. Edmunds was chosen pres
ident pro tenn when Mr.. Arthur sue
ceeded President Garfield, but Mr.
Edmunds' administration of the Office
did not give general satisfaction. AND
in addition to this, his political associ-
ates are far from being satisfied will
the indifference he manifested in thu
last Presidential campaign to the sue
cess of the Republican national candi
dates. Mr.. Edmunds is not the kim
of man to make a canvass for the place
and it is. therefore, very likely that h
will not be the choice of the Republi
can caucus.
Senator Logan is already prominent
ly spoken of in this connection, and tn
fact that he was the Republican cand
date for Vice-President one year ag
will ensure him the active sympath
and, perhaps, support of his pOlitica
associates. Mr.. Sherman is ais
spoken of as the probable successor {
Mr.. Hendricks, and his well-knOw
ability and long experience in th
Senate will make him formidabI
competitor should he conclude to see
: the office.