for by a treaty, and it has claimed this right on numerous

occasions.

Pardoning Power. - The President has power to pardon persons who have been convicted of violating national laws, except in cases of impeachment, or to put off for a time the execution of a sentence.

The Vice-President. The Vice-President is chosen in the same way as the President, and his qualifications are the same. He presides in the Senate, but has no vote, except in case of a tie. His annual salary is $12,000.

"In case of the removal of the President from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of said office, the same shall devolve on the Vice-President."

Impeachment.

"The President, Vice-President, and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors."

(Const. Art. II, Sec. 4.)

The House of Representatives has the sole power of impeachment, but the impeachment must be tried by the Senate, and no person can be convicted without a twothirds vote of the members present.

When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief-Justice of the United States must preside. No President of the United States has been removed from office by impeachment, though President Johnson, in 1868, narrowly escaped such a fate.

Presidential Succession. Should a Vice-President who has succeeded to the presidency be removed from office for any cause, it is provided by the Presidential Succession Act of 1886, that the following heads of executive departments may succeed to the presidency in the order given: 1. Secretary of State.

2. Secretary of the Treasury.

3. Secretary of War. 4. Attorney-General.

5. Postmaster-General.

6. Secretary of the Navy.

7. Secretary of the Interior

QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT

I. Mention five important duties of the President of the United States.

2. What is the official title of the President?

3. Would a man born of American parents who were temporarily residing in London be eligible to the presidency?

4. What are the "war powers" of the President?

5. Describe the "spoils system." What efforts have been made to lessen its application?

6. What is meant by "senatorial courtesy"?

7. How may a President be removed from office?

QUESTIONS SUGGESTED BY THE TEXT

1. Give reasons for the conditions governing eligibility to the office of President.

2. What class of offices should be exempt from the requirements of the Civil Service Act? Give reasons for your opinion.

3. Why is the Secretary of State named first in the Presidential Succession Bill of 1886?

4. Compare the power exercised by President Lincoln with the authority of a King of England.

5. Name some Ex-President, other than Grant, who has sought a third term.

CHAPTER XIV

THE NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF A PRESIDENT

There was

Rise of National Nominating Convent ons. no need of any plan of nominations for the first three presidential elections. Washington had no opposition for the nomination, and in the third election Adams and Jefferson were, by common consent, the candidates of their respective parties.

In 1800, candidates of both the Republican and Federal parties were nominated by a conference, or caucus, of the party members in Congress. This plan was followed in every election until 1820, when there was no Congressional caucus, as Monroe was the choice of all. The Congressional caucus was never again restored. In 1824, it is true, sixtysix Democrats attended a caucus and made a nomination for President, but their nominee was not accepted by the party and was badly beaten in the election. From 1824. to 1840, candidates for the presidency were nominated in a variety of ways: sometimes by state legislative caucuses; sometimes by state conventions; sometimes by a "mixed convention" made up of the party members of a state legislature, together with delegates from counties and towns not represented in the legislature by members of the party holding the convention.

During this period, state candidates were nominated by state conventions, and the suggestion was often made that presidential candidates be nominated by a national con

vention. The first national nominating convention was held by the Anti-Masonic party in 1831 at Baltimore. In 1840, all parties made nominations in national conventions; this method has been employed ever since.

Selection of Delegates to a National Convention. - The national conventions of each party are made up of twice as many delegates from each of the states as the state has representatives and senators in Congréss.1 Delegates to the national conventions are chosen in various ways, but as a rule, two delegates are selected by the district conventions of each party and four delegates at arge by the state conventions. The Democratic party has no uniform rule, but the Republican party, in 1892, adopted a rule that “each Congressional district in the United States shall elect its delegates to the national convention in the same way as the nomination of a member of Congress is made in each district," and delegates at large shall be elected in the state conventions. In the same manner and at the same time with the delegates, "alternates" are chosen who may take the place of regular delegates in case the latter cannot attend the convention.

Meeting of a National Convention. The national conventions always meet in a large city, and the sessions are held in immense halls. The usual membership of two from each Congressional district, four delegates at large from each state, and six from each territory, gives a total of over 1,000. Alternates are provided with seats, places are reserved for newspaper reporters, and the galleries are filled with spectators.

1

1 Delegates from territories and District of Columbia are also admitted.

Proceedings are similar to those in a state convention, though there is much more excitement. As candidates are nominated, their supporters cheer as loudly as they can. A distinguished candidate may be sure of a "demonstration" lasting from fifteen minutes to an hour or more. In a Republican convention a majority vote is required for nomination, but in a Democratic convention a two-thirds vote is required. After having nominated a candidate for President, the convention nominates a candidate for VicePresident, who must not be from the same state as the presidential nominee. Very often candidates for the vicepresidency are nominated to please the party in the minority or to win over to their side some doubtful state. Men of the highest ability, with a few exceptions, have within the last eighty years not desired to become candidates for Vice-President.

The Campaign. - National conventions meet late in June or early in July, and a few weeks later the candidates are formally notified of their nomination. The campaign does not open in earnest until about the middle of September, and it gets more and more exciting until the election on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Great sums of money are raised and expended by the committees of each party. Some of it goes to distribute campaign literature and to secure speakers of real ability, but much is expended for campaign clubs, fireworks, banners, and other such studied appeals to the voter's emotions.

Presidential Electors. The members of the Federal Convention feared that a direct popular vote for President would result in the choice of an unworthy candidate. Con