The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-11-28
pprs1DENr1AL SUCCESSION.

: history of our country. The first tlme 'na'
the neople seem to have been greatly e2er.
c;sed in consequence of the impertection Oh
the laws to provide against such q con
tineency happened during the admin'stra
ton of Franklin Pierce, occasloned Dy Tic
decease of William Rufus King, OF Alabama
in 1853. who was elected Vice President on
the same ticket. The question OF making
the laws more perfect in this particular,
was not a novel one at that time, forlt
previously been before Congress, but with
out any definite action being had upon It,
The assassination of President Lincoln III
1866 and the accession OF Vice Presldent
johnson, and the murder o. Presldent Gar
field in 1881 by the assassin Gulteau ana
the installation of Chester A. Arthur in the
vacant office, occasioned considerable con
troversy in and out OF Congress as to the
necessity for providing against any Difficult
ties which might possibly ensue.
The only provision contained in the con
stitution in regard to a vacancy in the
| office of President or Vice President is to
be found in Section 1, Article II, which
says "In case of the removal Of the Presi-
| dent from office, or of his death, resigna-
| ton, or inability to discharge the powers
| and duties OF the said Office, the same shall
devolve on the Vice President, and the
Congress may by law provide for the case
| of removal, death, resignation, orinability,
| both OF the President and Vice President,
| declaring what officer shall h act as
President, and such officer shall then act
accordingly, until the disability be removed,
or a President shall be elected" The same
instrument referring to the Vice President
says, in section 3, article l: "The Vice
President of the United States shall be
President OF the Senate, but shall have no
vote unless they be equally divided,' and
again: "The Senate shall choose their other
officers and also a president pro tempore
in the absence OF the Vice President or
when he shall exercise the office OF Pres
ident of the United States" By these pro-
visions it very clearly appears that the
trainers OF the Federal Constitution had so
much faith in the wisdom and statesman
ship of the Congress created by them as to
leave the highly important duty OF perfect
ing d plan nf Presidential succession to
them and it is a matter OF great surprise
to the student OF American history and our
Republican form OF Government, that the
Congress succeeding the adoption OF the
organic instrument and subsequent Con-
crosses have almost entirely ignored that
matter, which is generally conceded OF such
vital necessity to the perpetuity of the
Ty,:o- I'll, -,1, Ioo;o1, A;>p ,,,c, {bo ~ o,h
ject by Congress is contained in the follow
ing: ''That in case Of a removal, death,
resignation or inability, both of the Presi-
lent and Vice President OF the United
States, the President of the Senate pro tenn
pore, and, in case there shall be no fresi-
dent of the Senate, then the Speaker OF the
House OF Representatives, for the time be-
ing, shall act as President OF the United
States, until the disability be removed or a
President shall be elected"
This act OF Congress instead OF obviating
the difficulty not only renders it more
complicated, but, as experience sadly
proves, has greatly increased the danger to
be apprehended in event Of a vacancy in
the office OF President. Ii such legislation
had been enacted by the lawmakers in the
Cannibal islands (f there are any it might
be considered pardonable; but when it ema-
mates as this did, from a Congress Of Amer
lean statesmen, there is not only no excuse
for such stupidity, but it holds it's authors
up to ridicule and contempt. This act was
doubtless passed when the Office OF Presi-
dent, ce-President and both houses of
Congress were under the control of one po-
litical party, and the short-sighted law
makers were incapable Of conceiving the
happening of such a contingency as ar an
tagonism, politically or otherwise, between
the Executive and Legislative departments
of the Government. This difficulty arose
when Andrew johnson was promoted, I'M
dent. His antagonism to the political ma
jority of the Senate and his attempted
wholesale decapitation OF Republican
ofice-holders rendered his impeach-
ment a party necessity. Had this scheme
been successful, the President pro tempore
OF that body would have succeeded him in
office. By this means, had it pre-
vailed, the Republicans would have re-
gained control of the Federal patronage.
That was the only object they had in en-
deavoring to remove the President. 1t was
a mere party expediency, which they had
determined to accomplish without any re-
gard to it's dangerous consequences.
President Garfield was cowardly assasi-
mated by a political enthusiast who had
been vainly seeking IN official appoint
ment; and who, in consequence OF a fac
tional difference between the former and
the adherents of Vice-P President Arthur,
was OF the opinion that his wishes would
be gratifed in event Of the removal OF Mr.
Garfield and the accession of Mr.. Arthur to
the office OF President. The fact cannot be
gainsaid that the distribution of Fed
eral patronage, under our system,
by the President, renders him an object
OF the enmity, hatred and scorn of the
the tens OF thousands who are unsuccessful
in gratifying their aspirations for appoint
ments, as we'll as the immense army OF office
holders subject to removal with every
change in the political sentiment of an adj
"t1Uu 4uc ucCcuSc Ol MT. 11cDu.
ricks, who, as a Democrat, was elected on
the same ticket with Mr.. Cleveland, leaves
the succession to the office Of President, in
case OF a vacancy, to such person as may
be selected as president pro te1npore OF the
United States Senate, by the opposing po-
litical party. This is what makes the diff
Guilty SO serious.
No matter how much the personal char
acter Of a candidate for President may en-
ter into the contest, yet the fact is appar-
ent to every intelligent citizen, that the
great National contests for that office are
waged with so much vigor, more to secure
party spoils than for the election of anv
individual, however popular he may be, to
the highest office in the gift OF the people.
Party success is, it is true, an en-
dorsement OF its platform OF princi-
Piles, but one man can represent |
those principles, if he is honest and consci.
e%ntious, as we'll as another. The Democrats
after a long and manly struggle, have at
length just been rewarded for their zeal and