Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-11-07
DUTIES OF PRESIDENT
AS SEEN BY ROOSEVELT SEW.
ERAL YEARS AGO.

ERAL YEARS AGO.
An Article Written by the Present Chief Execu.
tive When He Was Filling the GubernstoriaI
Chair Of New York Several Years Aso-lt is
Interesting as Connected With the Duties
Now Imposed Upon Him.
Mr.. Roosevelt wrote an article in
1900, while he was Governor of New
York, and previous to the Republican
National Convention which nominated
him for Vice President. In it Mr..
Roosevelt says:
"The President OF the United
States occupies position OF peculiar
Importance. In the whole world
there is no other ruler, 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 al
ways OF vital con sequence.
"The Senators are the constitution
al advisers of the President; the Sec
retaries who form the Cabinet advise
him on matters of general policy when
he so desires it. With the Senate,
the advise and consultation are OBJ.
ligatory under the constitution. The
Senate has no right to dictate to the
President who shall be appointed, but
they have an entire right to say who
shall not be appointed, for under the
constitution this has been made their
duty.
Although many men must share
with the President the responsibility,
there is upon him always q heavy
burden of responsibility. 1t is easy
enough to give a bad administration,
but to give good administration de-
mands the most anxious thought no
less than every unusual powers of
mind.
"There is every reason why the
President should be held to a sharp
accountability alike for what he does
and for what he leaves undone. But
we injure ourselves aud the nation if
we fall to treat with proper respect the
man who, in the highest Office in our
land, is striving to do his duty. We
have had Presidents who have acted
weakly or unwisely in particular
crises, but we have never had one
concerning whose personal integrity
there was so much as shadow Of sus.
picion. Appointments and policies
which are normally routine and un.
important may suddenly become Of
absolutely vital consequence. The
War Department was utterly neglect.
ed for over thirty years after the Civil
war. Neither the regular officer nor
the regular soldier takes any part in
politics as rule, SO that the dema-
gogue and bread and butter politician
have no fear of his vote; and to both
of them, and also to the cheap sensa.
tional newspaper, the army offers a
favorite subject for attack.
$50 it 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 our liberties. The army never
has been, and am sure it never will
be or can be, o menace to anybody
save Americas foes, or aught but q
source OF pride to ever good aud far
sighted American. When an cmer-
gency like that caused by the Spanish
war arises, the Secretary of War be-
comes the most important officer in
the cabinet.
Altogether, there are few harder
tasks than that of filling we'll and
ably the Office of President of the
United States. But If the man at the
close OF his term 10 able to feel that he
has done his duty we'll, he has the
satisfaction Of feeling that he has per-
formed one OF the great world tasks
and that the mere performance is in
itself the greatest OF all possible re-.
wards"