The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-29
WHO IS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Has California a Lieutenant-Governor
is the question of the hour, and if so, is he
Senator Flint of San Benito or William t.
Jeter of Santa Cruz? The death OF
nt-Governor-elect Willard has
occasioned this complication and exposed
hiatus in the constitution which it may
require decision of the Supreme Court to
bridge and an amendment of the organic
law to correct.
The Governor claims the right to appoint
Lieutenant-Goyernor,u under section OF
article V. of the constitution, which de-
clares that: "Wheu any Office shall from
any cause become vacant, and no mode IS
provided by the constitution and law for
filling such vacancy, the Governor shall
have power TO fill such vacancy by grant
ing commission which shall expire at
the end of the next session OF the Legisla-
ture or at the next election by the people, :"
If this section is to be construed to
affect the Office of Lieutenant-Governor,
then those who framed it have provided a
method of succession which is at once
illogical irrational and inconsistent with
the general scheme Of our State govern
ment. 1t is Illogical for the Governor to
have the power to appoint his possible sue
cessor 1t is irrational that he should pos
sess the right to inject into the State Sem
ate an outsider not chosen by the people,
who should have a voice in its DELHI
erations to the extent of dominating
its parliamentary action, and delivering
in case of a tie the casting vote. It is in
consistent with our scheme of State gov
eminent that the chair of Lieutenant
Governor should be occupied by the Presi-
dent pro tempore of the Senate during the
Lieutenant Governors disability to per-
form his duties through illness, but that
as soon as he is dead stranger may be
selected by the Governor to fill his place.
The position of Senator Flint is by far
more logical, rational and consistent than
that which the Governor has assumed.
The succession ought to descend in the
natural order of things, through the al
ready elected agents of the people, to the
president of the Senate, in case the Cover
nor and Lieutenant Governor both should
die. In the meantime the occupant of the
latter Office being dead, the Senate ought
not to be ruled by chairman neither of its
own nor Of the peoples choosing. The
better, safer and more consistent view to
take is to so construe the constitution that
there shall be no successor appointed to the
office of Lieutenant-Governor; that Sena-
tor Flint shall continue to perform the
functions OF President OF the Senate, and
that in case of the Governors death the
duties of chief executive shall devolve
upon him. This view would involve no
change in existing conditions. 1t would
save to the State the salary of a Lieuten-
ant-Governor Tor the remainder OF
the term and would be altogether more in
keeping with the system of checks and
balances by which each of the three de-
partments of our State government is pro-
tected from undue interference by either
OF the other two. It cannot be denied that
a President Of the Senate, appointed by
the Governor and possessing unchecked
power in the appointment of committees
and in the cast vote, would constitute a
very serious interference with the indie
pendence of action of that important
branch of the State government