Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-12-24

courtesy 10 the president demands that huih
parties IN the senate shall acqucSce wmqueS-
hunlnsN IN his own choice IF his executive
fanny, provided there are no constitutional
Obstacles IN the raN "t their confirmation.
SupP">~ CleN Gland had taken "a notion t."
make john Il. Mclean. OF the Cincinnati
| Enquirer. secretary al state, instead of
BaNart. Does anyb"dy doubt that Mel eau
would have been confirmed" And does any
h"dN believe that. in that case. his acci-
dental succr>~iun la the presidency under
this bill would have been an even, that the
eight "r ten million voters of the United
States would hav" accepted with favor?
W.. the hill l. undemocTatic. Ii is mon
arrhir ia Ill tendency. 1t is a growth to-
ward personal government and hereiity. Ii
= "plr">ed (" the spirit of the constitution.
which makes the chief magistrate elective
nN the people and provides an elective sub
>iltWtr for him in the vicepresid-mt, This
bills makes him ~cIcctirt. and leaves him la
hr selected virtually 10y one man. and that
man his predecessor
And tsr bill. because, of this objection. is
open Ia another objection. Ii ahnliSheS all
provisions for new popular election in
ca~cs uf such lapse of the presidency a. il
cnnt"mplatcs. The selected accidental pres
idrnt is Ia hold the office till the end of the,
term for which the elected president was
entitled t" hold il The people are not to
hc consulted st all when their elected preSi-
dent and yiccprc>idcnt both fail them: but
must endure. till the end of the elective four
Years. whatever president bad choic, die
lated 10y personal and partisan motives may
have inflicted upon them.
la these RESPECTS the bill would not h,A a,
good law ~ tse one We now have. The
president pro trIupoTr OF the senate and
the speaker oi the house are representa-
uNc> ut the people. elected by the people.
Ii might happen that. coming Ia the pr,~i-
deG"y by accident. they would not represent
IN the executive the majority party but
they would represent minority PARTY that
WAS strong enough IL control one or both of
the houses ot congress: and that would be
better than Ia represent respoilSibly no party
AZ all. aS would be- the case with the sue
cc>~urs provided for by this bill.
The bill i, wrong in principle: and We
hope substitute Tor il will br brought for
ward in the house. Several substitutes have
been suggested. unr i, that the pr,~idcn-
TIA, rlts't"rs be- vested with their powers for
IN" whole presidential term, and he author
N,i. in case "t vacancy, Ia reasonable
Ind ch"nsr a person Ia Gll IL. This would
. cure the Succession Ia the party who
chose the el,,'torS. But the electors posi-
ton would thus b. an Office of uutgruHn
and forgotten responsibility. an Office in the
air, au office foT sale.
\ hrttcr substitute l. that proposed by
III" Nrw-Iork sun. II is that the house of
T'prr >"utatNe> he empowered Ia elect
president in ease Of a vacancy. just a> il is
now empowered in case of failure to elect
hy the popular vote. The house represents
the people. It i direct from the people.
II would be the fitteSt instrument in such a
ra-r I" act for the people
This would hA the simple. democratic
machinery. and il could be
promptly and speedily sci i'll motion. If
the house were in session. it could act at
once. II not in session, provision could be-
Uadr 10y which il could ~. called at once
This i the plain solution of the veNed
question and we hop the hoIl>- will give
it = careful consideration. Ii would have
I" take the form al a constitutional amend
m.nt, hut we believe such All amendment
,,"uld he adopted hy the states almost
unanimously