New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-19
HARD WORK FOR PRESIDENTS.

An English traveller, Mr.. Weld, In new
work on this country, relates the following on
the duties of the President:
"Although Gen. Pierce is remarkable for his ana
billy in private life he Is not popular lie IS an eA
ceIcnt man of business. More than once he COM
planned of the tremendous labor OF his ohce, which Ii
SO Great as to scarcely leave him minutess leslre
sSome change in the duties, he sald must be made,
as no man can stand the work even for four years
You can form no idea, he added, : OF the NUMBER OF
youminous manuscript documents connected with
public business which ! have to read. Suggesting
that in many cases this might be done by Secretary,
he replied No, tits better to read and master even
the most lengthy document for then am in position
TO cut a man short if he is talking nonsense inns
admission is significant OF active participation IN tue
business of the Government.
The question of dividing the Supreme Court or
multiplying its Judges must come up before a
great while, owing to the increase OF its busl-
ness; and it is a question also how human
head will soon be able TO grasp the details OF the
Office of President of the United States, if the
mowers of the Executive and Congress remain
the same and subject to intrinsic growths In
the time of the elder Presidents the public busi-
ness was comparatively small, as was shown by
the expenditures of three or four million dol
lars. Up to the period of John Quincy Adams
the expenses did not exceed thirteen millions,
but now they are seventy millions. After all, the
| business of the Government is resolved into and
regulated by the quantity of money it disbursesi
and at the rate the Democracy is now going
in defining Government powers the expenditure
| will soon rise to u hundred millions, indicating
a corresponding increase of public business
Nov. TO have two OF three Presidents will be
impossible: and il will not be allowable for a
President to fulfill his duties by proxy and pre-
tend TO understand state papers and ether docu-
ments which he has not read, but on which he
must give an opinion. This is suggestive of the
query-Is il not possible so TO reduce the powers
or business details of the President that man
with one head can conduct them and Is 1t net
highly important toward the improved morality
and freedom due this Government that its rev.
enue be greatly reduced
1t is notorious fact that whatever party now
comes into power the duties of the President
and, under whatever cry of retrenchment aud
reform, the plumber which be handles-remain
| the same, or rather become richer and more
formidable. There is, in the slang of the day,
this platform and that platform; but the plat
form of seventy millions appears to be the only
| ~,
Executive patronage No wonder the Pres-
dents head aches in reading over all the manu-
scripts and pamphlets which bear upon the dol
lars and cents of that amount. No wonder he
prophecies that new Executive machinery must
be devised to enable his business to proceed UNI
der such cumulsted mass ofprolixity-of hard,
crying caims-of acrid personal CONVERSATIONS
A retrenchment and reform party is indeed
! most needed Of all. But can this comet The
active, hatulent politicians never will work
without pay, and the people seem too much alb
sOrbed in business, or the number of schemlng
governmental expectants is TOO great, for the IN
difference of the masses ever to be changed for
activity and vigilance. The party which would
now succeed must promise all the known and
unknown Offices. But the hungry and naked are
increasing every day, and it may well be asked;
is there a limit to be placed to this immense
amount of patronage The radical democratic
idea Of reducing Executive power has long since
departed. Democracy now means increase OF
the army, the navy and the bureaucracy and
public purse generally. We never read
philosophical word on the easy possibil-