The Portland daily press., 1896-03-23
A POLITICAL DANGER.
United States Might Be Without a
President.

Amendment to the Constitution Suggested
By Il Bangor Lawyer-Bill Covering the
Point Introduced By Mr. BoutelIe.
Washington, March a1-Mr. Boutelle
has offered and had referred to the COM
mittee on the judiciary a joint resolution
which will be Of considerable interest,
since the author of the statement which
accompanies the resolution, is the we'll
known Maine lawyer, Albert W. Paine,
of Bangor. The resolution provides for
an amendment to the Constitution of the
United States providing that in case the
person elected as President shall before
his Inauguration die, decline or become
office, the same shall devolve on the per-
son elected as vice President, who in such
case shall be inaugurated rs President
and hold office accordingly. And in case
both President elect should die, decline
or become incapable, Congress should be
empowered to declare what officer should
act as President.
Mr.. Payne sends to accompany this
proposition statement, in which he
says:
"The United. States Constitution,
Article II, Section l, Item 6, provides a
remedy for the contingency Of the death
of Presidents by substituting in his place
the Vice President, and in case both die
then Congress shall provide for the same
and Congress has already made such pro-
vision.
But there is no provision in the consti-
tuition to meet the contingency of death
of the President -elect-after the electors
have cast their vote in January and be-
fore his Inauguration on the 4th Of
March.
"Should such death occur there Is
no provision whereby another President
could be elected and Congress could not
supply the deficiency, so that no Presi-
debt could afterwards be legally or con-
stitutionally chosen, the only contin
gency provided for being that of the
death of a President. The person elect
ed by the electors as President does not
become such until his Inauguration in
March afterwards. So that the provision
cited does not cover the case, and there
being none other the defect charged real
ly exists and needed an amendment.
"How great the danger is, is apparent
from seve raj considerations. In the first
place there are nearly two months of time
during which the danger exists, from
UuC Cs0UluS VI uuo olcCbOIdl F6t6 LII Uud
first part of January to the 18th of March,
during all which time the person elected
is exposed to the extra danger arising
from the grave responsibility of his posi-
ton, the immense work cast upon him
and other dangerous features.
Then again, the danger arising from
the work of the assassin in such case is
by no means small. Two of the small
number of our Presidents have proved
this by their deaths, and to these may
be added the death of the late President
of France, all three of whom have been
victims of the assassin's hate.
'Had Lincoln on the way t 0 the Capt.
tol for his inauguration met the fate
which awaited him at Baltimore no legal
President could have ever after existed.
Had Blaine been successful candi-
date, as was so generally desired, the same
result would have followed, his death
having occurred on January Goth.
"The fact that four of our Presidents
have died within q few weeks after their
inaugurations shows that the position is
altogether dangerous one.
"Should an anarchist desire to accom-
plish his work in the most effective man
ner, he could not select more fitting
opportunity than the one now exposed,
the result of which would be to produce
state of anarchy for which there exists
no possible legal remedy. just the case
for an anarchists practice"
Judge Symonds and Miss Symonds
have been visiting Washington for sever
al days.
Mr.. Lisoomb. of the Portland Steam
Packet Co., with Mrs. Liscomb and Miss
Liscomb have been on a trip to Rich
mond. Mr.. Liscomb has returned to
Portland. Mrs. and Miss Liscomb re-
main longer at Washington
The Venezuelan Commission Has Not
Made a Decision.
Washington, March 1.-Secretary
Malet Provost, for the Venezuela COM
mission, this afternoon issued the fol-
lowing statement: During the past
week, reports have been industriously
circulated to the effect that the commits
sion has reached decision with reference
to the boundary question favorable to
Venezuela. This having been denied,
the report has been circulated in another
form, and 1t is now asserted that while
the commission, as a body, has reached
no such conclusion, the commissioners
individually entertain the views referred
to. 1t must be evident to all that SO long
as anything remains to be examined and
considered, the commissioners are not in
a position to form an opinion respecting
the merits Of the controversy. AS mat
ter of fact, neither the commission nor
| the individual commissioners are ret in
possession of all the evidence The papers
presented by Venezuela are but part of
what has been promised. The Blue Book
of the British government. while remark
ably full and detailed, does not include
all the documents which may be adduced
in support of it's contentious. The COM
mission has not and will not limit itself
! to the consideration of what those two
governments may present. 1t has beer
| engaged upon independent lines of in
quiry and will continue to follow those
lines until all it's sources of information
shall have been exhausted Then, and
not till then, will it be in position to
form any opinion or make any report"
Charges Against Mint Officials,