The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-08-01
Vol. XXI--No. Is
ONLY FOR A DAY.
Curious Presidential Complication
which Arose IN $40.


Ve.y few people know that man
named Atchison was once Presloen1
of the United States, but such is the
case. While the oath of Office was
never administered and he was not
officially recognized. D. r. Atchlson
was for twenty-four hours virtually
the chief executive of this nation.
March /. 1919. came on Sunday, Il
day that the Constitution does not
recognize as legal in the transaction
of such business as administering the
oath of office. On that day at noon
President Polk's term of office ended
and President-elect Taylor could not
take his place. or. at least. did not
think he could. The prospect OF the
country being without an official head
for the twenty-four hours. or there be-
ing doubt about who would be the
head. created discussion in Congress
and in the press.
When Gen. Taylorarrived in Wash
ington few days before the inaugu-
ration he was besought to take the
oath OF Office on Sunday so as to pre-
vent confusion and what some peo-
pie believed to be danger. as those
were rather stirring times. During
Saturday and Saturday night there
were a half dozen fights in Congress
The Capitol was camp OF violence,
but Gen. Taylor held out thathe could
not become President on Sunday.
ID. Il. Atchisou. of Missouri, was
President pro tempore of the Senate
and it was held by Congress that the
functions of President must devolve
upon him from Sunday noontill Mon
day noon. and for these twenty-four
hours he had the distinction of being
! President OF the United State, having
all the functions and powers of that
office. The oath of the Office was not
administered to him for the same rea-
son that it was imediately admins
/ tered to Gen. Taylor, but he being
virtually Vice-President, it was not
considered necessary.
I That senator Atchison considered
himself President there can be no
doubt. for on Monday morning. when
; the. Senate reassembled, he sent to the
White house for the seal of the great
/ office and signed one or two official
papers as President. These were some
small acts in connection with the in
auguration that had been neglected
by President Polk
| But there was much fun and good
natured badinage indulged in among
| AtchisOn' 5 friends and himself during
his short presidential term. He was
Democrat. while the President-elect
was Il Whig y majority Of the Sen
ate was Democratic and his friends
jokingly proposed to him to usurp
the office by calling the army 20 his
back and preventing ''Old lrOnsides' y
/ from being sworn in. If any such
thing HAD been seriously contemplated
Gen Taylor was too much the idol of
/ the army t. let it be successful.
Had Gen Taylor been an unpopu-
lar man and had Atchison had the
character and ambition of dictator,
with friendly army and Congress
and tilnid Supreme Court. President
Atchison's name would probably not
haye been so soon forgotten and the
constitutional day of inaugurating
the President of the Uuited States
would have been changed so that it
would never again fall on Sunday.
According to an almanac maker OF
the time. the next inauguration to fall
on Sunday will be March ith, 1921,
and there will then be an opportunity
for Il repetition of the events of 1919.
Dhi1a dplDhi1 Press