The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-11-28
PRES|DENT-ELECT
MIGHT DIE, THEN
WHAT IS STATUS

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2S.-How many
Of the millions of Americans who vote
for their choice for president and vice
president every four years ever have
stopped to think what q mess this
country would be In If the successful
candidate should die between election
day and the date of his inauguration?
There IL one man who is giving the
matter much thought, and he is Champ
Clark, speaker Of the house OF repre-
sentatives from 1911 TO this year, and
he proposes to introduce some bills to
remedy the situation so that the nation
never Will be confronted 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 remem-
bered as vital points in the curious
n unattended situation as regards a
possible tangle over the presidential
succession in the event of the death Of
the president-elect:
J.. 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 capitals to
cast their votes on the second Wednes-
day In December.
3. 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 December?
How would the electors of the As states
determine who to vote for? 1t might
be possible to %reconvene the national
convention of the successful party, or
to hold an informal 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 manner. 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, candidate
of the coalition in opposition to Presi-
dent Grant, died less than a month aft
err his defeat at the polls. The sc cleo
toral 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 east
their ballots they prepare three copies
Of the formal vote, one going to con-
gress by regular mail, another by spe-
cial messenger and the third Is filed
Will llAt tilliCh EloN'N NohlA
of the locality in which the vote Is
taken, Then the electors, power ex-
pires. II the successful candidate
should die after they have formally
voted for him there is no authority to
be found anywhere that can call them
together again. Congress, when it
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 canvassed
the vote in February the president ELECT
should die before the inaugural in
March? The constitution provides for
no power that could the cleo
toral college or congress for that pur-
pose II 1t should have adjourned.
In addition to having discovered these
grave possibilities OF future troubles,
Mr.. Clark has provided what he be-
lieves would be a remedy. He sug-
gests that the governors OF the states
be given the power to %reconvene the
electors for a further ballot, or that
the secretary of state be authorized to
call another joint meeting Of congress
to take some action to s~traighten out
the tangle. The former speaker pro-
poses to introduce a resolution shortly
which will bring about a threshing out
Of the matter by congress and possibly
forestall such catastrophes as nave been
described.
Another curious omission Of the con-
stitution is that there is no provision
for the successful candidate being mott
fled OF his election, The nominee OF the
national convention always Is notified
Of the honor lone him, and In an i'm
| presslve manner but there Is no such
ceremony for the president-elect. He
is supposed to Just hear II, and 1t is
a fair assumption that he will. In the
| much disputed election in 1875 Ruther-
ford B. Hayes, who was counted in over
Samuel ]. Tilden by a special election
commission, did not learn of that
body's action until he was on a rail-
Dad train travelling from Columbus to
Washington, his notifier being the
chairman Of the Republican national
| committee, Senator Zach Chandler, and
a telegram being the method used.