The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-03-07


The absence of new and startling
proposals to tinker the constitution la
the last session of the Fifty ninth con-
gress is pretty good evidence that the
national legislators donot find events or
their constituents pushing them to i'm
prove on the structure of the fathers.
Changes and Improvements brought
forward since Dec. 3, 1906, have been
few, and these are by no means rad
zeal or due to sudden streaks. In the
house of representatives it was pro-
posed to make the constitution author
lie uniform divorce laws, to fix the
terms of president and vice president
at six years instead of four, for the
election Of United States senators and
all judges and postmasters by direct
vote Of the people.
In the senate the proposition to
change the terms of the president and
vice president from four to six years
was also advanced as well as another
relating to the election and matters
connected with the presidential sue
cession. This last measure, introduced
by Senator Frye, Is the only new one
among the six bills In both houses, and
the power it proposes to confer already
exists, although not SO clearly defined
as some legislators deem necessary.
The second article of the constitution
authorizes congress to provide for the
case Of the death or removal of the
president and vice president In 1902
congress passed an act establishing the
order in which vacancy in the Office
of president must be filed pending a
new election, and the Forty-ninth con-
gress IN 1886 enacted new and COM
prehensive measure entitled IAN act to
provide for the performance of the du-
ties of the office of president in the
case of the removal, OF the death, res
ignation or inability both Of the presi-
dent and vice president" This law
provides that a vacancy In the execu-
tive chair must be filed by the cabinet
Officers In the order beginning with the
secretary of state and ending With the
secretary Of the interior. Neither the
department Of agriculture nor the de-
partment Of commerce and labor exist
ed at that time, which accounts for
the failure to include the cabinet Off
GERS at the head of these departments
among those eligible for the succession
to the presidency.
At first glance 1t would seem that
the question Of presidential succession
Is safe as the matter was left by the
constitution and that congress has full
and ample power to fill vacancies
Senator Frye's bill looks rather to con-
tingencies which may arise than to any
heretofore experienced In the history of
the government On several occasions
the vice president has succeeded to the
presidency upon the death Of the pres
ident It is not clear, however, what
action Is authorized III case the presi-
dent should be incapacitated for the
| duties Of his office by causes other than
death. The Frye bill would authorize
congress to provide by law for any
defect or contingency not already pro-
vided for by the constitution respecting
| the election and all other matters con-
nected with the Offices of president and
vice president and the presidential sue
cessiOn. So amended the constitution
would empower congress to act upon
any question likely to arise as to the
validity of title to the presidency. I'm
der the act Of 1886, if congress be not
in session at the time vacancy occurs
| In the office Of president the person
upon whom the duties of president de
volve must convene congress In ex-
traordinary session, giving twenty
| days notice of the time for meeting
Among the six new bills, then. the
Frye bill alone suggests that the funda.
mental law of tne land fails of com
pieteness in it's own field. If our new
problems suggest NO changes or i'm
pfovements more radical than that, the
constitution must be sound document
for guidance as things go in this age
OF evolution.