The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-30
Writes Interesting Article Which Will be Published in the
 Youths Companion
DIFFICULT PLACE TO FILL
Article Was Written While Mir. Roose- welt Was Governor of New York and Explains Some of His
 Peculiar Notions.

Boston, October 29.-In an article writ ten for the Youths Companion. which will be published next week, Theodore Roosevelt gives his ideas of the duties and responsibilities of tho President of the United States. Mir. Roosevelt wrote the article in 1900. while he was governor of New York, and previous to the repub- liean national convention which nominat- ed him for Vice-President.
 In it MT. Roosevelt says:
 "The President of the United States occupies a position of peculiar import ance. In the whole world there is no other rule. certainly no other ruler under free institutions, whose power compares with his. Of course there Is the enormous personal factor of the incumbent himself to be considered entirely apart from the power of the office itself. This is merely another way of stating that in any office the personal question is always of vital consequence.
 ''The senators are the constitutional advisers of the President. The secreta- ries who form the cabinet advise him on matters of general policy, when he so de- sires 1t. With the senate the advice and consultation are obligatory under the constitution. The senate has no right to say who shall not be appointed for un- der the constitution this has been made their duty.
 Many Must Share Responsibility.
 Although many men must share with the President the responsibility, there is upon him always a heavy burden of re- sponsibility. It is easy enough to give a bad administration, but to give good administration demands the most anxious thought, no less than every unusual powers of mind
 "There is every reason why the Presi- dent should be held to a strict account ability alike for what he does and for what he leaves undone. But we injure ourselves and the nation if we fail to treat with proper respect the man who, in the highest office in our land, is striv ing to do his duty. We have had presi- dents who have acted weakly or unwise- ly in particular crises, but we never had one concerning whose personal integrity there was so much as shadow of a sus- picion. Appointments and politics which are normally routine and unimportant, may suddenly become of apsoIureiy vital importance. The war department was utterly neglected for over thirty years after the civil war Neither the regular officer nor the regular soldier takes any part in politics as a rule, so that the demagague and bread and butter politi- clan have no fear of his vote; and to both of them, and also to the cheap sen- sational newspaper the army offers a favorite subject for attack.
 Get Afraid of Army.
 ''So 1t often happens that some amiable people really get little afraid of the army, and have some idea that It may be used some time or other against liberties.
 ''The army never has been, and I am sure 1t never will be, or can be, a me- mace to anybody save Americas foes, or aught but a source of pride to every good and far-sighted American.
 When an emergency like that caused by the Spanish war arises, the secretary of war becomes the most important of- ficer in the cabinet.
 Altogether there are few harder tasks than that of filling well and ably the of- flee of the President of the United States. But If the man at the close of his term is able to feel that he has done his duty well, he has, the satisfaction of feeling that he has performed one of the great world tasks, and that the mere perform ance is in itself the greatest of all possi- ble rewards.'