Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1885-12-04
TAELATE VICE pRyspEYT


Vice President Hendrix. VI os7 sud
den death occurred las. we'd was one O
the conspicuous public men !, the cum
try. Asa politician, he believe in'en e..
in the Democratic Party. an was fore
most IL following i, and blending II
G principles. lie did not believe in Ciyi
Service Reform. At the e,rly aye @
twenty-eight Mr. Hendricks vas el.ose
as a member oethe legisIatut Of lndi.
ana. Soon after he was elee.ed as q
md tsr ofthc Constitutional Convention
held in that state. After ti. be wa
chosen as member of the Houss Of
Representatives. and subsequently Of the
United States Senate. He WIS Cover
nor Of his own state for single term
lie was nominated as candidate for the
Vice Presidency when Mr. lien wa
nominated for President; a1iast year
he was again placed on the Democratic
ticket for the same office, and elected
Mr. Hendricks presided d The %.
ate at Il &c special session Falled las
Spring, and at the close NJ the session
declined to vacate the clair aud thus
give the Senate the opportunity to choose
a president Of the Senate cd b@pore,
and in this respect followes tlIh bad pre-
cedent set by Vice President Ar bur IN.
der similar circumstances. The conse-
quencc of this omission taken 10 conn'c-
ton with the present state ofthe Inv, vas
that, at the death Of Mr.. Hendricks
there was no one to succeed to the office
Of President in the event that President.
Cleveland should de prior to the meeting
of Congress Neither loase Of congress
had presiding officer when VI. IIend-
rlcks died; and the same state Of thing
existed when General Garfield did, aud
Mr.. Arthur became Plesideat There
was not, in either case. any President
of the Senate, or Spcakerof tile House
a ~qAs~s.s., yes, to take the office Of
resident aud disJ1rssS.Gl .sayie' IN any
f the contingencies sped be Con
titution aud the law.
The Senate at the last sess.5n Of Con
,re,s passed bill on the Budget oil
Presidential succession, providing that
he dutie, of the odice should dfyoI'e
mon the members of the President
Cabinet in the order specified, beginning
with the Secretary of State, in the event
that the Office SHOULD be vacant for any
If the reasons named. But the lous
of Representatives failed to take ary
action on this bill, although it was sup
ported by both parties ia the Senate 1t
is to be hoped that Congress will need
no further warning on this subject The
present state C the law is plainly not
what it should be; and Congress should
lose no time in making it such.
If the Senate should cheese Repub
lean as President pro tei as it
probably will, and Presa veland
81, uld die before the Of his
term of service, thd ,ation
Of the governmental INTO he-
publican hands, and d DC con-
trary to the voice o. pie as OK
pressed by the Presidentlal~lectors. =
/ We do net think, as a matter of prin-
chile. that the law should allow the pos
sibility of such a result The Senate
bill excluded it altogether, by looking
to the Cabinet of the President for the
succession in the contingencies named;
and this we think much better than the
present law What the people intended
when electiag a President and Vice
President, should not be frustrated by
any defect in the law; and Congress
should so legislate that this cannot be
done.