Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-10

10 nealtl ana CihllnS tuc UNIV, ""@N
very likely lin the absence Of any
precedenp would follow? In all hui
man probability, would not the then
President decline to give up the "of-
fce,r holding that, while the du-
ties and powers Of an office
might deyolve on some second
party, be had never heard Of case
after the Office itself " devolyed" on
such second party that such office was
afterwards liable to be devolyed"
back again on the original holder, and
that, too, on the demand Of such original
holder only? If the Vice-President 10y
the " disability" of the President elect
ed by the people, became President,
and consequently entitled to the Office
of President, | can see nothing III the
Constitution by which the office OF
President can afterwards devolye "
back again on the elected President.
That certainly appears to me one more
"deyolving" Of the office" than is
to be found in the Constitution. Mark
YOU, the Vice-President could ECKER
else" the duties Of the Office Of Presi-
dent and still not lose his position as
Vice-President but if he ever became
in fact President, then it seems clear
that when he became so he lost his po-
sition as Nice-President. and so could
not afterwards 90 back to the SEN
ate and claim that he was Pre-
sident Of that body. The very
clause of the Constitution which you
quoted, taken in connection with an
other clause, satisfies me that the
fathers thought that the Vice President
could exercise the office Of Presi-
dent" without becoming President
and this view is further sustained by
another clause you quoted, and which
was " declaring what officer shall then
act as PRESIDENT Now if the Constl-
tuition had only said in some place
that then the Vice-President shall be-
come President" or that "he having
become President" everything would
be PLAN. The clause speaking of who
hall "then act as President con-
yeys to my mind that some one had
before been so acting, and IN the very
nature of the case that one cOuli
only have been the Vice President.
If your view is correct, may not ask
does il not follow, first, that the dis
ability" of the President elected by
the people, would cause him not only
to lose the office " itself, but the pay
attached TO it, and part Of which pay
is that he may live in the White House
free of rent? 1t is hardly to be sup
posed that one could lose an Office with
out at the same time losing the pay
and emoluments Of such Office. Now,
if | am correct in this, would it not
follow, secondly, that if the PreSi-
dent elected by the people, lost his Of
fee because Of disability" and the
President became President,
would not the latter have a perfect
legal right TO take possession Of, and
have entire control over. the White
House; and would not such right
give him also the legal right if he was
mean enough to have the President
elected by the people, removed. in case
it so happened such President was lying
on bed of sickness or disability in
such house: Does itnot follow further
If | understand your position correct
ly) that, while the Yice-PreSident would
become, Tor might. to be perfectly
truthful.) owing to the real Presidents
- disability" President Of the United
States, he would not, if he only held
that place during the Presidents
- disability" lose his position as Vice
President: If such be the fact,
then would he not be entitled
to the pay, FIRST, as President,
and, second, as Yice-President, during
all the time The real Presidents disa-
bility was such as made him incapable
Of diSchargiDg the duties of the office Of
President? such time may have been
only u few months, or it might have
from your standpoint extended through
the whole unexpired term for which
the people had elected the true and I
real constitutional " President. .
may be wrong, but | can hardly 7
think it vas the intent Of the fathers
that any one man should hold the posi- .
ton Of Pres ident and Vice-President at .
tie came time or hold either one of
them and Draw pay for both. with :
the further fact shining il my face with .
almost the light Of the sun, that, when
the fathers formed tie Constitution
Of he United states and determined
there should be a President, AMI
y hen it was well understood that the /
" Fatltr Of his Country" .the almost .
immortal George Washington wonli be .
the first ore to fiji that exalted place.
that they intended TO tell or declare to .
him that " disability Temporary, IL /
might be- on bis part would result in
his losing the Office and its pay during !
such disability. whether the time was !
four months or three years and six /
months and that furthermore, if il so !
happened that he was confined on |
bed Of sickness in the Presidents |
house, when the Vice. President became !
President, tie latter, if he saw liz, (
could have him removed as an intruder.
Oh, 10 no such a song as that would |
have been sung by our L" forefsthers." I
They would have said to the great |
Washington :" We beg you to take
the office, and should Providence aiilict /
you. you shall hold the Office, be recog- /
nized by us and the world as our (
President; receive the pay. hon
ols. and emOluments Of the same,
even if our Yice-Presldent has /
TO discharge the duties and powers /
of the office for the whole term for
which YOU were elected" Aye, more
They would have said. " Have we not !
bargained with the Vice-Presideut to
that effect - and il such declarations
had been made in the presence Of the
latter. feel confident nc would have
quickly responded, YES that is so."
VI. q. A.
MOTIF II eConsii,ution saws: The son. /
ote shah choose their Other officers sni 4
also President fFY fClaIierc ia fhe nn~'H'e
OF The Wee President or Wien he VINO
" by. he lee. IIesidt nj shah exercise not |
hodl Tie Office 81 President az tne lnl'ei l
states Is does appear 10 lao a. perfectly |
plain Thai This zee 100 or clause Of the E,u-
siituilun esls bllshes the fact bevoni dis I
puie that ihe vice President, while eNer.