The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1907-12-06
NEAR DANGER POINT
POSSIBILITY or A DICTATOR IN
THE PRESIDENTS CHAIR.
Faction OF the Republican Party Seems
intent on Concentrating Power In
the Chief Executive-Proceed.
Ing Is Revolutionary.

NlS SIlGI
Ing Is Revolutionary.
The president Of the United States
is unique figure amongst the heads
of the nations. He has more power
than the car Of Russia, because the
car Is held In check by the imperial
council, whose members have great in.
| dtyidual influence and represent not
/ only the civil but the ecclesiastical
/ power which is omnipotent The
| president controls absolutely his cab.
/ met and all other executive ficials,
/ through the influence of patronage.
I lie In a great measure controls the
/ majority party of congress Only the
| supreme court is above and independ-
ent Of him ana that court can be
packed for special purposes Of great
/ party necessity by the appointment to
/ vacancies as they occur. President
/ Roosevelt tried not long ago to oh.
tain a promise from chief Justice
Fuller to retire, so that a Republican
| appointoe Of the president could take
/ the place, thereby perhaps changing
/ the decisions Of the court on political
I questions. There is another power
/ that President Roosevelt has invoked
/ when he summoned representatives Of
capital and labor 10 his council cham
Dor and forced them to arbitratc Ques.
lions Of disagreement between them
and promise TO abide by the decision
OF commission Of his appointing,
there being no warrant for such
summary proceeding either in the con-
sItulion or tn" statute law In that
cas-" tho suffering OF the people from
tho scarcity Of coal produced by the
strike made many people indorse that
action and approve 1t.
A faction Of the Republican PARTY.
which may be termed the radical
wing, is intcHt on concentrating all
power in the hands OF the president
. by virtually allowing him to become
the dictator OF politics. legislation
business and morals. No former pres.
idont of the republic ever dreamed
OF this oncMan power, and the IA
theirs Of the republic would have been
| discarded If they had attempted IT,
The legislative branch Of the govern
m"nt was expressly made independent
Of the president as far as the law
| making power Is concerned. The presi
dent only having the right to recon-
mend legislation and to veto bills he
could not approve, but even the veto
power was limited, for two-thiyds of
congress could override IT, In time
Of war and dire stress the fathers of
the republic never attempted to coerce
the legislators.
But lately another ruler has arisen
that arruEatcs to himself imperial pow
or, sometimes wisely welded, but
often sadly misplaced. No man is so
good and great that he can do all
things wisely and well, and the dis
trIbution Of power through the legsIa-
tive judicial and executive depart
ments was intended to so balance
things that a dictator would be i'm
possible
We are on the verge OF overthrow
ing that wise distribution Of power
and may regret before long that we
have sanctioned, If not actually APP
proved, most revolutionary proceed.
ings. The next president may be n
worse man than the present one. he
may be more adroit and circumspect
In increasing and using his power,
and president may soon appear that
will find imperial power ready made
TO his hand and he may seize It,
Could we dethrono him If he did so?
He would command the army and the
navy, and, under the new law, he also
controls the militia He could II he
would overawe us and by adrolt man
agcment pcrpetuate his power. There
is no law against third terms or fourth
ones and It would not be difficult to
find a pretcXt for the use of armed
men at the polls and to drive those
opposed TO his reelection away from
the counting Of the votes, and parti-
sanship would do the rest. This Is
what people must think of IL they
wish to see the perpetuation Of the re-
public in which all the public have
voice.