Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-27
RELIEF FOR THE PRESIDENT.

MI. Blame s reference, ID t1o COnVeTSd-
ton reported by Mr.. C. L. Magee, to the
fact that under our Constitution the Vice
President cannot relieve the President of
his duties 'until the President dies," has
brought out the idea of new constitu-
tional amendment Some leading journals
have been prompt to take up the idea Of
giving the Vice President the power to
take the Presidents place in case the
latter should need rest or desire to take a
journey necessitating prolonged absence
from the capital
While the proposition has decidedly
commendable features, the statement Of
the case in its favor requires one correc-
ton. What is intimated in the remarks
accredited to Mr.. Blaine is stated more
positively by the Buffalo Express as fol-
lows: 'If the President is incapacitated
for work by long illness, the country
must be practically without head until
he recovers." While this view is sane
toned by one precedent, it is not the
reasonable construction of the language
of the Constitution. Article II, Sec
ton l, clause 6, expressly refers
to the Inability of the President to
discharge his powers and duties as case
in which they shall devolve on the Vice
President, and as if to remove any linger-
ing doubt that this refers to a temporary
inability through sickness, 1t refers again
to the provision made, "until the disability
is removed" We have no doubt that in
the case of General Garfield, Vice Presi-
dent Arthur had full constitutional war
rant for assuming the powers Of the
President, to give them up again if the
President had recovered, or to retain
them permanently when he died.
But the reasons why this was not done
present the main difficulty in the way of
such change as is proposed. 1t was not
the sentimental objection to seeming to
press into the temporarily vacant place,
for when it was understood that it was
merely the temporary arrangement
authorized by the Constitution such an
objection would have no foundation. I
was that Arthur represented one policy Of
administration, not agreeing in all re-
spects with that of President Garfield.
For him to take the place and do exactly
what Garfield would have done would
obHge him to perform official acts that
he would dislike; to introduce q new
policy, requiring a new Cabinet, would
cause useless confusion against the time
when the President might recover and
resume his duties. These reasons made it
discreet for Mr.. Arthur to remain in pri-
vacy until he was called upon by General
Garfeld's death to assume the full Presi-
dental position.
So long as the Vice President is elected
of the Presidents choice
this objection will reappear. A President
would not leave his Office to the care of
the Vice President unless he was certain
the latter would do In. all things ex-
actly as he would have done. The Vice
President would not care to assume the
Office unless he was gwen some inde-
pendence of judgment The result would
be-unless there was an exceptional
unanimity of opinion on all questions
administrative and interna-
tional between the President and Vice
resident-that even if nominal liberty was
given by the Constitution the President
would stick to his work and the Vice
President would remain, as now, strictly
in reserve.
What is needed in this view is prime
minister appointed by the President, rep
his policy in all respects and
carrying the right to perform his acts in
his absence, if necessary. Something of
this power is already scattered among the
heads Of departments. A reconstruction
Of the Cabinet might be made SO as to
create such an Office, if necessary. But
in view of the fact that all our Presidents
ately have been able to take prolonged
vacations and travel thousands of miles
through the country without injury to the
national business, we may be permitted to
doubt whether the strain is SO much that |
Of actual work as of the feeling of re-
'ponsibility and the constant pressure of |
on one hand and adverse |
criticism on the other. We shall have to |
reform deeper than the Cabinet to take |
hat burden off the President.