The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-13
PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION.
Majority and Minority Reports from the
House Committee


WASHINGTON, Jan. 12.-In reporting the Hoar
bill to regulate presidential succession, to the
House, the majority of the committee on tho
election of President and yice-president say it
is absolutely necessary to provide for the sue
cesson under the circumstances now existing,
leaving further and more satisfactory provisions
for contingencies which may possibly arise to
other measures hereafter to be proposed AS TO
the question of the advisability Of changing
the present law, the majority say they are con-
fronted by many difficulties that arise in the
effort to ascertain the consttutionality OF the
present system A grave objection to the
present system, in the opinion of the major
ity, is the feet that it merges
the executive branch into the legislative
branch of the government, and 'annexes' the
powers aud duties of the chief executive officer
to the position of President pro tempore OF the
Senate or the Speaker of the House. As Presi-
dent of the Senate, he would preside over pro-
ceedings involving the confirmation OF his own
nominations and as Speaker of the House he
could vote to sustain his own vetoes. AS either
house OF Congress may expel one of its mem
bers, hence the acting President might be ex
PEELED After further discussing the subject, the
majority concluded that the President pro tenn.
of the Senate and the Speaker of the House are
in no sense officers of the United States upon
whom the presidential succession can devolve.
Tho majority of the committee think that
a Cabinet officer, selected by the chosen Presi-
dent of the people, by and with the consent of
the Senate, is certainly proper successor to the
administration OF the government for the re-
mainder of term.
Mr. Cooper, of Ohio in his minority report,
objects to the Hoar bill for several reasons. In
the first place. he holds that it does not provide
for filling vacancy in the presidency caused by
inability or death of the President elect and
Vice president-elect The majority of the COM
mittee says Mr.. Cooper, argue that the words
President and Vice-presdenr include those
officers elect But. if that be so, then another
objection arises, which is, that if the President
elect and Vice president elect be disabled or die,
Secretary of State of an DID, dead administra-
party may have been signally defeated at the
polls, would for four years discharge the duties
of President, in opposition to the will of the
people Another objection arises to the bill as
reported, which is, that the term upon which
the acting President holds Office and his salary
are not sufficiently definite. Is he privileged to
appoint Cabinets If so. would not his Secre-
tary of State be justified, under the Hoar bill,
in usurping the presidential Office? Would his
salary be that of the President or of the Secre-
tary of Statel and would he hold both oficess
These are questions of Importance that not
determined by the BILL In the opinion of the
minority, the presidential Office should always
be elective and any arrangement made for
filing vacancies should be in the nature of o
temporary expedient to carry on the govern
ment until the vacancy can be filled by an elec-
ton.