The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-10-30
WHO WILL Be AcT|Ne PRESIDENT

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3o.-wno will
be president Of the United States dur
ing the few hours when President
Roosevelt will be outside the juris-
diction of his country on his trip to
the isthmus?
Mr.. Roosevelt has agreed to attend
a reception to be rendered him by the
president of the republic Of Panama
and held in the officgial residence or
palace Of the chief executive, and
hence. for the time of the function,
will be, figuratively and. literally, out
side of the United States.
The question is probably not big
enough one under the present circum-
stances to cause any earthquakes if It
is not answered, but the fact remains
that this will be the first time in the
history of the United States that its
Ildo SOt 1OOI OIl 1OIC16l sui
during his term of office, and this gov
eminent is such a creature of prece-
dents that nobody mere is willing to
make promise of a hard-and fast an
swer on question like this, which has
no precedent.
Some "Raised CAIN"
The constitution says the president
vacates his office when he dies or is
impeached or acquires disability
which prevents him from discharging
the duties Of his office, but it is agreed
by all the authorities who presume TO
speak that no legal or official criterion
of a presidents disability has ever
been fixed. Thus Garfield was inca
pacitated for almost every purpose Of
life from the day he was shot until
his end, yet he was not removed from
office and the vice president did not
become president until Garfield was
dead.
1t is true that common practice in
municipalities and states gives the
functions of the chief executives office
to his official understudy whenever
the chief executive is out of tine terri
tory over which he was elected to pre-
side. The precedents for this are nu-
merous and convincing, as witness the
many "acting mayors" every city in
the country has had, and the numer-
Gus times the lieutenant governor Of a
state has raised Cain" during the
governors temporary absence from his
state.
OF course, if Fairbanks had the
chance there is no end to the didoes he
could kick up in few hours as presi-
dent, but as for that, Mr.. Roosevelt
would just like to see him try it. At
the same time the president is using
every expedient to reduce to a mini
mum the chance for any monkeyshines
at his expense at this end of the line.
For this reason he will travel all the
way in a United States warship, andl
will be careful to land at Cristobal, in
landing in Colon, which is in the re-
public of Panama, and during his time
there he will remain in the canal zone
all the while except the few hours of
the reception rendered by President
Amador.
Perhaps if this little bit of adven.
ture abroad turns out all right he will
give the precedent he is establishing a
wider sweep some other time.
AS to who will be president Of the
United States while Mr.. Roosevelt is
out from under the flag, that is the
question which every man will have to
answer for himself, since nobody here
wants to do it, Perhaps the Fair
banks family will be settling up the
claim in years to come, that the elon-
gated vice president was 'TT," just
Ferry claimed he was acting presi-
dent for a few hours after the alleged
expiration of the term of Office of
Grant and Wilson, and before the in
of Hayes and Wheeler, Fer |
ry being president pro tenn of the sem
ate, and, under the old law of the /
succession, first in line for |
the presidency in case the president |
and vice president both died.