The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-11-14
EMP CLARK PREPARING FOR
 ANY EMERGENCY
What Would Happen If Presi- dent-Elect Died Before
 Inauguration.

Washington. D. C., Nov. 14-How waao vote for their choice for presi- dent and vice president every four years ever have stopped to think what 8 mess thts country would be in if the successful candidate should die be- tween election day and the date of his inauguration?
 There Is one man who is giving the matter much thought and he is Champ Clark, speaker of the House of Representatives from 1911 to this year, and he proposes to introduce some bills to remedy the situation so that the nation never will be con fronted with the three or four serious problems that are easily possible, but which the greatest good fortune has kept from the United States during Its history,
 These three dates should be rem eu- bered as vital points tn the curious and unattended situation as regards a possible tangle over the presiden- tial succession in the event Of the death of the presid
 1-The election of presidential cleo tors is held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
 2-The electoral colleges of the 4S states meet at their state capttols to cast their votes on the second We'd nesday in December.
 a-The two houses of Congress count the vote of the electors on the third Wednesday in February.
 And here are some of the possible perplexities that might arise, as fig ured out by ex-Speaker Clark:
 Suppose the successful candidate dies before the electors meet in De- cember? How would the electors of the AS states determine who to vote for? It might be possible to recon vene the national convention of the successfud party, or to hold an infor- nal convention of the electors from the various states.
 The problem arises from the failure of the Constitution of the United States to cover this point In any man. ner. No such occasion has as yet arisen, but that does not mean that none ever will. The nearest approach was in 1872 when Horace Greeley, can t1idate of the coalition in opposition to President Grant, died less than a month after his defeat at the polls The 66 electoral votes that would have been cast for him had he lived until December, were distributed among a half-dozen men.
 After the state electors have cast their ballots they prepare three CO., p1eS or the 1OTIld1 SOlSS OllS 6O4A6 u Congress by regular mail, another by special messenger and the third is filed with the United States dis trict court of the locality in which the vote is taken. Then the electors power expires. If the successful can tNdate should die after they have for naafly voted for him there is no au- thority to be found anywhere that can eau them together again. Con- gress, when 1t meets in February, has no right to change the names on the ballots in such a contingency as just noted.
 As a, third possibility, suppose that after Congress had formally canvass ed the vote in February the presi- dent-elect should die before the in- auguraI in March? The Constitution provides no power that would recon vene the electoral college, or Congress for that purpose, If 1t should have adjourned.
 In addition to having discovered these grave possibilities of future troubles MT. Clark has provided what he believes would me a remedy. He suggests that the governors of the states be given the power to recon vene the electors for a further ballot, or that the Secretary of State be authorized to call another joint meet ing to take some action to straight en out the tangle. The former speaker proposes to introduce a resolution shortly which will bring about a threshing out of the matter by Con- gress and possibly foresau such catas- trophes as have been described
 Another curious S ssion of the Constitution Is that there is no provi- sion for the successful candidate be- ing notified of his election. The nominee of the national conventions always Is notified of the honor done him, and in an impressive manner, but there is no such ceremony for the president-elect- He Is supposed to