The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-03
PRESIDENTIAL PROBLEMS,

A writer in the current Forum maga-
zine discusses Presidential Succession
Problems and Change Of Inaugural
Day. As to the latter part Of it, it
is mere detail, going TO the root Of
no particular problem. Whether in
auguration shall be in March, April,
May, January, or any other month is
of no particular consequence. For our
selves, we think it would be better to
have the Inauguration on The first day
in January, and have the fiscal year
of the Government begin on that same
date, Or if that is thought to be too
soon, in view of present dates of cleo
toral votes and the counting Of them.
and postponement longer than March
4th is TO be made, why not postpone un-
til the first day of July, and let the
incoming of the new administration be
coincident with the beginning of our
fiscal year7
The questions as to succession raised
in the Forum, however, are Of great
Importance, The writer suggests three
cases whore great difficulties might
| arise. First, where the death of can
didate occurs after the November cleo
tion, and before The close of The meet
ing Of the electoral college on the sec
ond Monday in January. The electoral
college meets on the second Monday of
January, the electors Of the several
States respectively in the capitals of the
Sfotoc onct;p,r
ratification of the popular choice of the
election in the preceding November
But should the man thus elected die
between the time the electors cast
their votes for him and inaugural day,
there is absolutely no means under the
law whereby President could be
elected, as there is no provision for re-
convening the electoral college.
The same problem would arise if the
death occurred between the second
Wednesday In February, when the
electoral count is made in the two
houses of Congress, and inaugural day;
also, in case tho death occurred after
the vote of the electoral college and
before the Congressional count.
After the Inauguration, Congress has
made an awkward and non-popular pro.
vision for the filling of the Presidency
in case the President should die. There
is succession provided for, in the
Cabinet officials according to the
seniority Of Cabinet positions. Any
succession like this, however. would
give us for successor a President not
elected by the people nor by any con-
stitutional electorate, The President
would merely be President by virtue of
his appointment to Cabinet position
by the dead candidate whom he might
succeed.
All of these problems, however,
could be solved very easily by statute
which would declare the electoral col
lege to be continuing body, its mem
bers holding office for four years and
until their successors are elected and
qualified with proper and stated means
for filling any vacancy by the States
in the number of electors as chosen.
The theory of the constitution is that
the electoral college. so called, being
the Presidential electors chosen in the
different States, should be the body
that would really elect tho President
The popular practice. however, has en-
tirely superseded that view, and the
and the electoral college simply rati.
fies that choice.
If now Congress should pass law
continuing the life Of the electoral col
lege for n Presidential term of four
years, and allow that college to elect
a Vice President whenever the Presi.
dent dies, and the Vice President sue.
ceeds to the Presidency, and doing this
as often as necessary, and electing both
or either in case of need, the constitu-
tional method Of filling these great of
fees would be enforced in tho very
letter and spirit of the constitution it
self.
We do not see any objection what
ever to that method of filling all va
cancies in these two chief offices of
the Republic, save only the desire of
Representatives. and Senators to take
as much as possible on themselves in
this relation, That method would, in
fact, be the true constitutional method,
and would conform better than any
other ever proposed to tho constitu-
tional principles. We have suggested
this method heretofore. and have never
seen any objection made against it. We
propose it again as the true, logical,
and constitutional method of dealing
with all such questions as are raised in
connection with the succession of the
offices of President and Vice.Presi
either office.
With respect to tho matter of al
| LOWING the hir nrlzn fight To be nnllnd