The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-10-19
PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION LAW.

The death of one President one Vice President
office since the enactment the Presidential Succession
Law in 1885, has set thoughtful men to considering how
far that law would be effective in case an emergency
should arise calling it into operation In one respect the
statute as it now reads unquestonably needs amendment
or further definition.
The statute names the members Of the Cabinet in
order Of their seniority declaring that each SHALL under
conditions. act as President disability
President Vice President is removed or President
shall elected" If the inability either President or
Vice President temporary there would be prob
lem; but the death of both would interesting
question Who to President in the interval
the election of President his installation
into Office? IT, for example both President and Vice
President 10 die become permanently disabled
and the Secretary Of State functions Of
the Presidency till the electoral
presence of the two houses of Congress the second We'd
uesday February there still Of per
haps three weeks before inauguration during which the
officers would be elected but not actually President
Vice President yet the statute short the adminstra
ton of Secretary State day President
IS elected The Presidenteect could the inter
val for he would not have qualified without additional
legislation. and, perhaps Constitutional amendment it
would not be possible set the inauguration day
the second Wednesday February. If back the
fixed it would become the uniform date for
Inauguration Presidents unless the Constitution
four years specifically expressed in that instrument
simple amendment to the statute it stands, chang
Ing the phrase President shall be elected as to read
q" President shall have been elected and qualified" would
settle the matter satisfactorily
The case would be made even more difficult and trouble
if after the election but before the inauguration both
Presideneect Vice Pesdentelect were to die The
Presidential powers Of the Secretary
ended with the election the second Wednesday in Febr
airy, and when the 4th Of March there would
body to inaugurate and the Secretary of State the
administration would then assume powers of President
tor another four yeara condition particularly ebarrass
Ing if the partisan preferences Of the people recently
changed and the latest elected President
President members of the opposite party from the
rabnet then in being.
vding for the of the President the Senate or
the Speaker of the House contained requirement
that the Secretary of States forthwith proclaim and adver
tse the in the Presidency Vice Presidency and
give notice of a election. This was with view to
Installing duly elected President as soon as possible after
the national calamity With the enactment Of the new
law al these provisions were repealed and the matter left
in its present naked and unsatisfactory state move
men win undoubtedly be made during the coming session
20 correct the defect
Judge William H. Springer who took prominent part
In the House when the present Succession Law was passed
that the omission Of any reference to the qualification
IF the new President an oversight.