Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-05
The Office Of President.

In sermon delivered in New York Sun
day morning the Rev. DR.. Parkhurst
speaking of "how accident and opportunity
affect the destinies Of men," said:
"A rather startling Illustration Of the
principle we are here asserting we mlsu
take from the career of our president, IN
the splendid success of whose adminlstra-
ton we are probably all Of us rejoicing and
hoping we may have good deal more OF
the same. And yet we need not hesltate 10
presume that there are LOO other men IN
the country not to say 10000, who would
have administered the national government
as ably and honestly as he If any one OF
them had happt ned to be made President
which is not disparaging the one who Is
President but complimenting the $3.50 who
happen not to be.
such a thing as an accident, the promo
ton of the Chief Executive to his incum-
bency of the Office is an instance of 1t. Ac-
cidentally made Vice President by the en-
nifty of jealous compatriot. what jealousy
initiated the crazy malignity of Czolgosz
consummated, and the thing was DONE
1t Is true that there are many men In this
country who would bring to the office Of
President capacity equal to the satisfac-
tory discharge of its ordinary duties. The
Office Of governor of state, of senator In
the Congress Of the United States. OF cabi-
net adviser to the President. Of ambassador
to q foreign government-any one of those
places is good training ground for the
higher demands of the Office Of Chief Magis-
trate And there are men who have never
held any office. yet by reason of their large
powers and familiarity with large private
affairs would soon accustom themselves to
the important engagements of the highest
Office.
But there is to be detected in DIR. Park
bIr oil ttat nj Of
citation of the presidency which is so often
so thoughtlessly sounded. 1t Is a sort Of
fashion. indeed, in some quarters to de-
scribe the presidency as snug berth which
nearly any fairly shrewd and well-educated
man could fill. The machine of govern
ment. we are told, practically runs itself
1t Is so well adjusted to the demands that
the man in charge need hardly do more
than look on and admire the way that the
wheels go round. The machine Is admirably
constructed and in the main works well,
but the chief engineer must know his bust
ness. Otherwise we should have very dis
tressing order of things.
DR.. Parkhurst likewise repeats that ex-
ploded notion that Mr.. Roosevelt was nomi-
mated for Vice President by few machine
politicians of New York state acting under
the instruction of the Wall street corpora
lions. That discredits the party which
made Mr.. Roosevelt its candidate, and the
people who Endorsed the selection. Nothing
is palmer than that Mr.. Roosevelt owed his
success at Philadelphia to no such agency
as DR.. Parkhurst and those who hold with
him describe. The disgruntled New York
ers did not force him upon the party, nor
could their opposition, had they taken that
line, have prevented his nomination. They
would have been brushed aside with con-
temptuous Impotence. Mr.. Roosevelt was
as distinctly indicated for second place as
Mr.. Mckinley was for first. and that ex-
plains his success as Mr.. McKinleys sue
cessor and the country's approval of his
course. The country really applauds itself
in applauding him.