Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-05

~ the Eoitof lHE ENING STAR:
The recent and lamented death of the Vice
President revives the discussion in regard to the
presidential succession, and in relation thereto
beg to suggest that a law be passed looking
further than a mere temporary filling of this
Office. For why need there be temporary
acting President, when some scheme can GER
tainly be devised for permanently filling the
ONCE for the remainder Of the terme One way
in which this may be done is to provide for
another in regular order, but only one of them,
the senior one, to receive pay and to preside
the President or Vice President. the second Vice
President becomes the presiding officer OF the
Senate and receives the pay: and after him the
occur, and 50 on If there are Others In case
there should only be one Vice President alive
the vacancies could be filied at the next general
election In November. Such an election would
probably not cause much excitement, as it fills
gency. Thus the much greater excitement of a
special and perhaps hurried election under the
present or proposed law would be avoided
cession should devolve upon the Secretaries.
although better than existing laws, yet has its
detects; the chiefof which is that under it the
sole and arbitrary will of one man. tooa,her
with an accident, is the only means of filling
the highest office in the country. Another de-
fect pointed out on the floor of Congress- is that
should the President be impeached for any
high crime or misdemeanor. his chief adviser
VINO may nave al0eQ ana aDetteQ MIN, even
advised the very crime, becomes his successor
Could any of the Secretaries be fully trusted
under such circumstances?
A marked defect in all the schemes yet promi.
nently discussed Is that while they provide tor
an acting President, there is no Law ana no una
nimity OF opinion as To what his duties would
ne, or how much of the full power he could
legally exercise. II Is a difficult question to
decide, and one in which 1t seems impossible to
provide for all future contingencies. Hence it
would be more advisable TO dodge this issue
by framing such a law will permanently fiji
the office for the remaineer of the term. There
are objections TO the President of the Senate
10 the Speaker OF the House, and to the Secre-
taries; the Chief Justice is hardly thought of
and what other officer of the government could
se selected: Certainly not a Junior in prefer.
snce 10 any Of the above. Hence We should
>ook outside of the government and the scheme
Ior several Vice Presidents suggests ITSELF
his proposition, which occurred to me in
december, 1851, and is, therefore, not wholly
new, does not seem open To any of the above
OBJECTIONS. II would. however, REQUIRE an
amendment To the Constitutions: but that Is
much In Its favor, and far preferable to- an
congress, and liable, therefore, to removal by a
repeal OF the law at a critical time, and perhaps
the country be thereby plunged into revolu-
ton.
Under these suggestions very little change Is
made In the law OF the land, the people will
always have their elected choice at the mead of
the government, no existing officer of the
United states is interfered with and there may
still be President OF the Senate, as under
present laws RIB.
Washington, Dec. 4, 1855.