Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1885-12-08
Lac Presidential Succession.

In an editorial upon the death of
Vice President Hendricks, the Balti-
more Sun refers to an important sub.
ject just at this time as follows.
Properly speaking, no one takes
the place of n dead Vice President.
The constitution itself is silent upoti
the subject, save that it declares that
:" the Congress may by law provide
for the ease of removal, death, resig-
nation or inability both of the Presi-
dent and Vice President, declaring
what officer shall then act de Press
ident, and such officer shall act ac=
cordingly until the disability be re-
moved or q new President shall be
elected" In pursuance of this ali.
thority Congress has by law provided
that the President of the Senate pro
tempore shall act as PRESIDENT in the
contingency contemplated by the cons
stitution, and in the event of there
being no President of the Senate, or
of his being under disability, then the
Speaker of the House 1t has long
been felt that the provision made was
altogether unsatisfactory. In the
first place, there may be neither =
President of the Senate or Speaker Of
the House in existence, rs actually
happened at the time of President
Garfield's death, aud is now the case.
Four years ago Vice President Ara
thurs desire to prevent the elcctiSr
of Senator Bayard TO the presidency
pro tenn. of the Senate induced himN
to depart from the usage OF tiitety
years and to remain in the chair until
the extra session of the Senate, in
March, 1881, came to an end. The
Senate,~as a consequence, could not
elect n temporary presiding officer.
Tie House of Representatives elected
in 1880 had not assembled, and of
course had rs yet no Speaker. At
the extra session of the Senate last
spring Mr.. Hendricks followed the
example set by Mr.. Arthur, and the
House has, as every one knows, not
yet met. Then, even when there is
President OF the Senate or n Speaker
of the House, one or both of them may
happen to be of different political
party from that of the President.-
The Republican Senate will, when il
meets, elect Republican presiding
officer. who's in case of President
Cleveland's death or disability, would
succeed him until new election
could be held in pursuance of law.
The statutes of the United States pro-
vide that upon a vacancy happening
in both the offices of President and
Vice President the Secretary of
State shall forthwith cause n notiflral
ton thereof TO be made to the Execa
utive of every State, and shall also
cause the same to be published in at
least one of the newspapers printed
in each State, specifying that electors
of President of the United States shall
be apNointed or chosen in the several
States within thirty-four days pre-
ceding the first Wednesday in Decem-
ber then next ensuing; provided that
there shall be the space of two months
between the date of such notification
and the said first Wednesday in De-
cember; but if there shall not be the
space of two months between the date
of said notification and the first
w Cuut7uiN III i'SCclubeIs anu II tle
term for which the President and Vice
President last in Office were elected
shall not expire on the third day of
March next ensuing, then the Sccrc-
tary of State shall specify in the mo-
tiiication that the electors shall be APP
pointed or chosen within thirty-fo1r
days preceding the first Wednesday
in December in the year next ensuing,
within which time the electors shall
accordingly be appointed or chosen,
and the electors shall meet and give
their votes on the said first Wcdnes-
day in December" ard the subse-
quent proceedings are then the same
as in the case of an ordinary election
of the President.