Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-10

hebitant of the state for which he has
been chosen.
THE senate chamber is in the center of
.ha north wing of the capitol. 1t is an
;n,nosing room, surrounded by Hobbies,
oDprosches and corridors. It has no ex-
|erior oDenlngs, and is lighted through
stained and ornamented glass panels In
the ceiling It is constructed wholly Of
metal and masonry, severe and simple in
its colors and decorations. 1t is lI3 feet
- oincbes long, so feet 3 inches wide and
% feet high It's galleries have accom-
modations for about 1000 spectators
ventilation is secured by a system of re-
voIving fans, driven by engines in the
basement.
The senate meets on the first Monday
IN December, annually. It's daily SEES
sious begin at y o'clock and are opened
with a brief prayer by the chaplain
Tbe president takes the chair and the
journal of the proceedings of the previ-
ous dav is read by the secretary, amended
# necessary, and approved. Messages
from the president, communications
from the heads of departments, bills
from the house of representatives and
other 10 NAL matters are then laid before
the senate and disposed of by reference
10 committees or otherwise. This is sue
rppQBQ
and memorials, the reports of commit
tees, the introduction of bills and Joint,
concurrent and other resolutions, which
Is technically called "morning BUSH
ness" and ''morning hour continues
until clock. Should any time remain
after the conclusion of morning business
bills on the calendar are considered, sub
iect to objection, with debate not ex-
ceeding five minutes by any senator de-
string TO participate in the discussion.
At CLOCK the senate resumes the con-
sideration of the unfinished business of
the previous day, if any, or proceeds to
the calendar OF general orders, with the
right TO unlimited discussion, which con-
tinues till the adjournment, which usU-
ally occurs from to o CLOCK.
The business of the senate is conducted
chiefly by foTty-two standing and eleven
select committees, to which all bills
after two readings are referred. The
most important Of these are the COM
mittees on the judiciary, appropriations,
privileges and elections, foreign rela-
lions, and finance When reported
favorably, bills are placed on the calen-
dar for future consideration; If I'M
favorably, they are indefinitely post
poned. some of the committees are
supeTfluous, and are retained to give the
chairman the use of q room and q salary
for clerk and a messenger. The COM
mlttees are appointed by the senate and
not by the presiding officer, as in the
house of representatives.
The viCe-president is eX-officio the
president Of the senate. In creating the
Office of president the trainers of the
constitution evidently had originally in
view only the emergency that might arise
by the death, removal, resignation, or
inability of the president. They sup
posed the probable duration of two lives
would cover the contingencies of a presi-
Dental term, and empowered congress
TO provide, if it saw fit, for a possible
vacancy in the Office of president and
vice. president at the same time.
The constitution made no provision for
paying him a salary. 1t made no spe-
cific arrangement for his election, de- |
ClaTing only that the person having the |
highest number of votes in the electoral |
college after the choice of a president, |
should be president 1t affixed to |
the Office no qualifications of age or citi- |
Zenship, except by an inference so re- |
mote that in 1904, by the twelfth amend |
ment, it was ordained that ''no person |
consttutionally ineligible to the Office of |
president shall be eligible TO that of vice
president of the United States. -
Neither the constitution nor its amend
ments, nor the statute of 1892, provide
for filling vacancy in the office of vice
president. There is no Iineal succession.
Once vacant il remains so until the next
electoral college chooses a successor.
The vice. president was thus placed in a
position anomalous and undignified,
without definite functions, having no
duties at the seat OF government, where
his presence might seem ITksome or often
sive, like a poor heir apparent waiting
for the death of his ancestor to come into
the estate. A weak, vain man might
like the title and the empty honor.
bad man might aspire to the place for
the opportunities it would afford him to
conspire against the honor or the life of
the president, whose power he might in
herit by this criminal ambition. But
few men who were really qualified to
meet the intentions of those who created
the office would, under such conditions,
be willing TO accept it, The only i'm
pOrtance of the incumbent must rest
upon the death or degradation of his
chief. His fortunes must have their root
IN the ruin of the president. Potentially
important, actually he must do nothing,
except in the occurrence of events that
would awake national sorrow or threaten
national disaster
To partially remove these objections,
to secure the services of competent men,
and retain them at the capitol, where
their contingent duties would require
heir presence, it became necessary 10
assign the vice president TO duty in some
branch of the general government, and
accordingly the constitution made him
president of the senate.
lie might as well have been made
speaker OF the house of representatives,
or governor OF the District of Columbia,
or secretary of the interior, or commits
sioner OF Indian affairs, had those offices
existed. The senate, beng q legislative
body would have been competent to
choose its own presiding officer from
among its own members, and there are
no reasons other than those indicated
why the vice. president should have been {
made the president of the senate.
This view is further sustained by the {
Iact that he is expressly deprived of the (
flsht 10 vote, except in the case of q tie;
That be has no voice whatever IN the or