New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-25
wgO ~ PRESIDENT

BENJAMIN Harrison was elected President OIL
tha Irnited states in 1888, receiving 2 33 cleo
toral votes, against 1853 for Grover CIeVeiahu'
Democrat and none were cast for any ouner
Republican but for Harrison. Further, there
ware cast for Harrison electors 5,44l ,e23 votes,
and not any for any other Republican. THIS
NAV he called old news, it is true. But there
seem To be some persons who have not heard
Il and who actually imagine that the President
elected was not Mr.. Harrison, but some other
Republican.
The people elected President Harrison, and
expected that the responsibilities OF that high
office would be borne and its duties discharged
by him, and not by anybody else Yet there
are some persons who seem disposed to find
fault because the President tries to act upon his
own Judgment, and to exercise his own discre-
ton in appointments either without consulting
them, or without accepting as final their wishes
when made known. Evidently they misappre-
bend the situation. The people did not lntrust
Executive responsibility and power to them
but to him, and as the responsibility is his so
it is his duty to decide for himself, as far as he
can, what he ought to do.
But say these complaining persons, ut Is
utterly impossible for the President to act upon
personal investigation and knowledge IN the
selection of all subordinate officials, and since
he must get information from somebody nc
ought to take the advice Of' the complainant
The trouble here is a confusion OF ideas IL Is
one thing to solicit information. and receive al
vice but il is very different thing indeed to
be bound to act upon only the information or
advice which one man may give II the Presl-
dent learns all that he can from those who are
presumably in the best position to know the
facts and from both sides in each case and not
from one side only, he does right. But when
the time comes to decide, he is bound to act
upon the impressions which all the informal. on
and advice received have produced in his mind,
and not upon the impressions which may pre-
vail in the mind of somebody else. II is his
business to do the deciding and he must stand
or fan according to the manner in which he
meets that responsibility.
"But that Will deprive Senator'S and Repre-
sentatiyes and various other political leaders OF
the control of affairs in their various localities
Well the Constitution does not provide that
the two Senators from a State shall be Presl-
dents for that State, nor that Representative
shall be President for his Congressional DIS
trict Neither do the people intrust the ap-
pointing power to the Senators, the Representa-
,iyes or the party committeeman. The Con
stitution and laws confer the power upon the
President, and the people have intrCsted II TO
Mr.. Harrison, and he is exercising It, II he
makes mistakes, it is perfectly right 70 hold him
responsible. But there is not an atom OF pro
priety in blaming him because he does his duty
as he sees it, when his Judgment differs from
that OF others
"All the time Of tho President must thus be
taken up, and grave matters OF public business
must thus be neglected" But has the Prcsl-
dent neglected any matter Of public business?
All the questions which have come up Tor de-
cision. in relation to the different departments
Of the public service, have been decided with
out delay so far as the country has learned.
Can anybody specify single instance OF neg
lect? II not, this would seem to be mere
pretext for depriving the President OF part OF
his Constitutional power 1t is his duty to en-
ploy his time as judiciously and usefuIly as no
can, and when grave public questions engross
that time, he will have less in which TO consider
evidence as 70 fitness Of candidates. But tho
first thing necdful at the outset is to get com
netept and faithful assistants in all branches OF
the service. II the President gives most OF MS
time TO that task, when the Offices to be hlled
are the most important, those who find fauit
prompt the suspicion that they want him 10
abdicate part Of his power in their favor.
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