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Show MARSHALL PRESIDES. Vice President Marshall has sot a precedent by presiding at a meeting of the cabinet. He did this at the request of President Wilson, who is on his way to France to attend the peace congress. It was the first time that a vice president presi-dent had ever presided at a cabinet meeting, but Mr. Marshall Hcouted the idea that he was acting as president, and declared that h. attended the gathering gath-ering "informally and impersonally, not undertaking to exercise any official offi-cial duty or function. " As there was no business of moment before the cabinet cabi-net which would require the attention of the president, in which event Mr. Marshall would not have acted, the meeting did not develop any extraordinary ex-traordinary situation, and, consequently, there will, be no speculation upon constitutional con-stitutional questions such as came up when Mr. Wilson fir3t stated his purpose pur-pose to go abroad. It was the last cabinet cabi-net meeting for Secretary McAdoo, who will be succeeded by Carter Glass next Monday. It is not probable that any ' of the cabinet meetings held during the president's absence will amount to very much, and Vice Presilent Marshall may preside at all of them without increasing increas-ing or diminishing the limited powers granted him undor the constitution. He will enjoy a new experience without either emoluments or glory. Still he cannot be cheated out of the honor of setting a precedent, and another line may be added to his biography in consequence. con-sequence. The matter will certainly be referred to if Mr. Wilson's example, is followed by future presidents who think that they should repre-cnt the United States in person when there is a trqaty to be framed or an important discussion discus-sion to take place in which the interests of this country are involved. |