davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08

mans. The firmness Of the Senate
kept him out"
Among those who never faltered
from their opposition to the ap-
proved presidential lineup was
James Madison. He consistently
voted against it In the House, and
detailed his views in o letter to
Edmund Pendleton. Of Virginia.
1T may be questioned whether
these are officers (Senate presi-
dent pro TEN and speaker in the
constitutional sense. As they are
created by the constitution, they
would probably have been there
designated If contemplated for
such q service, instead Of being
left to the legislative section"
Although that first succession
act remained unchanged for near
ly q century, the Library Of Con-
gress study believes this was be-
cause no occasion arose in that
time to use it.
In 1856, revision Of the success
sion plan was given serious con-
sideration. Debate once more re-
volved around the constitutional
ty Of passing the presidential Of
flee to legislators. The Senate
Committee on the Judiciary un-
dertook to settle the question once
and for all by reporting that the
succession plan Of 1892 was with
out question constitutional. But
the committee noted that q situa-
ton might arise where neither the
Senate president nor House speak
er could qualify as President.
They might, for instance, lack the
age or residency qualifications.
The committee recommended that
the Chief Justice be added to the
list of succession, followedaby the
other justices. No action was
taken on the recommendation,
however.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08
A Long, Bitter Row

The infrequency Of changes in
our succession laws scarcely indi-
Gates how bitterly and how extern
sively the whole subject has been
debated in the halls of Congress.
Since the matter first came be-
fore the second session Of Con-
gress In 1871. scores Of proposals
have been advanced to assure the
best Government in the event
both President and Vice President
are lost to the Nation.
One Of the earliest plans would
have placed the Chief Justice next
in line to the Vice President, fol-
lowed by the other justices in the
order Of their appointments. An
other suggestion would have con-
vened the Senate to choose a sue
cessor. Serious thought has been
given to calling q special national
election, or to reconvening the
electoral college. More recently
the election Of second and posi-
bly, q third Vice President has
been suggested.
And 30 the proposals have
flowed virtually every time a Vice
President has been called upon to
take over the duties Of a dead
President. The assassin's bullets
in Dallas once again have made
the Nation aware how terribly
fast the reigns Of Government can
change hands. II history is an &C
= curate harbinger, the whole ques-
ton Of Presidential succession can
expect another thorough airing.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08
Federal Gun Low

@. Would 1t be Of any use If
Congress were to pass q Federal
gun law requiring the registration
of all weapons, including rifles
and shotguns?
A. 1t might be helpful. Per-
haps there should be some law
chat when) anyone buys q gun
he reports the rifle number and so
forth. But that Is law you have
to study carefully. Except. I can't
see where you SHOULD be able to-
Just go out and buy q gun like
this case.
. Q. In Dallas, the Presidents car
was going toward a railroad over
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08

detained In jail or put under sur
veillance?
A. That is very rare. After all,
we are Americans and we just
don't detain anyone unless we
have a justifiable cause.
@. You could, in an extreme
case?
A. We could II we had, perhaps,
something definite. But you just
don't arrest people.
Thousands on List
@. How many people are on
that list2
A. I couldn't tell you. There
are thousands. When the Presi-
dent goes UP to a city our Protec-
tive Research Section mails out
the list Of names, and the photo
graphs. Then the agents there,
plus the police, are alerted.
Q. You have seen how other
countries protect their chiefs of
state. Do they do anything we
could do that we don't?
A. No. I don't think any Of
their systems are as good as ours.
@. Is it possible that Oswald,
who was accused Of shooting the
President, was clever in not firing
until the motorcade was past him
- when perhaps Secret Service
agents eyes had gone past the
building?
A. The unfortunate thing is
that that fellow Oswald was
killed. I don't know whether
somebody else was involved. That
has to be determined and that
will take some work.
@. There is a proposal in Con-
greSs now to make assassination,
or attempted assassination, a Fed
eral crime. Would this be Of any
practical help?
A. It might help. I recon-
mended, I think, a similar law.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08
Right to Decline
Short Tenure Foreseen

But - to become President. a
House speaker or Senate president
would have to resign his Congress
sional seat Should either become
President while a Chief Executive
temporarily is incapacitiated, they
would be out of a job whenever
the president was able to resume
his duties.
OF course, the law does allow q
man to decline the presidency,
which may come to mind when
the vagaries of the succession law
are considered.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08
Officer of Government?

OffIceT or government!
On November 80 Of that year,
the full Senate gave its approval
to the plan and the legislation
went to the House, where q skele-
ton record Of the proceedings was
kept. There, q question was raised
that had continued to haunt the
succession question to this day.
Representative Alexander White
of Virginia protested that the
House speaker was no more an
officer Of the Government than
every other member Of the House"
and therefore was ineligible to be-
come q presidential successor I'M
der the terms Of the Constitution.
Representative Theodore Sedgwick
of Massachusetts, concurred, de-
claring that trainers Of the Consti-
tuition had not endowed either the
Senate president or the House
Speaker with the status of Gov
eminent officers.
After several unsuccessful
moves to strike the Senate presi-
dent and House speaker from the
order Of succession, the House,
meeting as q committee of the
whole, finally voted 80 to % to
substitute the Secretary Of State
a. the man next In line to the
presidency should the President
and Vice President die.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08
Terms of the Bill

The Senate. however, would not
yield. 1t sent the succession bill
swiftly back to the House where,
by a vote Of 81 to "a, the members
backed down from their proposal.
And so the first succession bill
placing the Senate president pro
tenn and the House speaker, in
that order, next in the executive
lh.e-up after the Vice President
became law with President Wash
ington's signature in 1892.
There Is nothing in the meager
records Of those debates to show
why the Senate stood It's ground
so firmly. But Representative
Fisher AmeS Of Massachusetts,
confided in a letter to q friend
that his Federahst colleagues IN
the Senate blocked the House
amendment because they did not
want Thomas Jefferson - then
Secretary of State - placed so
close to presidential office. Hamil-
ton and his Federgiist followers
we're apprehensive about the
growing popularity Of jefferson.
AS Mr.. Ames noted in his letter,
JefferSon's friends in Congress
seemed to think 1t important to
hold him up as the Kin Of the Ro-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08
The Distont Sniper

@. But the problem Is from a
distant Sniper. Would it be practi-
cal to ban people from windows in
buildings along a parade route?
A. 1 would like to do that. But
I don't know if it would be practi-
cal. We do everything possible.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08
Move Up to Congress

Trainers Of the Constitution left
1t to Congress to determine the
order Of succession after the Pres
ident and Vice President. The
governing section Of the Constitu-
ton states that THE Congress
may by law provide for the case
Of removal. death, resignation or
inability both Of the President
and Vice President, declaring what
officer shall then act as President,
and such officer shall act accord
ingly until the disability be re-
moved or q President be elected"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08
The Cobinet Line
Constitutional Issue

After five years Of wranging,
Congress concluded there was
nothing more to say or hear. Sen
ator Hoar's legislation placing
the Secretary Of State. followed
by other cabinet officers in order
of rank, next in the executive line
after the Vice President was
adopted on January 10, 1886. The
line remained unchanged until
another presidential death.
Soon after the death Of Presi-
dent Roosevelt thrust the presi-
dency upon him, President Tru-
man called for a change in the
succession law.
In a message to Congress on
June 10, 1945, he urged re-
examination of the whole ques-
ton.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08
Line Of Succession to Presidency
A Matter Of Dispute Since 1871

A history Of succession laws
compiled by the Library Of Con-
gress traces the issue to 1871,
when the Second Session Of Con-
gress was busy drafting election
laws.
The Senate in those days con-
Quoted most of its business behind
closed doors. There Is no record of
the pros and cons that must
have been Offered when q COM
mittee composed Of John Ruther-
ford, Roger Sherman and Aaron
Burr came forward with its pro-
poSal for placing the Senate presi-
dent pro tenn next in line after
the Vice President. Behind the
Senate president, they recon-
mended the House Speaker.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08

pass. The highway went under the
railroad tracks. In the case Of an
overpass like that, what Is the
routine procedure for the Secret
SeIvice2
A. They would have police
men on top and underneath. You
don't permit anyone to assemble
on that bridge.
@. Do you think the day Of the
motorcade is over.
A. I would hope so, but I doubt
1t.
@. Are you saying that as long
as Presidents insist on these mo-
torcades that the Secret Service,
despite its obligation IN law, really
cannot protect the President?
A. They can. to a certain ex-
tent, but I am talking about (at-
tacks FROM the distance. It's like
an atomic bomb. You couldn't
protect the President.
@. You can't protect him from a
man who is determined. who has
made good advance planning. who
is a good shot and who has an ad-
vantageous position from which to
fire that shot?
A. You can prevent that, If
you cover that building. That is
the only thing. Cover that build
ing.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08

for the Nations chief executives.
Madmen crazed BY political diSap-
pointment. such IS Guiteau who
assassinated President Garfield.
would be less likely to attack Q
head Of state knowing that others
Of the same administration were
ready to fill his shoes, Senator
Hoar reasoned.
Constitutional Issue
As in past discussions, the Con-
stitutional question figured promi-
nently IN the 1875 debates IN
spite Of the Senate judiciary
Committees attempt to put that
issue to rest IS years earlier.
Cited frequently was the case Of
Senator william Blount Of Tennes-
see. who challenged the right Of
the House to impeach him and
the Senate's authority to try him
on grounds that he was not an Of
ficer Of the United States. The
Senate accepted his argument.
and the impeachment proceedings
were dropped.
Senator Samuel B. Maxey Of
Texas called the Blount case
conclusive settlement" Of the re-
curing debate about the Senate
president and House speaker
being officers Of the United
States.
In rebuttal, 1t was argued that
q mere Congressman or Senator
might not be an officer in the
Constitutional sense, but the Sen
ate president and House speaker
certainly were. Those who OPP
posed any change pointed to q
court ruling which held that
someone impersonating q member
Va SOAlSAC Cos WdSt lAAOCCus AAApC1 .
sonating an Officer" Of the United
States.
Aside from the technical Quib-
bling over the meaning Of the
word Officer" perhaps the most
persuasive arguments in support
Of the Hoar proposal were
summed UP by political scientists
Frederic A. Ogg and P. Orman
Ray as follows:
Under it (the act Of 1922 the
presidency would devolve upon a
person who had been sent to the
National Capital to be not an exec
utive but a legislator. It might
also bring the Government under
the direction of a Chief Executive
belonging to a different party
from that to which the President
and Vice President had belonged"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08

the House where 1t coasted
through with a 365-to-11 vote.
President Truman signed the
Wherry bill into law on July 10,
1947, and little thought had been
given to 1t since that time until
the tragedy at Dallas.
Short Tenure Foreseen
There were some who thought
the Senate President pro tenn,
Carl Hayden, would ascend to the
Presidency after Mr.. Mccormack,
in the event of more White House
deaths. And after the Senate pres
ident. would come the cabinet Of
ficerS.
A study Of the law by Congress
sional Quarterly. however, reveals
it is not that simple. If Mr.. McCor-
mack became President and died,
the Presidency would pass to his
successor as House speaker. In
fact, the succession might never
go beyond the Speakership unless
a Presidential vacancy occurred at
a time when no House speaker
had been chosen.
And II the Presidential mantle
over descended beyond the House
and Senate officers to a cabinet
officer, he would have to relin-
quish the Presidency as soon as
the House chose a speaker or the
Senate a president pro tenn.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08
Danger in Motorcodes

@. From your experience, would
you say that the chief danger to
a President these days is in q
motorcade?
A. / have always said that.
Q. Would it be q wise thing to
have the President protected by q
plastic bubble?
A. A plastic bubble is not bullet
proof. And even a bullet-proof car
Isl not practical. FRANKLIN d.
Roosevelt said: "If they are going
ito throw q hand grenade in here,
] am going to get slaughtered"
Q. The bubble L. not bullet
proof?
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08

@. You have told US that the
Secret Service can give effective
protection to a President in a mo-
torcade against people Surging up
close to the car.
A. That is correct.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-08

Following Is the transcript Of
the ON THE RECORD inter
view with q. E. Baughman, for
mer chief Of the United States
Secret Service, basis for the
news story on page Al.
@. Chief Baughman, you spent
8 anany years as head Of the Secret
Service and faced the problem Of
protecting Presidents. Is there any
thing that can be done to guard
against this sort Of assassination
in the future?
A. When anyone shoots from
distance with a long-range gun
you are almost helpless. Our pre-
ventive measure in the past has
been to intercept anyone who
comes out from the street. If you
) know the history of assasSinations,
the majority Of attempts have
come come from close-range.
I wasn't down there. I don't
have any facts whatsoever about
this Dallas affair. I have the
greatest respect for the police
force, but I don't know what hap
pened.
They are supposed to have
searched the building [where the
shots apparently came from]. I
don't know If they did it. This
fellow lice Harvey Oswald is
supposed to have shot from the
window. I am not critical Of the
Secret Service, but why didn't they
use the machine gun to spray the
window?
,- The agent with PRESIDENT
Johnson-Rufus Youngblood- fell
on him, or covered him. don't
know what happened in that fol-
low-up car. AS you know, we 1.-THE
Secret Service] have q car right
back of the President. Mrs. Ken
nedy was supposed to have climbed
over the back LOT the Presidential
carl to get help. I don't under
stand that. There are q lot OF
things to be explained. I mean,
after all, Mrs. Kennedy was for
tunate she wasn't shot.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-08
Orthodox Observer
At Vatican Forecast

Sheraton Park Hotel. The
meeting opened Tuesday and
will end Sunday.
Archbishop Bashir, a vigor-
GUS and articulate priest, readily
admitted he would like to be
sent by his church as an OBJ
server.
The 65-year-old archbishop,
a native Of Douma, Lebanon,
said unity among Christian
churches must start with the
Roman Catholic and Orthodox
churches.
IF the Professionals are in
from the beginning, then moth
ing will happen. There are
too many differences at pres
ent."
More than 5000 clergymen,
laymen and women, and youths
are attending the sessions here.
They represent about 100
churches having a commune
cant membership Of about no.
900. The Washington congrega-
ton is st. George Syrian Antio-
chan Orthodox Church, 4335
Sixteenth street NV.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-08
BY CASPAR NAMES
Star staff Writer

A leading Orthodox Church
archbishop predicts that East
ern Orthodox Church observ-
ers will attend the second ses-
sion Of the Roman Catholic
Church Ecumenical Council in
Rome, opening September %.
Metropolitan Archbishop An
tony Bashir, Archbishop of the
Syrian Antiochian Orthodox
Archdiocese Of New York and
All North America. said in an
interview yesterday, IT think
the Orthodox churches will
send observers to the coming
session Of the Second Vatican
Council"
The Eastern Orthodox
Churches did not have repre-
sentatives among the observers
at the councils opening session
last year, october II to Deem
Der 8. At the last minute two
Russian Orthodox Church fig
ures, Archpriest Vital Borovoy
and Archimandrite Vladimir
Kotliarov, arrived in Rome for
the gathering.
Metropolitan Bashir, long
noted for his advocacy OF CO.
operation among Christian
churches, is presiding at the
six-day convention OF the Sy-
rian Antiochian Orthodox
! Archdiocese Of New York and
All North America in the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-08
6. E. Proctor, g.;
Lived in Arlington

G. Edward Proctor, 96, a for
mer resident of Arlington for
is years, died Tuesday at the
Ivy Nursing Home in Red Bank,
N. j., of pneumonia.
Mr.. Proctor lived in Colonial
Village in Arlington after re-
firing from his furniture busi-
ness in Asbury, N. j. He was
born in New York State and
went to a private school in
Leesburg, Va.
He was a member Of the
Methodist Church and of the
Knights Templar, a Masonic
group. q
Survivors include one daugh-
ter, Mrs. Doris Bush Of Red
Bank, N. j.; one niece, Mrs.
Parke Engle of 1907 North
First road, Arlington: one
nephew, Lawrence M. Proctor,
212 North Cherry street, Falls
Church, Va, and eight grand
children.
Services will be at IL am.
Friday at st. Paul's Rock Creek
Parish, with burial in Rock
Greek Cemetery.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-08
Principal Clarifies
PupiI-Shift Stund,
Backs Indignation

STANFORD, Calf. Aug. 8
(AP).-Henry T. Hillson. prin-
cipal Of New York City's George
Washington High School. said
yesterday he is strongly In
favor Of integrated schools but
that so-called open enrolment
or forcing Negro or white chill
dren to change schools can do
more harm than good.
Mr.. Hillson spoke Tuesday at
a conference on big city schools
at Stanford University. The 81
delegates are trying to deter
mine what should be done to
improve secondary education
for the underprivileged.
Mr., Hillson, expressing con-
Germ that his remarks may have
been misunderstood, elaborated
his position yesterday in an
interview.
"The all-Negro schools is not
a good school," he said. I'VE
have got TO have integrated
schools, and I am completely
In favor Of a program for
integration."
However, he said, open en-
rollment-allowing students to
choose their own schools
not a solution"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-08
W. E. Sanford,
Retired Navy
Employee

Walter E. Sanford, ST., 81,
a retired employee of the Navy
Department, died at Alexan-
dria Hospital after a short ILL
ness.
Mr.. Sanford, a native Of Ar
lington, retired 10 years ago
from the production office Of
the Washington Navy Yard.
A veteran of the Navy dur
ing World War I, he was a
member of the Disabled Amer
lean Veterans, American Legion
Post No. "a, the Sons Of the
American Revolution, George
w a hington Chapter; the
Washington Navy Yard Vet
Grams Association, the Sons Of
Confederate Veterans; the In
ternational Association Of Ma
chinists and Mary Washington
Council No. "a of the Daughters
of America.
He leaves his wife, the former
Cora Elsie Morris, of 20 Wyatt
avenue, Alexandria. the home
address; a son, Walter E., jr.,
of 81 Wyatt avenue; two
brothers, William H., of rs West
Del Ray avenue, Alexandria,
and Roy T., of II Wyatt avenue,
and one grandson.
Services will be at 10 am.
tomorrow at the Cunningham
Funeral Home. Cameron and
Alfred streets, Alexandria, with
burial in Charlottesville, Va.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-08
z Cleaning Floor
Escape Flames
Of Paint Thinner

Two persons narrowly
escaped injury today when
lacquer thinner they had spread
on the floor Of a stockroom
burst into flame.
The fire broke out shortly
after II am. In a stockroom at
the Ad-Print Co., Inc, 727
Third street NV.
Jerry Pitsch. 17-year-old son
OF the company owner, Ray
Pitsch, and Herman Busey. rs,
Of 2ll7 I street NE. were using
the thinner to clean paint spots
from the floor when flames
suddenly shot up around them.
Brushing the flames from
their arms and legs, they
rushed out a back door, unhurt.
They said they did not know
why the thinner had burst into
flame. Neither was smoking at
the time, they said.
The fire was confined to the
rear Of the one-story brick
building. Damage was estimated
by fire officials at several thou.
sand dollars.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-08
BeItsviIIe Site
Again Wins
Senate Okuy

The Senate has voted twice
for the environmental health
center at Beltsville, Md, which
the House doesn't want started
this year.
A proposed $70-million-center
is included in the Health, Edu-
cation and Welfare Department
budget sent into conference late
yesterday by the Senate.
Senators first Endorsed the
project, 58-to-26. by rejecting
an attempt of Senator Prox-
mire, Democrat of Wisconsin,
to lift the center and $685.
million more out of the money
bill.
Again, final passage of the
budget by the Senate was an
other vote for the center.
In April the House refused
ito put any money in the budget
Tor the center.
IS. A location for the center
was the major issue in a Sem
ate committee fight. During
the hearings, the administra-
ton favored Beltsville. The
White House later backed off
and advised Senators that the
President could choose site
if Congress simply appropri-
ated the money.
This advice was not received
formally by the Appropriations
Committee, however, but by
Senators who wanted to at
tract the center to their own
home States.
The Senate asked that STA
million be freed for planning
and site acquisition for the
,center. Senator Hill, Democrat
of Alabama, agreed to Senator
Proxmire's second economy
move to bar the use Of $780,
900 in unobligated balances
for the center, in addition to
the STA million.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-08
Gordon WeIch,
Car Salesman

Gordon w. WEIGH, SO, a
salesman for Brown Pontiac in
Arlington and former owner Of
the WEIGH Motor Co. here, died
yesterday in Doctors Hospital
after a short illness.
A native of northern Wis
consin, Mr.. WEIGH came to
Washington after a number of
years as a dispatcher on the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
in Dunnellon, Fla. He operated
the WEIGH Motor Co. until
about a year ago.
He leaves his wife, Kathleen
G., of the home address, 1850
Connecticut avenue NV; a.
son, Patrick, Of 1000 Oregon
avenue NV, and a brother,
Claire D. WEIGH, of st. Paul,
MINI.
Services and burial will be
Saturday in Glidden, Wis.