Today in the Sobel Timeline: September 13

On the morning of September 13, 1881, Mexican Secretary of State Marco Ruíz called the Senate into session to select a new president, following the death the previous afternoon of President George Vining. However, the Senators became deadlocked between Minority Leader Thomas Rogers and Ruíz himself. Senator Frank Hill of California, acting on orders from Kramer Associates President Bernard Kramer, suggested as a compromise that the Cabinet as a whole act as the country's executive until a new president was elected in eight days. Given the unusual circumstances, the Senate approved Hill's proposal.