Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-22
Succession Solution?

succession to the presidency
when there is no Vice Presi-
dent, I have not come across
such q novel yet eminently
practical suggestion as is put
forward by Brigid Brady in a
letter to The Star on Deem
Der Is. There Is historical as
well as Constitutional support
for Miss Brady's suggestion
that when q Vice President
succeeds to the presidency
he should have authority to
nominate q successor as Vice
President.
The only change I would
make In Miss Brady's sugges-
ton Is that the nomination
should be submitted to and
passed upon by the Senate
rather than the whole Con-
gress.
This method would not
only be in keeping with the
present system whereby
Cabinet officers, Supreme
Court justices, ambassadors
and other high officials are
nominated and confirmed,
but 1t would also be in keep
ing with that provision Of
the Constitution which
assigns to the Senate the Job
of electing q Vice President
should no candidate for that
office receive a majority of
the electoral vote.
I would complement Miss
Brady's suggestion by sug-
costing that in the case Of
the death Of a Vice Presi-
dent, the President should
have the right to nominate a
successor to that office. I
should not be at all surprised
but that some system based
on Miss Brady's proposal
may well prove the ultimate
solution to this important
problem.
Laurens M. Hamilton.
= y
Your editorial on Success
sion" regards it as shame
full" that suggestions have
been made that Speaker Nc
Cormack and President Pro
Tempore Hayden altruistical-
ly resign their positions to
enable the selection Of per-
sons better fit for succession
to the presidency. You OBJ
serve correctly. that both
positions are important in
themselves, without regard to
the distant chance" of their
occupants becoming PreSi-
dent.
Unfortunately recent
events demonstrate that the
chance of a presidential
successor arriving at the
White House is not as dis
tant" as your editorial i'm
plies. The coincidence Of the
"twenty-year cycle" Of presi-
Dental deaths is just that-a
coincidence.
The death of the President
is not a remote possibility.
The tragic event of last
month provides no guarantee
that the country will not lose
another President for 20
more years. The country
needs a capable President
and the present succession
law will not provide one.
1t seems to me that wheth-
er the presidential successor
is elected or appointed
Democratic or Republican, Is
less important than that he
have something to speak fol
him other than that he has
been around longer thar
anyone else.
What is shameful is that
Congress relies on seniority
to fill its important positions
Congress apparently has the
right to choose this method
of rule for itself and suffer
with the consequences in its
own affairs, but the Natior
needs more than seniority tt
fill its leadership.
Cabinet members, especial.
~ the Secretaries of State
Treasury and Defense are
carefully selected for theh
qualifications and presuma.
bly, retain their positions By
proving themselves qualified
In time of crisis, we should
have a President chosen or
the basis of greater ability
than remaining In office
from a safe" district Longer
than anybody else.
Ronald B. Brass.
Editors Note: Our editorid,
urged that Congress empoDe1
itself to elect q netD Vice
President. We agree that The
Speaker should not remain
merit in line.
\