The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-01-17
SHOULD M'kINLEY DIE
WHO'LL BE PRESIDENT.
Illness of the Executive Causes the
GOssips 10 Speculate AZ
Washington.

Yesterday the cabinet meeting was
postponed. and AT the same time the
announcement was made hat the
diplomatic reception would not ho
held tonight.
The president i now confined To
his bed with a we'll defined ease OF the
grip. Visitors are not permitted 10
see bin. DIR, kiHGT. the president :
physician. stated tIat th5 disease l.
OF such nature as To Weld readily
TO treatment. and as Vet there j. no
unfavorable symptoms.
This IL he first illness of MIR Nc
X inley since his Inauguration. and
naturally has alarmed his friends
The we'll known tendency OF the grip
in this city is toward pneumonia.
and it is this that causes much >olic-
itation over the president coudi-
ton
President Mckinley's illness has
served TO call attention 10 the situa-
ton that would arise in the event OF
his death. Under the Hoar Laws the
succession 10 the presidency falls to
the secretary Of state. in case of the
death or inability OF both the presi
dent and the vice president. and then
upon the secretary OF the treasury.
and so on down through the cabinet,
ending with the secretary of agricul-
ture There being no vice president
at present, Secretary Hay would be-
come chief magistrate in case of the
president : death.
There is. one interesting point III
connection with the presidential sue
cession. however, which Is the subject
OF much gossip and speculation
among public men and politicians.
1t grows out of the question of who
would be president March /, after the
respiration of Mr. Mckinley present
term. He has not been elected TO his
second term, however, and will not
be until next Monday. when the elec-
toral college will meet and cast its
vote which will be officially counted
recorded and announced on the see
ond Wednesday in February, the
function taking place IN the hall OF
representatives, the senate and the
house sitting IN Joint session.
On the 4th of March at noon VIM.
| Mckinley term as president Will
expire. and if he were dead ut that
time there would be no vice presideI (
to succeed. as Theodore Roosevelt
would not have then taken the oath
of office. Moreover should the pres
ident die before elected by the electo.
raj college it is said by. some consti.
tutional experts that as a matter Oi
fact there would be no vacancy in
the presidential office at noon oi
March 4, their point being that the
office not having been filled no va
cancy could exist.
The concensus of expert opinion
seems to be that if the secretary o
state should be acting president OF
March 4 bv reason Of the death of the
president during his term. the situa
ton would be met by the swearing il
= of Theodore Roosevelt az vice presi
dent promptly at noon. this act to Il
p followed immediately by the admin
istration to him OF the oath OF offic'
OF president.
= Theoretically there il no hiatus il
the incumbency OF the presidential
office. but actually every four year
an hour or more elapses between tn
time OF the expiration OF the presl
dents term and the swearing in O
: his successor For the space OF tim
required for the ceremony in the sen
ate chamber of organizing the neV
, senate. a function that precedes tn
: inaugural ceremonies on the cas-
front of the capitol building. the gov
! eminent is without an official head
Poplar Bluff. No. Jan. 40
Tuesday the dead body OF a three
months-oid infant was found in
hollow tree near Bethel. Green couI
: ". Ark. Investigation disclosed tina
[ the arms and legs OF the infant ha
, been broken and its mouth filed Wit
sand. To-day the mother OF n
child. Mrs. T Il Tins. Young wid
: ow. was arrested. charmed with mui
: der. She made confession. impl
: eating E. Courtney I'D the deed an
9 stating that they desired 10 MARI
and both desired the child ont Of th
way. The crime was committed NV
/ weeks ago.