St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-13
A CABINET OFFICER FAVORED.
Report of the House Committee on
Presidential SuccessiOn.


WASHINGTON, Jan. 12.-In reporting
the HOar bill to regulate the presidential
succession to the house the majority of the
committee on the election of president and
vice president say ii is absolutely necessary
to provide for the succession under the cir
cumstances now existing, leaving further
and more satisfactory provisions for contin-
gencieS which may possibly arise to other
measures, hereafter to be proposed. AS to
the question of the advisabilitiy of changing
the present law, the majority say they are
confronted with many difficulties that arise
in the endeavOr to ascertain the constitu-
tionality of the present system. There are
grave doubts as to whether the president
pro TEN. of the senate and the speaker of
the house are such officers of the United
States as, in the meaning and intent of the
constitution, could succeed to the plesiden-
tial office, the statutes providing therefor to
the contrary nOtw thstanding. These doubts
would disturb the succession under the
present statutes, and would in all proba-
bilty lead to a contest that would disquiet
the nation, unsettle business and disturb
the peace of the country. A grave objec-
ton to the present system in the opinion of
the majority is the fact that it merges the
executive branch into the legislative branch
of the government, and ''anneXes" the
powers and duties Of the chief executive
officer to the position Of president pro ten.
of the senate or speaker of the house. AS
president of the senate he would preside
over the proceedings involving the confr-
nation of his own nominations, and as
speaker of the house he could vote to sus-
tain his own vetoes. AS either house of
congress may expel one of its members,
hence the acting
PRESIDENT MIGHT BE EXPELLED.
After further discussion OF the subject
the majority concluded the president pro
tenn. of the senate and the speaker of the
house are in the sense officers of the United
States upon whom the presidential success
ion can devolve. The majority of the COM
mittee think cabinet officer selected by the
chosen president Of the people, by and with
the consent Of the senate, is certainly a
proper successor to the administration of
the government for the remainder of a
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 a vacancy in the
presidency caused by inability or death OF
the president-elect and vice president-elect.
Mr.. Cooper argues that the words president
and vice president include those officers
elect; but, if that be so, then another OBJ
lection arises, which is that if the
president-elect and vice president-elect
be disabled or die, then the
successor to the presidency would
be the secretary of state of the old admins
tration. Thus a mere clerk to president,
whose party may have been signally de-
feated at the polls, would for four year:
discharge the duties of president in opposi'
ton to the will of the people. Another OBJ
lection arises to the bill as reported, which
is that the terms upon which the acting
president holds Office and his salary are moi
sufficiently definite. Is he privileged to ap
point cabinet? If so, would not his sec
rotary of state be justified under the Hoal
bill in usurping the presidential office.
Would his salary be that of president or OF
secretary of state? and would he hold boil
offices? These are questions of importance
that are not determined by the language o.
the bill. In the opinion of the minority the
presidential Office should always be elective
and any arrangement made for filling
vacancies should be in the nature of a tenn
porary eXpedient to carry on the govern
ment until the vacancy can be filled by ar
election.