The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1919-11-04
PRESIDENTIAL VACANCY.

The public mind has been wrought up
over the fear that the presidents indispo
sition might stop the wheels of government.
Nothing could be less founded in fact 1t
was foreseen that with one man constitut-
ing the executive department of the gov
eminent there were many things which
might render him incapable of acting. Sec
ton 6 of article of the constitution reads:
In case of his death, resigna-
ton or inability to discharge the powers
and duties of said office, the same shall
devolve upon the vice president.
This provision of the constitution covers
the situation which arises when the presi-
dent is incapacitated from discharging the
duties and powers of his office. His illness,
if such as to prevent him from executing
the functions of his office, authorizes the
vice president to assume the duties. In such
cases he would cease to be acting president
so soon as the president became capable of
resuming his authority. The constitution
provides that he shall perform the powers
and exercise the authority of the president
until the disability is removed" Vice Pres
ident Marshall could take the oath of office
if the president were incapacitated, per-
form the duties involved until the pres
ident's recovery and then lay them aside.
That is the provision of the constitution.
That is part of the safeguard against the
elimination of the executive department of
the government by any contingency.
| A case exactly like the present one was
created following the shooting of President
Garfield. From early in July, after the at
| 70, tod T,,11y ba
until September 10. During the greater pc
Rod of that time he was entirely incapable
of exercising the powers and duties of his
office. Yet Vice President Arthur did not
assume the constitutional obligations impos-
ed on him until after the death of the pres
ident. The public business went forward
The government functioned. Congress was
not in session. it is true, but acts of con-
gress become operative after ten days with
out the presidents approval This provision
of the constitution, of course, is intended
! to apply primarily to bills which he does
not care to approve, but which he may, for
some reason, prefer to have become laws
without his approval. But there is nothing
in the letter of the constitution to prevent
the application being made to bills which
are completed by congress and made ready
for the executive approval when the presi-
dent is not in condition to act.
The whole proposition is that if any emer-
gency arises in which the official act of the
president is necessary and his mental or
physical condition is such that he cannot
do so the government will function through
the subsidiary agency which the constitution
creates Radical sentiment in congress could
go so far as to declare the president so in
capacitated, and call upon the vice president
to assume the functions of the Office. But
congress is without authority in the matter,
the constitution assuming that common sense
would be the guide in such cases and that
when the emergency arises the vice presi-
dent would assume the office on his own in
itiative and volition, and that if it did not
arise he would not attempt to arrogate the
power to himself.