The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1899-12-01
A SUCCESSOR FOR BRYAN.

L
Some thirty years ago in the light of a
thenrecent calamity, it was discovered
that in case of the death of both the
president and the vice president that no
provision had been made by law for
succession to the presidency, and for the
first time the people awakened to the
possible trouble and even anarchy that
might follow. Congress Immediately
acted on this possible undesirable state
of affairs and designated the members of
the cabinet, beginning with the secretary.
of state and so on, as the legal successors
in office of the president in case of the
death of the vice president. There
seemed and seems to be no need of
legal succession to the vice presidency as
the two principal functions of that Office,
the succession to the presidency and pre-
siding over the senate, are provided for
by the law mentioned, and by the cleo
ton of a presiding officer by the senate.
But we have arrived at another possible
crisis in the matter of succession. For
the first time in our history, we have a
great national party whose existence,
organization and fusion depends OH one
man. 1t is the ''fusion" party; party
which fuses with w. ]. Bryan, by William
]. Bryan and for William Jennings Bryan.
Never before has any great national
party been hung on a single string, and
if the cord should break-there is no
knowing the depth of the bottomless
abyss into which our friends of the demo
pop party might fall. William Jennings
Bryan, he Oft e golden cross" and the
Grown of thorns," in all his glitterine
generality, is alas, but mortal. And it is
simply awful to contemplate the chaos
the Babel, the internecine strife, that the
INFUSED and confused fusion fragment:
would fall into, il the binding force tina
now holds them together should sudden
iy be called to that land where gold ane
silver are at a parity because both ar,
valueless. The only parallel in natur,
would be, sudden cessation of til,
centripetal force of gravity that btnd
the earth together and allowing the cen
trifugal power to have its full effect.
In history, the pathetic story of tn,
Zone Hoss Shay" would in some degre,
illustrate the fate Of the unfusioned part,
but probably the nearest simile is tn,
moving tale, or tails, of the Kilkenney
cats. which hung one night with thei
tails tied together over clothes line ane
only two moving tails remained in tn,
morning.
\: Therefore, in the name Of the grea
party of small parts, we call upon con
gress to take the possibility of such /:
catastrophe occurring, into grave ane
solemn consideration. and pass some
sort of law by which the succession O
the successor to Mr.. Bryan may be legal
| ly fixed.
Of course when the fusion nationa
conventions meet they will provide fol
the succession all right. Last time, the,
named no less than two vice presidential
candidates for the contingency and as
time goes on and Mr.. Bryan grows
more and more the tail that wags the
dog, and the greater and greater neces.
sity as the only thing on earth that car
make the dog show any sign of vitality,
it is quite possible that the next conven.
ton or conventions may double the mum.
Der and give Messrs. Atkinson, Croker,
Pettigrew and Aguinaldo (the latter two
of whom will then both be out ofjobs) a
chance for the honor, as it would take all
ofthem to fill Bryan's place. However, in
order to have a convention, there must
be party; to have fusion party there
must be a Bryan or a successor. Hence
in the interim, the pro tenn. the mean
time, congress should provide for the
succession. Besides this, it is the wish
of the republicon party, for if there were
no Bryan, no fusion, the election would
lose all interest. 1t would be like game
Of loot ball with only one side playing.
We hope every republican member of
congress will see and do his duty accord
ingly.
ONE At A TINE.
The Herald gives us sample of it's
good logic in the following original edit