Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-05
MIGHT BECOME PRESIDENT
How Secretary 0lney Might Succeed NJ
Cleveland
If the Election Were Thrown Into the
House and the House Failed
to Elect.

A good deal of speculation is now being
INDUCED in as 20 the possible results of
failure of the people to elect a President i'll
the next presidential election, but no one
seems to have stumbled upon the fact that
such an incid mt might land Mr.. Olney, the
present Secretary of State, in the presi-
dental chair. Some have reached the con-
clusion that it might make Mr. Stevenson,
the present Vice President, the next Presi-
dent, merely through failure of the House
to elect in case no candidate received a
vote of the majority of the states, If the
presidential election is thrown into that
body. But of course, that is out of the
question, for while the Constitution does
say that in case of the failure of the House
to elect, then The Vice President shall act
as President this language, it is claimed
refers to the Vice President who is to be
elected by the Senate, while the House is
struggling with the election of a President.
If the Senate Should Fail.
But suppose the Senate is unable to elect
a Vice President? TO be sure, the Consti-
tuition provides that the Senate shall select
only two names, those having the highest
numbers of electoral votes, and shall vote
for them for the presidency. But it SAYS
that "a majority of the whole number of
votes in the Senate shall be necessary to a
choice. The Senate WILL by February of
le9I have ninety members, as Utah will
doubtless have become a state and have a
senatorial representation before that date
II this happens it would require forty-six
votes for one person before he could be-
come Vice President through the action of
the senate. AS the republicans will have
at the most, as it is now figured, no more
than forty five, and the democrats no more
.han lorty' at the most, it is not impossible
.nae the 4th of March, 1897. might be
reached without the selection of a Presi-
dent by the House or Il Vice President by
the Senate, in case the election of those
orncers Is thrown into those bodies by
failure to elect through the usual machine
cry of the electoral college
what then! OF course. President Cleve-
iands term as President and Vice Pres
luent stevenson's term as Vice President
would expire March 4. The Constitution
makes no further provision, evidently as
Stunning that the Senate, with but two can
dldates before it, would elect one as Vice
PRESIDENT. But if the view that a majority
OF the whole membership is necessary to a
choice Is correct che, 1t is quite possible
that 1t might not SO elect. However the
law passed by the Forty-ninth Congress-
providing for successor to the presidency
IN case OF death or inability of the Presi-
oeht, seems to provide a way out of the alb
soiute chaos which this condition would
seem to bring
A Cabinet Officers Tenure.
1t Is generally held that cabinet officers
term does not end with the term of the
man who appointed him, any more than
does that Of postmaster or collector of
customs. SO, in such a case, the cabinet
officers would still be such, in the eyes of
the law, even after the expiration of Presi-
dent Cleveland's term. The presidential
succession law of the Forty-nnth Con-
gress provides that in case Of the death or
Inability or removal of the President and
Vice President, the Secretary of State shall
act as President until a successor be pro-
vided. and shall, within twenty days. call
srecial session of Congress, presumably
to provide for a special election. In case
the office Of Secretary of State becomes va
cant then the same duty devolves on the
Secretary of the Trea sury, and SO on down
the line of the cabinet officers.
So, there is just q possibility that in case
of a failure to elect President by the
usual process, and the division Of House
and Senate into three sections, that Secre-
tary Olney might become President, or, in
MS absence, Secretary Carlisle, or, in his
absence, Secretary Lamont, who would be
next in the order OF presidential succession.