The Topeka state journal., 1899-11-22
HENDRICKS DEATH
Is Recalled by the Demise of Vice
President Hobart.

Hobart's funeral on Saturday will be at
tended by the members OF. the cabinet,
the supreme court, the senate in
body and a large committee from the
house Of repreSe entativeS, besides many
dignitaries of the government, who
journey to Paterson to pay their last
tribute of respect to the memory of the
vice president. Every senator has been
invited to be present and the senate
will meet at the Fifth avenue hotel
in New York Saturday at IL o'clock,
thence travel in body to Paterson.
Sergeant alarms Bright has engag-
ed a special train to convey the preSi-
dent and his cabinet and the United
States supreme court to Paterson. The
train viii leave Washington over the
Pennsylvania railway at o'clock Sat
urday and arrive on the return at II
p. m.
Chief Justice Fuller is not in the city
and in his absence no one could say
whether the court would be able to at
tend the funeral in a. body, but the Of
fcials of that tribunal generally ex-
pressed themselves as very confident
that it would do so.
Owing to the fact that the house of
representatives is without speaker,
no arrangements with reference to the
house committee We're made. General
Henderson, who will be the next speak
er. telegraphed to Major Mcdowell, the
clerk of the house, at his home at Sha-
ron Pa, and Major Mcdowell is ex-
pected here. Upon his arrival he viii
consult General Henderson and other
y
and a committee will be appointed to
attend the funeral.
The death of Vice President Hobart
naturally recalls the death Of Vice Pres
ident Hendricks. who expired suddenly
of paralysis of the heart, November
%, 1855. At the time the question of the
succession to the presidency had not
been settled by law, although Senator
HOar's bill providing for the presiden-
tiaI succession through the cabinet had
been submitted on December 4, 1888.
and had remained unacted upon
The news of Mr.. Hendricks death
was received in Washington late on the
afternoon of November 25. President
Cleveland was at dinner when the news
was brought to him by Secretary La
mont. Notices were sent at once to all
memb bers of the cabinet and a special
cabinet meeting was held that night
President Cleveland'S first act was to
dispatch a telegram Of coincidence to
Mrs. Hendricks, after which a prOcla-
nation was prepared, making an Off
cial announcement of the vice presi-
dents death to the public and eStab-
fishing a usage which was followed by
President Mckinley.
On the morning following Mr.. Hen
bricks death, meetings of such mem
berS of the house and senate as were
in town We're held at the capitol and
the committees from both legislative
bodies were appointed to attend the
funeral services, which were held in
Indianapolis on the Tuesday following.
Nineteen members were appointed on
the house committee and the rather
unusual number of thirteen from the
senate.
President Cleveland at first expressed
his intention to attend the funeral, but
there was an immediate protest from
his advisors, seconded by the press of
both parties, against his subjecting
himself to even the slight possibilities
of an accident incident to travel at a
time when there was no provision for
a. successor in his office and when his
death might have entailed serious con-
sequences.
After some days President Cleveland
deferred to the advice of his friends
and remained in Washington. The cab
met, however, attended the funeral in
a body and the supreme court adjourn
ed over until after the services.
Pending the presidents decision not
to go to Indianapolis, the most elabOr-
ate preparations were made by the rail-
road officials for the safe guarding of
his train IN case the journey should be
made special track walkers, pilot en-
gines and the like being detailed to in
sure the safety of the whole route.
The vice president was in IndianapO-
lis at the time of his death and. through
a singular set of circumstances, no one
was in the room with him when he ex-
pired.
The law applicable to the vice presi-
dency was enacted January 49, 1886, by
the FOrty-ninth congress, first session
The main features are as follows:
BE it enacted, etc, that in case of
removal, death, resignation or inability
of both the president and vice president
of the United States. the secretary of
state, or secretary of the treas
ury or = = -. secretary of war or
attorney general, or = =
postmaster general, or secre-
tary of the navy. or * . = = = secretary
of the interior shall act as president
until the disability of the president or
vice president is removed or a president
shall be elected"
The law further provides that when
one of the above cabinet officers sue
ceeds to the presidency, he shall call
a special session of congress. A pro-
visO limits the succession to those who
would be eligible to the presidency un-
der the terms of the constitution and
who have been appointed with the ad-
vice and consent of the senate. The eff
feet of the law is not to provide a sue
ceSsiOn to the vice presidency, but
merely insure succession to the presi-
dency.
By the death of Mr.. Hobart. Senator
William p. Frye, of Maine, becomes
president pro tempOre, and will dis
charge all the duties of the vice presi-
dent as presiding officer of the senate.
The senate rules specifically provide
that no election is necessary al the be
ginning of the session. Senator Frye
accordingly will continue as presiding
officer until the end Of President Nc
Kinley's administration unless he
chooses to resign or the senate wishes
to elect another officer to the office.
A curious incident in connection with
the death of Vice President Hobart is
found in the fact that of the six vice
presidents who have died in office, four
died within a few days of the same day
of the same month in the year. the
death of Mr.. Hobart being the 2Ist of
November. 1893; that of Mr. Wilson the
22nd of November, 1875; that of FL
bridge Gerry. November %. 1874 that
OF Hendricks. November %, 1885 The
other two vice presidents who died in
Office We're Clinton and King. The for
mer died April 20. 1872, and the latter
April II, 1858.
ARMED GUARDS POSTED.