The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-10-02
THE WEEKLY JOURNAL. Issued Thursday. One Dollar a Year.
DUTIES OF 4 PRESIDENT.

Evidently the frequent peregrina- tions of President Roosevelt, marked as they invariably are by the making of speeches, have got on to the nerves of the Hartford Times. It looks con- fidently forward to the time when not only the freedom of the President of the United States to move about as he chooses will be restricted either by legislative enactment or through the force of public opinion, but the free dom of office-holders generally. Our contemporary speaks of keeping "within properly and accurately fixed limits the activities of persons holding public office"
 Theodore Roosevelt as President of the United States has taken differ ent view of his duty in connection with It's discharge than any President we have had in more than 8 genera ton. We remember to have heard his immediate predecessor, President Mckinley, say to a delegation which had waited upon him to obtain his consent to speak at local celebra- ton In the middle west that he had made it rule to speak in public only when the occasion left no question of propriety. At that very time he was scheduled to speak before the Manu- facturers' Association at a New York banquet, but, as he explained, it was necessary that the attitude of the ad- ministration towards certain matters of interest to it's members should be more fully explained. It will be re- Kinley was candidate for reelection he declined to travel about the coun- try making speeches, though helpless should delegations visit him at his home in Ohio President Cleveland was only an occasional public speaker and then only when the occasion was what might be called an important public function. President Harrison made a profound impression in his swing about the national circle, charming the entire country with the tact and felicitousness of his neigh borly addresses. Among all the Pres idents the unwritten rule appears to have been that elevation to the great office carried with 1t an obligation to observe with the largest particularly all of the conceivable dignities; that of all the offices within the gift of the people that of President is most hedg- ed in by conventionalities.
 This has not been the view Presi- dent Roosevelt has taken of the in- piled responsibility, and to be frank there is no evidence that the Ameri- can people have resented the Intro- duction of different program. On the contrary there is evidence, outside oi those whom he has criticised with tho greatest ferocity, that his policy has been attractive to them. Tt is no necessary" says the Hartford Times "that he shall go about the countr, making speeches on all possible oc casions. It is not necessary that h, shall attend cornerstone layings, cele brations of all kinds, and dedication of public structures" Of course it i not necessary, but what reason ha our contemporary to. believe that tn question of necessity ever entered in to the consideration of his conduct Necessary or not it is extremely pop ular conduct, and being unquestion ably the best trained politician in tn country to-day he employs it withou hesitation and to his political profit His enormous popularity can be a U1uCIA IIdCSu u HIS peEbSTlnALlOn and his public speeches, crude thoug they often are, as to his bubblin humanity. But in spite of this tn Times says: we look to see in tn future the establishment of a rul which will absolutely interdict tn participation by any President of tn United States in an affair like the lay ing of the foundation stone of cathe dral in which the President was yes terday a prominent figure" It will | interesting to see how such rule
 to be determined upon and who is 1 enforce it against the President, pal ticulariy as 1t is quite possible that
 will be a full generation if ever befol
 we have another man in that gre;
 office of his restless and energetic ni
 ture. Surely the conduct of one Pre-
 ident who seeks the enlightenment
 his fellow citizens in a characterist
 manner will never be accepted as u
 basis for the control of all President
 It is possible that President Roos