The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-01-21
The Presidential Succession FiYcd.

On last Friday the bill sent to the
House of Representatives. from The Sen.
ate to fix the Presidential succession
was resumed in the House, aud its pas.
sage was advocated by Mr.. Dibble, Of
South Carolina, who regarded it AS Il far
better statutory provision than the
existing law. he proceeded 10 argue
that neither the president pro tenn of the
Senate nor the speaker of the House was
United States officer, and in support of
this position quoted nom the fourteenth
amendment to the constitution where
distinction is made between member of
Congress and a United States officer.
He picked out flaws which he contended
existed in the present statute, and the
manner in which, if called into opera.
tion, it would destroy the symmetry ofour
national election system. While admit.
ting that the pending measure did not,
and no statutory measure could, meet
every exigency which might arise in the
presidential succession, he answered
many of the objections made to it, and
showed wherein it was an improvement
over the law of 1892.
Mr.. Osborne, of Pennsylvania, regret
ted that he could not give the bill his
sanction, but he could not find in the
arguments made in its support sufficient
legal reason to answer the constitutional
objections he found to it.
Mr.. Rockwell, of Massachusetts, an
nounced his support of the pending
measure, not that he thought it by any
means perfect, but because he regarded
it as much better than the present stat
ute.
Mr.. Baker, Of New York, spoke briefly
in favor of the bill, and was followed by
Mr.. Ryan, of Kansas, who, while admit
ting that in some respects it was far
superior to the existing law, found in it
some defects SO fiat that be did not feel
at liberty to vote for it.
The latter gentleman favored the set
tlement of The yexcd question by a con-
stitulional amendment, and the amend
ment which he thought TO be best was
one providing for the three vice presi-
dents.
Mr.. Ermentrout, of Pennsylvania,
submitted some remarks which he said
contained no new ideas, but were simply
offered in defense of the bill lie criti
cised, however, that section of the meas
ure which repeals the special election
clause of the Act of 1902
AT $3.50 Mr.. Caldwell, OF Tennessee,
demanded the previous question, which,
after little parliamentary fenc-
ing was ordered-yeas LAG, nays l25.
An amendment offered by Mr.. Adams,
of Illinois, striking out the clause which
repeals the sections of the revised
statutes providing for special elections,
was rejected-yeas 113, nays 1853.
The vote was then taken on the sub
sli,utc offered by Mr. Mckinley, of
Ohio, leaving in force the present Law,
with the addition Of a provision that for
the purpose of having the speaker of the
House of representatives in office con.
tinuously, Congress shall convene at II
o'clock m. on the 4th day of March next
succeeding the election of representa-
tiyes in Congress, and whenever a
vacancy exists either in the office of
president pro tenn ofthe Senate or speaker
OF the House, the president shall convene
the House in which the vacancy exists for
the purpose of electing presiding off.
Ger. The substitute was rejected-yeas
10S, nays 157.
Tie House was divided on these votes
by party lines.
Mr.. Ryan, Of Kansas, moved 10 recon.
nit the bill with instruction to the COM
mittee to report back Joint resolution
proposing constitutional amendment
providing for the election of two or more
vice. presidents.
Mr.. Everhart, of Pennsylvania, moved
to amend the instruction so that the
measure reported back would devolve the
presidential succession on the speaker Of
the House, the president protein of Sen
ate, the secretary of state, chief justice Of
the supreme court, secretary Of the
treasury and attorney general, i'll the
order named. Rejected.
Mr.. Ryan's md6ion was also lost.
The bill then passed, yeas lSS, nays
70, precisely as it came from the Senate.
The negative vote vas cast by Republi.
cans and by Messrs. Bennett, of North
Carolina, and Green, of New Jersey.
The following named Republicans
voted with the Democrats in the affirma-
tive:
Allen of Massachusetts, Atkinson,
Baker, Browne of Indiana, Buck, Butter
worth, Cutcheon, Ely, Gallinger,
Hogden, Herman. Husband, Hiscock,
Hit, james, Johnson of New York,
Ketcham, Lafayette, Long, Markham,
McComes, Ma[Htt, Negley, Payn, Petit
bone, Price, Rockwell, Scranton, Steele,
Strait Stumble, Swinburne, Symmes,
Wade Wakefield, Warren of Missouri,
ond Woovor nf Nahrocto