| Show I J INABILITY FROM I INSANITY I A dispatch from Little Rock Hock states stales that John Little the ho governor of Arkansas is insane with small prospect of recovery cry This brings 8 up a question of oC succession to the discharge of or the tho duties of ot tho the In such a con con- Li n gen enc cy It would seem that the constitution of ot the tho state makes no clear provision for or such euch a n case to for I tho the dispatch dispatch dispatch dis dis- patch says It Is thought the lieutenant governor will call callan callan an nn election in August uJust when Governor Little If it alive will vill resign n. We 0 can not suppose that tho the constitution of oC tho the state provides that a n governor disabled b by Insanity must resign Resignation is mentioned in the dispatch apparently as a possible solution of a difficulty for which the constitution does docs not provide The constitution of the lie United States seems to cont con- con t a n contingency of ot this kind In the tho case of the President though it ft is not explicitly c mentioned It provides pro io- vides that n n case of tho the removal al of the tIme President nt from office or of oC his death resignation or Inability to discharge S i c D tho the powers and duties of oC tho the said office the same shall devolve e on tho the vice ico president S Thus the constitution provides for fur a case caso of or inability and from what follows In the santo samo clause it appears that thai it has In contemplation temporary disability which ma may maj maybe 1 be removed remo after which the thc President i is ht to resume the discharge of his duties Nothing Is said about Insanity but that is obviously one possible causo cause of disability This Is plain enough and It would seem to tu follow tollow of necessity that congress has power Jower to provide a mode of ascertaining whether ina Inability exists and of effecting the lire installation of tho the vice president and of ot determining when the Inability ceases anti and tho the President should resume resume re- re sume ume his duties It would also seem to be Important that congress should make such provision taking care caro to say what shall shell constitute disability as us for fOI Instance whether Impeachment lJ by the house df e representatives shall constitute con con- temporary temporal inability We c have not greatly needed such leb legislation in our experience so far fat but it Is easy to conceive o of a situation In n which its absence might be a serious matter mailer as in incase Inase case ase of an unpopular President alleged by the dominant party part in congress to be Insane The subject is one that thai ought not to be bo neglected neg Chicago Chronicle |
