Detroit evening times., 1945-06-27
GEORGE R.
BROWN :
Political
Parae

WASHINGTON, June 26-
There occurred last week a
most interesting about-face Of
the Democratic leaders at the
Capitol on the presidential sue
cession question.
The order has gone down the
line to put this proposition over,
and it is going be done. One
week ago, the leaders secuted
the idea
What is now slowly taking
form in the House judiciary
committee is plan for a simpli-
fication OF the general idea ad-
vanced by President Truman.
This simplitication would take
the form of direct designation
OF the succession 10 the speaker
OF the House, and the president
pro tempore OF the Senate, in
the order named, for the entire
balance of the unexpired presi-
dental term.
II would eliminate the Presi.
dents proposal for a temporary
presidency, and the election of a
new president, in the event of
vacancy IN that office, either at
the next regular congressional
election, or at special election.
A SERIOUS constitutional oh
"a lection has arsenic tins.
from the clause in the organic
law specifically stating that the
president shall be elected for a
term of four years.
But there are other obiec-
tions TO the rough outline Of
the Truman plan. Under it
there might be numerous
Changes IN the presidency
within short space of trA
with convulsive consequence
One, the death or disability
OF a president; two, the sue
-cession OF the vice president;
three, the death or disability OF
the new president, at a mo-
ment when there was a vacancy
in the speakership tfor exam
pie, in the case Of the death OF
a speaker during a recess Of
the Congress-; four. the sue
cesSion of the preSldent-ete-
-tempere, VINO would serve tcrr1.
porarily until duly elected
speaker qualified: five, the suc-
CeSsIOn would then pass to-lhe-
speaker; six. the speaker would
serve until successor had been
elected. This is cumbersome in
the extreme,
TWO other points have been
Il raised against certain parts
of the Truman plan
First. that the speaker and
the president pro tempOre 81
the Senate are not officers Of
the United States, within the
meaning Of the Constitution.
and hence could not succeed 10
the presidency.
Second. that II might again
happen. as il has frequently
happened in the past, that the
speaker Of the House might not
be Of the same party. as the
elected president and vice
president
HENCE the idea has been ad-
II vanccd that in the event
Of a vacancy occurring in the
presidency after the previous
accession OF the vice president.
the succession should pass 10
the speaker Of the House, with
this -proViSo!
Provided, that In the event
OF the speaker being of poIx
tical party other than that
the elected president and ~
president. the succession shall
devOlve upon the m nority
leader OF the House Of Repre-
sentatives."
Let us see how that would
work out in the next Congress,
If the House should be con-
trolled by the Republicans.
The Republicans would nomi-
nate a candidate for speaker.
and he would be-elected. The
Democrats would nominate Sam
Rayburn, and ne would be de-
feated
AS the nominee of his party
for speaker Mr.. Rayburn would
become. by customary usage.
the minority leader of the
House. and thus, as such would
L. Il =.