The Washington times., 1901-11-06
British Comment ON the President.

The London Times, a journal which
in past years has been not infrequently
critical concerning the leading men of
America, has been commenting recently
on President Roosevelt in a sober and
altogether friendly spirit. and in man
ner calculated to excite reciprocally
pleasant feelings on this side the water.
THE Times praises him for sentiments
expressed in a paper which he con-
tributed to the "Fortnightly Review
before he became President, and in
which he showed mot only his warm
sympathy with social reform. but his
intense belief that no progress worth
speaking of can be achieved in this or
any other direction, except by personal
devotion and individual effort
In regard to Mr.. Roosevelts course
since he was called, to his deep sorrow,
to the Chief Magistracy by a decree of
Providence. in consequence of which
the country is still in grief, the Lon
don Times says that he has displayed
courageous Independence by appoint
ments he has made which are entirely
antipathetic to the wire pullers." and
adds that what is likely to create EN-
barrassment for him is the apparent
determination of Mr.. Roosevelt to
emancipate himself in the bestOwal Of
offices from the dictation of Senators
and party managers. 1t has been al
ready pointed out how grave are the
is>Nss involved in the permanent
rivalry between the Presidential author
ity and the advancing power of the
Senate"
There is shrewd wisdom in this las.
remark of our English contemporary.
It is perfectly true that in the matter
of Federal patronage the design of the
Constitution has been largely frus-
trated. and it's meaning distorted. by
Senatorial pretensions to the control Of
national offices in the several States.
The responsibility of appointment rests
upon the President. If, as has too fire.
quently happened, he is dragooned into
giving important places to the rela-
tives. friends. or henchmen of SEN
ators. not the less is he responsible for
their character and fitness. If he re-
sist such pressure, he Is accused Of
erect a personal and autocratic control
of the military and civil service of the
nation. II is quite a Senatorial cloak
room convention to view with alarm
the wish of a President to appoint a
man he knows to be eminently qualified
for a marshalship or collectorship in
the State of a given Senator, the candi-
date being not the man the Senator
wants himself The President errs if
he appoints to anything people with
whose talents and experience he is
familiar He must assume a repellan;
attitude to everybody he knows, or ever
has known. 1t is different and virtu-
Gus in him when he fills the crib with
the favorites of Senators. OF course,
the trainers of the Constitution never
CONTEMPLATED anything of the kind. 1t
never occurred to them that the Senate
would think of interfering with the
executive power over patronage, ex-
cept TO see that the persons nominated
to places requiring the advice and con-
sent of the Senate were eligible, COM
petent. and respectable citizens.
Whether the London Times" is right
or not in predicting a struggle on the
part of the President for emancipation
from the hold-up practice of the Senate.
he would be doing the country good
service in initiating one, and the peo-
pie at large would heartily and unani-
mously wish him success and godspeed
in the effort But abuses. especially
where they promote personal influence
and gain, are hard to stamp out. 1t is
too early in the Administration to in
dmlee in nrophecies.