Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-06-15
BURDENlNG THE PRESIDENTS.

has been known for . long time, and
their duties are being multiplied right
along; in fact, they are multiplied too
much, and with too little regard for
the personal comfort and health OF the
Chief Executive.
Congress has given repeated evil
dence of strong disposition to shirk
its duties, or refuse to act on its own
responsibilities in matters OF the great.
est importance.
Congress has discovered that the
easiest way out of any difficulty is to
shift the burden upon the President.
Some time ago John Mitchell wanted
Roosevelt to take hand in the miners
troubles, or act As arbitrator. It
seems as if people we're possessed OF
the idea that the President is to be
regarded az a fatherly khaliffa, with
nothing else to do but settle disputes
between corporations and individuals,
or complete jobs which Congress
evades or leaves unfinished.
We do not elect President to per.
form tasks of that kind. His duties
are we'll defined by the Constitution.
He does not enact laws, he simply
executes them. In legislative matters
he can only give advice. To entrust
him with anything more than the
execution of laws or the mainten.
ance of diplomatic relations with for.
eign nations is departure from the
practice of earlier times. What has
the President to do with labor dis.
putes? He has NO moro interest in
them than any private citizen. In
recent times, President Roosevelt has
been obliged to act in various contro.
versies. He was appealed to in the
Sampson.Schley and Root. Miles cases.
The Panama Canal matter was
dumped at the White House door.
All these were settled ultimately
through the instrumentality OF the
chief magistrate. All these things
could have been adjusted in different
manner.
There was no necessity for bother.
ing the President, and for placing him
in awkward positions. In view OF such
a multiplication of onerous, exacting
duties. it is no wonder that few of our
Presidents escape from the White
House without ruined health.
We can hardly form an intelligent
idea Of the mass OF work that Presi.
dent Roosevelt has to wrestle with.
There are general public affairs. diplo.
matte and social duties, political calls
ofoffice seekers, all of which have to
be attended to properly and promptly
And what an army of almost in.
tolerable, grinding. wearying bores ol
all sorts he has to put up with! Yer.
lily, there is no fun in being President
His is can outward honor for an in.
ward toll"
All this suggests the question
Why is il that our Vice-President is
not taken out of the Senate, where he
is nothing but a cipher, anyway, and
entrusted with share of the Presi.
dents duties? He certainly should
be able to do something else than
count votes and mark time in the
Senate, even if the trainers of the
Constitution did not think so. This
matter is worth the most serious con.
sideration.
The precedent of leaving so many
important matters TO the President is
q bad one. 1t concentrates too much
power in the executive. 1t gives him
more power than is possessed by many
. monarch.
The bestowal of power upon the
executive in such q manner as has re.
Gently come into fashion in Washing
ton is dangerous. 1t may some day
produce the dictator that has been
prophesied by those peculiar states
men who are always seeing things"
LUE F. VERNON.
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