St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-26
No One to Fill the Vacancy.
f0 tho Glohn


WASHINGTON. Nov. 25.-Many of the
Democratic senators and other officials are
deploring the fate of bill introduced dur
ing the last session by Senator Hoar pro-
viding in case of the death or disability OF
both the president and vice president OF the
United States, the secretary of state
should be clothed with the power of the
president and succeed to that office. The
bill was introduced in the senate
Dec. 4, 1888, during President Arthur's
term of office. 1t was passed on Jan. 25,
1854, and reported to the house on the day
following. The bill was referred TO a
special committee, of which Mr.. Eaton OF
Connecticut was chairman. This organiza-
ton, by unanimous consent, reported it
back to the house. 1t was placed on the
calendar and remained without action until
the close of the session. 1t is not preba-
BILE the Republicans would permit such a
bill to pass the senate at this juncture,
and the Democratic leaders deeply lament
the loss of the measure, which. under the
peculiar circumstances of the case, is being
discussed for all it is worth. Had the bill
become a law, the fears of an interregnun
or succession to the presidency by the Re
publicans would be dispelled. Some Of the
Democratic members of the last house de
scribe the defeat or deSertion of the bill tt
cumbersome rules of the house, claiming
that from April 81, 1884, to March 4, 1885
there was never time when the mattel
could be called up andsthe measure passed
Others insist that under the circumstance:
which existed III the long session Of las
congress the Democrats would have beer
very foolish to pass any such bill, and the
action, or rather want Of action, was yer.
polite. 1t is deeply regretted tonight
however and the bill would become a Law
in very short order if Democratic house
had control over it.
JUSTICE MILLER.
Justice Miller of the United States SUI
preme court, in speaking of the presidential
succession tonight, said:
.'If Mr.. .Edmunds had been elected president
pro tempore of the senate at the recent extrf
session of that body, he would now
be the constitutional successor to the
presidency in case Of the death of Mr.. Cleve
land, during his term of Office, though the
term of Office of the president pro tempere
can be- terminated at will by the vote Of the
senate"
do you think that the sudden death OF
the wee president will give rise to a constitu-
tional amendment defining more clearly the
status of the president pro tempore of the
senator
mo, it is not needed. The president pro
tempore holds Office until the return of the
vice president, or until the senate elects his
successor. Nor is his tenure of Office limited
to single session, for the senate is body in
perpetuo, not expiring by limitation as does
the house of representatives"
EX-JUSTICE STRONG.
Ex-Justice Strong of the supreme court
said it is customary at the close of the ses-
sion of the senate for the vice president to
leave the chair and permit the election of
president pro tempore, in order that there
might be succession to the presidency in
case of the sudden death of both the presi-
dent and vice president
Mr.. Hendricks, l understand, declined to
permit the election of president pro tenn
pore of the senate. Hence that body is now
without presiding officer, and if Mr.. Cleve-
land should also die before the meeting of
congress the country would be without a
head and a most difficult problem would be
offered for solution. A constitutional
amendment is not necessary, but a
congressional enactment is certainly
ne eded, and under the circumstance,
will probably be adopted by the incoming con-
gress, vesting the presidential succession, in
case of the death Of president, vice president,
and speaker of the house, in the secretary of
state until election could be held. In that
legally the only acting president, although by
courtesy he would be called president. The
same would be true of the vice president,
president pro tempore, or speaker of the
house, in case Of the succession falling upon
either of them.