Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-10-31
AN UNPRECEDENTED PROBLEM.


The passing Of James Schoolcraft Sherman. late
candidate for vice president on the regular Repub-
lican ticket has confronted not only the party but
the entire nation with an entirely new problem TO
solve
knowledge Of the precarous condition Of the
vice president for the past few days had already
set students Of constitutional procedure at work
in an advance effort to unrave the complications
which were certain to ensue
No fuller exposition OF the question which is
now demanding solution can be given than that
contained in the press dispatches of Tuesday
These stated
No precedents were found covering the si,ua
ton Of the withdrawal or death Of vice presi-
dental nominee
lnasmuch party procedure IS not governed
by statutes some Of the parliamentarans said the
party had the legal right to handle the situation
in whatever manner 1t pleased The opinion was
expressed that this would result in the National
Executive Committee selecting substitute oandi-
date and printing his name on the ballot in states
where the tickets have not already been sent to
the press.
The discussion which arose over the death Of
Horace Greedy in 1872 was recalled in the investi-
CATION His death occurred after the November
election but before the electoral COLLECT met to Sc
lect a President and Vice President The ability
Of electors vote for others than those nominated
by the party convention whose names had been
printed the ballot then demonstrated, many
Democratic electors voting for others than Greedy
although he was dead The Senate decided that
the Georgia vote should be counted but the House
voted that It should not
1t is commended that since Congress amended
the manner Of canvassing the ballots in 1887 as
result Of the Hayes Tlden contest votes for
-andidate dying between the November election
md the meeting OF the electoral college on the
'econd Monday in January must be counted by
congress unless they are held to be votes not reg
ilarly given. The law says that no electoral vote
n votes from any states which shall have been
egulary given from which but one return has been
eoeived shall be rejected
The most serious situation could develop it is |
tated from the death of choice of the electoral
ollege between the time the college voted and the
Inauguration. he Constitution authorizes Con j
,ress to provide by law for the devolution of the
luties of president in cases Of removal. death. !
esignation or inability" of president and vice
PRESIDENT. but does not declare what officer shall
ot president in case of anything unforeseen oc-
urng to the president elect or the vice president
lect
Some paramentarians contend. however that \
congress would have power to act under the clause
which enables it to pass special laws neces-
airy and proper to carry into effect the powers
ranted the Federal Government
Should there be no election of a vice president
y the electoral college and vice presidential
anddae dies subsequent to their voting. the selec-
on would be limited to the candidates receiving
he larges, number Of votes under the Constitution.
hould a vice presidential candidate who was one
{ the two highest on the list die, Senators OF his
arty might be required to vote for the candidate
the other party. a vice president elected under
lch circumstances would become president if the
ectoral college and House of Representatives had
ct elected president, by March 4