Evening star., 1901-09-07
THE MARTYR PRESIDENTS
CHIEF NAGHTRATE.
Upon M McKinley,s Life
yfr
Third of It's Kind In History
of Government.


Three Presidentsso. Of ,ahe United States
have suffered at the hands Of assassins
within the last fortefeiHsy ears. and In two
of the cases the murdetous attempts were
successful PresideGt lincoln was shot at
Q o'clock on the night OF April IA, 1856, and
died at 7:22 on the morning of April Is,
1855. President Gaffel4 was shot on the
morning Of July 2. 1881, and after linger-
ing illness died on September 20, 1881. The
shooting Of President Mckinley has occur
red just six months and two days after his
second accession to the presidency,
From the moment President Lincoln re-
ceived the bullet Of Wilkes Booth there
was no prospect of his recovery His de-
voted wife and members Of his cabinet re-
mained with him. thrs,ish that memorable
night, when all Washington was in a fever
OF OK excitement ; over tns attempts on the life
drew near the pulse Of the sufferer became
more feeble A bulletin at $3.50 said "Sink-
ing slowly" Another bulletin at said that
the end was near. Death came at 7:22 with
the stricken widow and Secretaries STAN
ton, Wells and Usher and Private Secre-
tary John Hay-noW member Of the Nc
Kinley> Notwithstanding at the bedside.
There was a prayer, and then the solemn
voice Of Stanton broke the silence with
Now he belongs to the, ages
At II o'clock on the morning of the 18th
Of Office to Andrew Johnson. The latter re-
mained at the modest tavern on Pennsyl-
vania avenue where he had been quartere
until the catafalque containing the remains
Of the martyred President was borne from
the White House to its final resting place
at Springfield. Ill.
President Garfield was shot at the Penn
sylvania railroad depot In WASHINGTON as
he and Secretary Blaine were about to de-
part for Long. Branch. AS the two dis
tinguished men were passing through the
ladies waiting room, two pistol shots rang
out upon the air. Mr.. Blaine saw man
running and started toward him. but i'm
mediatefy turned and saw the President
lurch forward and fall. A moment after
ward the assassin, Charles J. GuAeau, was
discovered, and was, rescued with difficulty
from the infuriated mob. A pistol Of very
heavy caliber was .wrenched out of his
hand, and 1t became clear that large ball
had entered the Presidents body. The bull
let had entered the right side of the Presi-
dents back, near the. spinal column and i'm
mediately over the hipbone. The sufferer
moaned at intervalsa he was conscious at
all times, except wheh under the influence
Of opiates. When, In answer to his eager
questions, his physicians Informed him that
he had "one chance in hundred" of liv-
ing, he said calmly and bravely: 'Then,
doctor, we will take that chance"
The wounded President was borne to the
White House, and then followed those days
and weeks Of prayerful anxiety among the
watchers at the bedside and the people of
assistant adjutant general, Immediately pro-
vided a special train to bring Mrs. Garfield
to Washington, where she Joined those at
the Presidents bedside. Messages Of con-
dolence came from Queen Victoria and
from the crownedooheads throughout the
world. The public Nafdf1Ad the fluctuations
Of the sufferers condition with feverish
usually hopeful in tone Encouraged the be-
lief that recovery swDud occur. Arrange
ments were even made for sea voyage on
the y sh HAP n1srea
between life and daath@@an important ques-
tion arose as to the Constitutional provis-
ion relating to the INSTABILITY" of the Pres
General Arthur. thsre Vas no move toward
assuming the respehsibQ tiles of the execu-
tive office. To theIRiceA President the Sit
uation was exceedingly irving. but he so
spect. His whole bearing from the day Of
the crisis to the, close Of the scene was
such as to indicatelthe profoundest sorrow
and anxiety. But tinrnosher quarters the
eusseds ds Tie l suestibh afbss, vas Prasdene
Garfield Hed in ~fAs 3ense Contemplated
by the trainers Of the Constitution? Does
that kind Of prostration Of the bodily pow
ers in which there is still prospect of re-
covery, which leaves thA will free to act.
and the mental powers unimpaired, really
involve disability? While these questions
were much discussed it was the universal
public Judgment that President Garfield was
not in fact disabled" in the sense Of the
Constitution. He continued to be the chief
executive of the nation in fact as well as
In name; his abinet met from time to time;
and not until the fatal turn Of affairs on
September 20, when the President breathed
his last at Elberon was there an actual
change in the administration.
General Arthur was at New York when
the news reached him late at night that the
President had passed away. Among those
who Joined General Arthur at that solemn
moment were Elihu Root, now member OF
the Mckinley cabinet. Mr.. Blaine and his
associates Of the Garfield cabinet had tele-
graphed General Arthur to take the oath
of office. Long after midnight-at o'clock
on the morning of September 2lCGeneral
Arthur took the oath Of office. which was
administered by a local official of the city
Of New York.
The course pursued during the lingering
illness Of President Garfield appears to be
a precedent directly applicable to the pres
ent condition Of a~~'-s. President Gar
field without doubt . utterly incapacitat-
ed to perform any executive duty, al
though he was himself in a certain sense.
There was no acting President at this per-
iod, and In fact the people did not desire
one during such critical emergency. some
leading papers advocated the assumption
of certain of the duties OF the President by
members Of the cabinet; but this untried
and unconstitutional measure was not at
tempted, and SO all executive function re-
manned In allegiance. The acts usually per-
ted until he should recover and President
Garfield continued to be the constitutional
President Of the United States up to the
moment Of his death.ca.
The lessons Of Garffeld's death led to
the enactment Of law on January 10. 1888.
providing a mode of succession to the Pres
idency This established that in case OF
death or disability Of both the President
and Vice President the succession should
devolve on members Of the cabinet in the
following order: Secretary Of State, Sec
retary Of Treasury, Secretary OF War, At
torney General, Postmaster General, Sec
retary OF Navy, Secretary Of the Interior
The new, law made no construction OF dis
ability" An important provision of this
law is that whenever the powers and duties
Of the presidency shall devolve upon any
OF the persona named, that Is, the Vice
President or members Of the cabinet, II
Congress shall not be then in session, or II
It would not meet within twenty days. then
It shall be the duty Of the new President
to issue q proclamation. cenvening Con-
gress In extraordfnary session, giving
twenty days notieeSS1 tfN time OF meeting.
CONTROLLER RIWEs DEPARTS.
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Left for Buffalo When He Heard the
Nyhfpse a.
Charles q. DawessaAhsu controller OF the