St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-17
WHO SHALL SUCCEED
The Senate spends the Day Wrest-
ling With the Presidential Bill.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.-AmOng the
bills introduced was one by Mr.. Teller pro-
viding for the unlimited coinage of silver
and one by Mr.. ingalls, determining the eX-
istence and removal of the inability of the
president to discharge the powers and duties
of his office Mr.. Butler offered a reSolu-
ton, directing the committee on territories
to inquire and report by what authority a
so-called legislature has been organized in
the territory of Dakota. and whether such
organization was not calculated to blJng
about a conflict of authority predjudiciaf to
good order in that territory. The president
sent in a message calling attention to the
Northern Cheyennes. Mr.. Hoars presi-
dental succession bill was then taken up.
Mr. Maxey reviewed the history of the
question and showed that four presidents
and five vice presidents had died in Office
There had been no president of the senate
OF speaker of the house of representatives
when President Garfield died. and none on
the death Of Vice President Hendricks. The
secretary of state. in Mr.. MaXey'S belief.
was the proper person to be selected for the
performance of the presidential functions
in case of the death of the president and
vice president. His politics would nat
urally be in accord with that of the major
ity of the people. Mr.. Beck, suggestively
inquired what might have happened had the
president Of the United States
DIED BEFORE THE MEETING
of this congress, the Republican senators,
although as a whole in majority. not being
present in sufficient numbers on the OPEN
ing of congress to have constituted a
quorum. The people had placed the exec
utive authority for four years in the hands
of the Democratic party. The Republicans
by themselves. could now have sworn in
the senators from Illinois, New Hampshire
and Oregon. The question would have been
presented whether it was the duty of the
Democrats of the senate to help the Repub-
licans to elect a president pro TEN. of the
senate. who should be president of the
United State, or stand still and allow the
house of representatives TO elect a speaker
by 17S votes. 16 more than a quorum of the
house. Had a speaker been elected before
president pro TEN. of the senate, it might
have had some unSeemly scenes as to who
had the better right to the presidential Office
when the senate should later elect its preSi-
dent pro TEN. For one, Mr.. Beck would
help a minority of the senate, who held no
quorum. when only the same day Demo-
cratic house of representatives was electing
Democratic speaker. The bill, in
Mr. Becks opinion, disposed of all
questions of doubt. Mr.. Edmunds
EXPRESSED HIS SURPRISE
at Mr.. Beck'S observations. He admitted
that it been the rule of the party of which
Mr.. Beck was a distinguished member to
resort to revolutionary methods; it was
within the power of a'large minority of any
government to become reyolutioniSts and
attempt to break it up, but Mr.. Edmunds
hoped it would be very long time before
any Democrat. or any Republican senator,
if the Republicans were in the minority,
would resort to any revolutionary method,
whether of action or inaction. presence or
absence, with the view to gain the political
advantage of dispensing poStofficeS and
signing land warrants until the elec-
ton OF new president. He
thought there should be four lives
between the president and chaos, and
therefore he would leave the law much as
1t Is now If 1t were arranged for the sec
retary of state to succeed to the presidency
in certain contingency. he would be
obliged to advise the present senate not to
select Mr.. Bayard for secretary of
state, for he thought Mr.. Bayard's
views and policy on great public
questions were wrong, though the
majority of the people, he presumed.
thought him right. as evnced by the cleo
ton of Mr. Cleveland. In order to test the
feeling of the senate on the clause of the
bill repeating the sections of the revised
statute that provide for new election. Mr..
Edmunds moved that the clause be stricken
out. He added to the objections stated
further on that if any of the officers named
for the succession should die or 60 out OF
office during vacation of the senate. the
president would have absolute power to ap
point his successor without continuation by
the senate. Senators Edmund and Beck
engaged in tilt ON the suggestion of the
former OF treason on the part of the latter
Mr. Morgan favored the bill as it came
from the committeeman Mr.. Teller the Ed
munds amendment. Mr.. Evarts arose tt
address the senate on the bill, but gave way
to a motion for an executive session. after
which the senate adjourned.