Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-12-02
DAILY T-IhTELLlGEACER


within i've years only ons sue
ysues between the country and vscAns
Prsssdsn,y calls the attention OF TIE
ousl;o forssbly to the lrsxplioasis uez-
lee. Of Congress 70 provide adequately
10, thu Presidential saeoessior- A u
ssneraIly known the Constisutisn pro
vides that In case Of the removal
death, resignation VI insbility" OF tns
President. his osios shall sesolvs apon
the viss Presidsns. When ina as
ability extends TO the Vice President
also. Congress IL empowered 10 regulate
the succsssior. declaring vhss o1os'
ssall .hsn act 10 President antil ins dis
sbllsty be rsnovsd. or President sosi
b sssctsd.1 In aooordsnos vish tni'
provision, Congress by the Act of Marct
/. 1872. declared tbs President pro 'sf'''
pors of the Senate, or II there % no
Presidsnt pro ts~Pors, the speaker o.
the HOUSE Of Representatives to be tns
officer upon whom tbe succession should
devo,ys. There the matter rested. and
10 almost century there hss been nc
,saisiation upon this very important
subiscs. Congress evidently thoaghi
that q provision for the succession s1
tending to the fourth psrson vas amply
sufficient. seeming ts forget that there
would be a time In almost every prssi
dsDtiai term In which there would u
neither President pro ienEors OF the
Senate or q Speaker Of the House, and
that In case of the disability OF bott
President and Vice President at such
time. there would bs no one who could
legally perform the duties OF President
The Nation was brought face 20 face
With the possibility Of such calamity
IA 1881. II had always been customary
for the Vice President TO retire from the
Senate q few days before sae adjourn
meat of tbs speci,i session usually
called upon tho coming into power OF
new administration. in order shst
President pro tsnpors might be elected
In tho year mentioned, however. sics
President Arthur declined to retire anc
permit the election Of q President pr
ampors. President Garfield was sho
on July I'd. and died September 18Th
1881. The Vice President then assumed
the Office OF President. and the people
rs,iixed that the succession In case o.
his death was absolutely unprovides
for. OF course, there was at once
great deal of talk on the sabiect. Ev
srybody agreed that u was the duty o
Congress to iegislate on the susjsos o
she earliest opportunity. Nobody doubt
Cd that Congress wsuld act In the mat
tss immediately upon assembling. II
due time Congress assembled. the Sen
ate elected President pro te,aPore, tn
House elected Speaker. and the mat
ter Of providing more fully for tn
Presidential succession was not eve
discussed. The danger had been passed
aud II was accordingly forgotten.
The present case Ia alnos. precisel
similar TO that of 1851. except that IL
che Vice President instead of the Pres
dent Who 10 dead. During the sessio
Of the Senate subsequent to March I'll
Mr.. Hendricks, like his predecessor. n
fused 10 withdraw and allow the elet
sion OF President pro tempOre. III
desire was evidently TO postpone th
election. in the hope that the Senai
would soon DO Democratic and that th
succession would thus remain in th
Democratic party. The Senate accord
inRly adjourned without electing q PREF
ident pro tempors. and the death Of Nj
Hendricks leaves the life Of Presidsr
Cleveland the only enc intervening b
tween the Nation and q vacant Pres
dsncy. The talk Of 1881 will probabl
now DO resumed where IL Was disoor
tinusd. bot IL 10 to be hoped that Cor
gress will not again bs 20 inexcusably
alnost oriminaliy. negligent ~ upo
the former occasion.
What, IL may DO asked. would be th
probable consequence II death or dis
ability sheald befall President Clevs
land at this junoturer That would d.
pend entirely upon the people. With Al
excitable, Dercurial people, With peo
pie dissatisfied with their government,
or with . people prone 10 tumult and re
volt, the consequences wsuld almost In
svitably be eaiamitous. The AmsrioaI
people, however. are not easily excited
and disloyaity TO the existing Govern
usnt Ia to them one Of the blackes
crimes. They generally believe tina
their fern Of government 10 about o
good enc ~ human wisdom could de
wise, and they would mot be at oil likel,
10 do ANYTHING that might interfere viii
the pcrpetuity Of that Government,
Congress meets within . week. when th,
6snafs would doab.lessly at once cleo
. Preaident pro teapors. who woul,
taks bis place In the White House q
naturally a. u he had been placed Their
By the voice OF the people. In ID,
meantime The heads Of the Executiv
Departments would continue TO perform
their several duties. and the vast ans
complicated machinery Of governmen
would 90 on almost withsut jar.
Euch an event would be mere seriou
II ve we're not 20 close upon the reecla
meeting Of Congress. The adminissra
tion. however. would probably go ON il
any event under the direction Of ID
Cabinet. In case Of extraordinary cir
ccns.ances, requiring the authority o
IN Executive II once. there seems 10 b
no good reason Why the Cabinet shonl
not snmmoa an extra session Of Con
grees, for. though such q summon
wooid have no authority upon Ccnerss,
Congress would undoubtedly respect Il
and the first exercise OF The Legislative
powers would cure all defects of form
In any event. Il may Ne taken for gran
ID. an sttemps on the part OF any of
ciai or any citizen 10 msxieanise %
.,v.vuruAat he s,xa,iaSr,trs, h,~,s.l