The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-06-03
The Presidents Offense.

MI h. IOWNE'S attack upon the president owes
what little prominence it has obtained in
discussion the fact that it followed line which
has to be recognized as the special objection
to the present occupant Of the White House. Accord
ing to Mr. Towne the president has "a tendency to
| magnify and personalize the office and to exercise
powers not only beyond the TRADITIONAL but beyond
the constitutional and legal limitations of the Office
1t would SEEM if what Mr.. Towne says is true,
that he should employ his powers of persuasion upon
the house to impeaeh the president Either the presi-
dent has gone beyond the scope of his position or he
has not. If he has he should be impeached; if he
has not then Mr. Towne only makes himself ridicu-
lous by setting himself up to judge the presidents
tendencies.
Mr.. Roosevelt has attracted great deal more at
tenton than any recent occupant Of the White House,
not because he has tried to be in the imelight but
because circumstances have forced him there When
! he into office by election fierce
between two world powers and the president, Selling
favorable opportunity, brought the warning nations
together in parley and peace resulted That
achievement for humanity, but everybody not
satisfied with the president. His prominence excited
envy in small minds
Again, the president urged certain legislation upon
congress- and then, instead of going to sleep, he kept
urging it until the rate bill finally got into
ference committee. In the course of the debate it
charged that the president trying overawe
congress- The most that proved that he
talked freely with members of both houses who sought
his advice. He did not do presidents have
DONE force the bill thru by using the patronage
to line up friends and confound enemies. In his
lations with congress the president has been scrupu
lousy careful. Only the smallest of ntellects and
sorrest of tempers could find anything in his course
to disturb their rap for the constitution
But perhaps it is the presidents acts toward the
beef trust which exctes the apprehension that
have a man horseback in the White House. It
must be admitted that the president there turned the
tables upon the packers very neatly. The country,
however, instead of being afraid of his ambition to
personaze the office, is grateful that there in
the White House who had the commonsense
to do the right thing He used agents and got in
formation in such way that the packers
WINGED that the best thing they do is to
down. Those members of congress who not
blinded by an unfortunate temper say the presidents
course was in the highest degree patriotic.
1t is an easy and cheap assumption that such
man as Roosevelt who is eternally doing something,
must be doing something wrong But it is rather
more difficult to specify acts of usurpaton in Roose
welt than in any of his predecessors. The
cuslon is that envy is not satisfactory stock in
trade for congressman. If the members all
as active in good works the president, and all as
careful of their he, congress would have
something more to it's credit than it has thus far in
the long session.