Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-11-28

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PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION.
No Tribunal to Determine When "In-
ability" Begins or Ends.

ability" Begins or Ends.
A correspondent asks The Post to
answer these questions:
First.-On the death, disability or re-
moval from Office both Of the presi-
dent and vice president. who would
act as president?
Seconds the speaker Of the house
Of representatives ever in line for the
presidency, and If so when?
The secretary Of state stands next to
Tie vice president in the line of sue
cession to the presidency.
The speaker Of the house Of repre-
sentatives Is not now In the line OF
succession. He was from 1892 to 1885.
So many and such important events
have happened In this great and busy
country In the past four or five de-
cades that not a few Of them have left
only a faint Impression on the memory
Of the masses. Among the almost for
gotten things, II we may Judge by the
frequency OF inquiries relating to 1T,
IL the change Of law, made about IL
years ago, in the matter of presidential
succession. The constitution provides
that: I'm case Of the removal OF the
president from office or Of his death,
resignation or inability to discharge
the powers and duties of said office
the same shall devolve on the vice
president, and the congress may by
law provide for the al of removal,
death, resignation or inability both Of
the president and vice president, de-
claring what officer shall then act as
president, and such officer shall act
accordingly until the disability be re-
moved or a president shall be elected"
In compliance with this provision
congress in 1892 provided by law that
the president pro teInpore of the SEN
ate, and, next to him, the speaker OF
the house of representatives, should
succeed to the presidency In case OF
the removal. death, resignation, etc.,
of both president and vice president.
This stood 81 years. or until 1856.
Among those who. as president pro
tempore of the senate, stood first in
line of succession were Senator Thom-
as W. Ferry of Michigan and Senator
David Davis of Illinois, the former &C.
cupying that position by reason of the
death Of Vice President Wilson; the
latter because Of the death Of Presi-
dent Garfield.
In 1886, after the subject had been
Al.o,,zaJ 81 x,o,;o,,c %ip,ac Ppr yoany
years. congress enacted a law substi-
tuting for the president pro tempore
of the senate and the speaker Of the
house the members of the cabinet In
the following order: The secretary OF
state, secretary OF the treasury, secre-
tary Of war, attorney general, post.
master general, secretary Of the navy
and secretary of the interior. The
head of the department of agriculture
had not at that time been made a
cabinet official.
1t will be seen that, after long delay,
congress at length discharged in a
sensible and ample manner a part Of
the duty devolved on it by the consti
tutional provision quoted above. But
another part Of that duty remains I'm
touched in spite Of solemn warning
There is no tribunal to determine
when "inability" begins or ends. Pres
ident Garfield fingered on the brink
of the grave for more than two
months. OF course any president II
liable to 'inability," but there is ne
way in which a sick president could be
relieved of duty except by death. This
is, in our opinion, quite as serious ant
important a subject as that which was
legislated upon In 1886. Has 1t no
been neglected long enough?-Wash
ingtOn Post.