The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-30
GREATER THAN AN EMPEROR
The Enormous Powers with Which the
Head OF the Republic Is Invested.
How the Transfer of White House and Prop
erty Is Made When q President Evacuaies
the Mansion for His Successor to Enter.
New York Advertiser.


Harrison will have sent his family away
own departure. MIR. aud Mrs. Cleveland
Will come to Washington q short time IN
advance. and will take apartments at one
of the hotels. When the Harrisons came
here four years ago the Clevelands invited
them to stay at the executive mansion
until inauguration day. but the offer OF
hospitality was declined. Owing TO his
recent bereavement. Mr.. Harrison will not
return the compliment by extending q
similar invitation to Mr.. and Mrs. Cleve-
land.
A little before noon on March 4 Mr.. Cleve-
land, attired IN his best frock coat, and
with q rosebud in his b~utton-hole, will pro-
coed alone to the White House, where he
will be welcomed by Mr.. Harrison. The
outgoing President will have his own pri-
vate carriage at the door. In which his
~coachman will drive Mr.. Cleveland and
himself down Pennsylvania avenue TO the
Capitol. where the incoming President viii
deliver his inaugural address,
The new President anu the ex-Presidene
Will then return together TO the White
House. where Mr.. Harrison Will bid Mr..
Cleveland goodbye. and Will be driven
away. leaving his successor in possession.
Mrs. Cleveland Will soon after 90 TO the
| White House. in time Tor the President and
his wife to view the parade from the stand
In front of the executive mansion.
Mr.. and Mrs. Cleveland will take few be-
lonRings with them besides wearing APP
parel and toilet necessarles. The govern
ment provides them with pretty nearly
free. q dwelling furnished. lighted and
heated. The table linen and bed linen. the
glassware and silver. the crockery for the
kitchen-eyeryt thing. IN fact. is supplied
except food, and part of that is obtained in
the shape of vegetables from the garden,
planted and tended to by govern mene
gardeners. In addition To what the superb
White House Conservatives Will furnish,
the Presidents wife can have cart-loads Of
roses and other flowers from the propagat-
Ing gardens II she wants them.
SPEAK AND Bic oBEYED.
If she wishes to lave any article of furni-
ture renewed. or any alterations made
about the mansion she has only to com.
munIcate q request to the commissioner Of
public buildings and grounds, and the mat
ter is attended to at /. Col o. III.
Ernst. the present incu { of this Office.
will be succeeded by o appointee &C
the beginning of MI. .and's adminis-
tratlon. The post lsa held by an en-
gineer officer of the army. who is an ex-
offioio military attache at the White House.
acting as master of ceremonies there. Mr..
Harrison was the first President to appoint
o naval attache, Lieutenant Parker. u. s.
| n. to serve as assistant master of ceremon-
les, and il is not unlikely that Mr.. Cleve-
land will make asimllar appointment.
Did Congress authorize Mr.. Harrison to
appoint a naval atteche at the White
Housed Of course not. Why, bless you.
the President of the United States has .
| legal right TO order the whole army and
navy to follow him around. If he chooses.
Few people realize what an enormous power
is vested in the chief magistrate of this
country. Not many monarchs are &c pew.
erful as be. The Queen OF England has no
such control over affairs. and IL Is doubtful
it the Emperor of Germany is q mightier
man.
If Mr.. Cleveland shall want q brigade
of infantry to guard little Ruth's baby
can gainsay HIM. By one stroke of his
| pen the President can dismiss 20, 600 office
holders, and can appoint in their places
as many italian peanut-venders. The civil
service law has no authority over him. IL
10 made for him TO apply as he may desire.
and he can withdraw il from operation il
he wishes. He can put q stop to lmmigra-
ton whenever he likes.
There is no law to prevent him from sus-
pending or abroRating all of the treaties
by which the relations of the United States
are with other nations established. BY q
few words Of writing 1t Is in his power ct
any time 10 recall all of the ministers, con-
suls and other diplomatic officials repro
senting this country In various parts Of
the world. and to do tins he need not ask
aDybody's permission. In suoh q case the
persons dismissed would be entitled to
their travelling expenses home. But, if be
preferred to remove" them they would be
lett stranded In foreign lands without q
penny from this government TO fetch them
back.
WHAT THE PRESIDENT CAN DO.
The secretaries OF State. Treasury. War,
Navy. Agriculture u the interior, the
Postmaster general and the Attorney-gen-
eral are merely clerks In the office of the
chief magistrate. The authority they ex-
ercise Is his authority. and they have none
other. He appoints and discharges them
when be chooses. The President is made
by the Constitution com,nander-in-chief
OF the army and navy. He appoints all
the generals, and. In time of war, il he
cares to do 40. he could take the field In
person as generalissimo. If he liked
he could assemble the entire army
at Washington and all the vessels of the
navy In the Potomac, and could order the
latter to lombard the city and the former
to defend 1t. OF course, such an order
would not be obeyed, In which case he
could direct the arrest of ali officers In
both branches of the service.
What would be done IN such q case no.
body can say with certainty. If such
executive freaks were INDUCED In while
| Congress was not in session it would only
@a3
dismissal from Office of the chief maeis-
trate by calling an extra session of Con-
gress. But ar extra session could
only be called by an order of the
President himself, and he would not DO
likely TO sign il. For Congress TO convene
itself would be revolutionary. The Con-
stItution of the United States directs that
the Vice-presideDt shall assume the func-
tions of the chief executive in case or the
disability of the latter; but who would
determine legally the fact of such disable
ityf In such q crisis il Is probable tho
members of the Cabinet would take the re-
sponsibility of placing the President under
restraint. authorizing the Vice president,
or, If there were no Vice president tho
Secretary OF State. TO act In his place.
Mr.. Harrison Will get his last months
pay on Feb. IS or %. in the shape of a draft
issued on q warrant signed, as usual. by
the Secretary of the Treasury and sens
over 10 the White House by q messenger.
The amount of this draft would ia
s.. 100. 81. but four days extra pay will be
added for March. On the evening of
March 8 he will go 20 the Capitol. where
be will seat himself at the big table in the
said to be the handsomest room in the
tion uses il ouly once In two years. Ii has
q velvet carpet. with a pile so deep that
the footsteps of ore who walks upon ne are
noiseless. The furniture is covered with
red leather. and the ceiling Is frescoed IN
the highest sfyl e OF art.
MIR. Harrison will take q chair between
two great mirrors, which so throw back
each others reflections that. looking in
either direction. he can see an iDterminahle