Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-24

certainty in the minds OF many senators
whether the president pro tempore of the
late session could properly continue to exc
cute that office without a new election The
situation was rendered all the more serious
by the circumstance that the senate was
controlled by the republicans, whereas the
popular election of 1884 had decreed the
transfer Of executive power to the demo-
Gratis. When the senate met in December IT
chose Mr.. Sherman for its president pro
tempore and until the following January
MIR. Clevelands life was all that protected
this expression OF the popular will from re-
versal. The more thoughtful members Of
both houses OF congress realized the unwls-
dem OF leaving the law as IL stood and
new statute was enacted passing the success
sion through the cabinet in the order of
the creation OF the several departments
represented there, beginning with the secre-
tary Of state and ending with the secre
tary OF the Interior the Department of Ag-
riculture not having at that time been
raised to cabinet dignity.
Although four presidents and five vice
presidents have died in office, and the gov
ernment has been carried on for a total of
thirty years under only one Of the two ex-
ecutive heads provided by the constitution,
1t has never needed to put either OF its sue
cession laws into operation. The chances,
therefore, are at least fair that it might
never need to do so in the future. But since
the method of selecting vice president no
longer has reference to the special qualif-
cations OF the man chosen, and since the
chief places in the cabinet are given to the
men who, of the whole mass of citizens, are
most nearly in accord with the policy and
purposes Of the president. the question re-
'.,Gat T~~- - 4. - ii. 49,
is not now superHuity and a rather dan
gerous one. The cases Of Tyler and Johnson
are too familiar to call for more than ref
erence. Even so conservative an administra
tion as Arthur's caused political convulsion
which, under some other conditions easily
conceivable, might have put perilous strain
upon our institutions.
Mr.. Hobart is an exception to the general
rule of vice presidents in more respects than
in the matter of seniority Of years He was
chosen, 1t is true. on sectional rather than
on personal grounds, but thanks to the COM
plete control Of the party at the time by Mr..
campaign manager, 1t was not
necessary to beat the bushes of the opposing
faction for a candidate. The two men rep
resented the same ideals as far as they rep
resented any. During the summer and aut-
umn of 1896 they were continually in con-
and in the years that followed Mr.
Hobart shared the presidents counsels as
probably no other vice president has shared |
them in more than half century. If Mr.. |
Mckinley had died in Office Mr.. Hobart would |
have succeeded to his plans and methods as |
ruly as to his titular office. 1t Is not safe, |
for great nation to let its course |
De guided by exceptions. Either the vice |
presidency should be filed as of old, with a
N,..o l. .
should be wiped out of existence altogether, |
md the honors and responsibilities of the
president transferred at once. in case of
sudden vacancy in the office. to the adviser
Who is presumptively best educated to carry
tut the unfinished work of his chief.