Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-08
UNIQUE PERSONALITY
President Roosevelt the Lead
ing World Figure.
AUT0CRATic DEVELOPMENT
Where Will His Seven-League Boots
Garry Him?
A SUGGESTIVE PARALLEL
Significant Quotation From the Inau-
gural Address Of William
Henry Harrison.

1t requires no vast flight of the magma
ton for us to conjecture our magnificent
and magnetic President as seeing in his
dreams vision when the whole world in
''suppliance bent, shall tremble at his
power" In seven league boots has he
been travelling since the first day when he
mounted the throne of the White House.
He has achieved a long stretch of the
distance between democracy and autoc-
racy, and unless all signs fail, it will not
be long before he reaches the end of his
journey. It Is singular indeed that no
popular alarm is awakened in consequence.
1t is exactly enc of the leading news
papers OF the country said very recently:
THE people think 1t is right because Roose-
welt does it,"
Is 1t not enough to endanger the balance
Of the strongest and most massive intellect?
No military chieftain, no statesman of
whatever grasp ever took such strong hold
of the affections and confidence of the
people Not insidiously, not step by step.
for never has educate been so rapid. have
the people been brought to that point
where they view with complacency, and If
truth be told with appreciation the as
sumption of uncircumscriped individual
prerogative and individual concentration of
power. 1t must be that public pride is an
influential factor in forming such a con-
dition. A distinguished Englishman, in a
distinguished gathering in that country,
said our President is the foremost character
in the civilized world. So it seems to be.
Certainly there Is no man In the world
more talked about than he, certainly no
man who has more impressed his person
atty upon national and international af
fairs. To the mass OF the people at home,
he has become a veritable little father"
Witness the appeal just made to him by the
Jew butchers of New York city to use his
good offices to settle dispute between
them and their customers over the price of
beef. 1t Is a marvellous condition. but as
every one appears to be satisfied, there
would be no profit in moralizing over it.
If there is anything left affecting the
public private affairs Of the people OF
this country that the President has not
indicated disposition to regulate he
can be depended upon to tackle 1t when
he comes around to 1T. 1t would not be
becoming nor perhaps fair to attribute
spectacular ambition to our President, but
if it was any one else that charge would
probably be made. His message will keep
Congress on the jump until the 4th of
March, and his name will be in the mouths
of men more than that of any other. Judg
ing by the past we need not anticipate that
a halo OF quiet will settle around the presi-
Dental head when Congress adjournS. The
President likes battleshps, and he has
proved he likes a sea trip. l have heard
the suggestion that next spring or summer
it may enter his, brain to take a great
feet of battleships and sail to Europe.
Why not? What grand, splendid time he
would have. and how his countrymen would
be thrilled by the adulatien,, ovation and
celebration which would encompass him!
I am just looking over the inaugural ad-
dress of William Henry Harrison, made
March 4, 1s41. Harrison had great record
and wide experience before he came to the
White House. He had long been in the
midst Of party politics, and, as you know.
party politics We're exceedingly bitter in
those days. Harrison was a statesman of
distinction. He had been governor of the
northwest territory when rare qualities of
prudence and judgment were called for.
He had served in the state senate of Ohio
and in both houses of Congress He was
also a warrior of renown, a true man on
horseback. He won splendid 1aurelS in
the war Of 1872. and he was great In
dian fighter and Indian pacificator. 1t is
most interesting and, l think, most apropos
to recall at this time what this famous and
idolized military cheftain, this man on
horseback" said on the subject of eXecu
tive power. He promised thus:
Il too well understand the dangerous
temptations to which l shall be exposed
from the magnitude of the power which it
has been the pleasure of the people to COM
nit to my hands, etc.
Speaking of the grants and limitations of
power prescribed by the Constitution to the
several departments composing the govern
ment, and the variety of constructions put
upon the same, he said:
But the great danger to our institutions
does not appear to me to be in A usurpa- |
ton by the government of power not grant |
ed by the people, but by the accumulation
was assigned to others
Touching upon the tendency of power |
to increase itself, particularly when exer-
cised by single individual he advocated
one term only fer the President so that |
he should not forget The is the account |
able agent not the principal, the servant, |
not the master.
AS to the power conferred upon the
President by the Constitution, he said:
Il cannot conceive that by fair con-
struction any or either of its provisions
would be found to constitute the President
part of the legislative power" The veto |
power and the power to recommend meas |
ures he asserted was not intended to make |
him the source in legislation.
In conclusion, he said: ''All the influence |
1 possess shall be exerted to prevent the
formation at least of executive party
in the halls of the legislative body. wish |
for the support of no member of that body
to any measure of mine that does not salts |
fy his judgment and his sense of duty to
those from whom he holds his appoint |
ment'
1t seems as if this was pretty good read
ing, although ii is sixty-fve years old
+. A RICHARDSON. !
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