Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1908-07-22
THE PRESIDENCY
Mr.. Bryan's Conception of the
Duties of the Office

Democratic nominee for President
has written an article entitled,
"My Conception of the Presiden-
cy," for the July 18Th issue Of
Golfers Weekly. Mr.. Bryan
says:
"The Presidents power for good
or for harm ls often over estimat-
ed. Our government is a govern
ment Of checks and balances !;
power is distributed among DIFF.
ferent departments and each off,
cial works in cooperation with
others.
"In the making of laws, fer in.
stance, the President may recon.
mend; but he is pOwerless to leg
islate, except as a majority of the
Senate and the House concur with
him. The Senate and the House
are also independent of each other,
each having a veto CT each other;
and the President has veto over
both; except that the Senate anO
the House can, by a two third
vote, override the Presidents
veto. The influence of the Presi-
dent over legislation, is, there
fore, limited; he shares response
bility with a large number of the
peoples representatives.
"Even in the enforcement o
law he is hedged about by restric-
tions. He acts through an attof
ney general (wbose appointment
must be approved by the Sepste)
and offenders against the Law
must be prosecuted in the courts,
so that here again the RESPONSE
bility is divided. In the making
Of important appointments, BE-
must consult the Senate, and is oil
necessity compelled to exercise
care and discrimination. The
most important requisite in Il
Pre- sident, as in other officials, il
that his sympathy shall be with
the whole people, rather than
with any fraction of the popula
ton.
"He is constantly called upor
10 act in the capacity of judge,
deciding between the importuni'
ties of those who seek favors anc
the rights and interests of the
public. Unless his sympathies
are right, the few are sure to have
no one to present their claims.
They act only at elections, and
must trust to their representatives
to protect them from all their
foes.
"Second, the President must
have knowledge OF public ques-
lions and the ability to discern
between the true and the false; he
must be able to analyze the condi'
tions and to detect the sophistries
that are always employed by those
who seek unfair advantages.
"He must possess the moral
courage to stand against the In
huences that are brought to tesr
in favor of special interests. In |
fact the quality for moral courage |
is as essential in a public official as
other right sympathise or trained |
mind.
"a President must have counsel
lors, and to make wise use of cOun-
sellers be must be open to convic-
tions. The President is commit
ted by his platform to certain pol
icies and the platform is binding;
he is also CON mitted to certain
principles of government and
these he is in duty bourd tOcpply in
all matters that come before him.
But there is a wide zone in which
he must act upon his own judy
ment and here he ought to have
the aid of intelligent: conscious
and faithful advisers.
"The law provides these, to
certain extent, in giving HIM
cabinet, and the Vice President
ought to be made a member of the
cabinet ex offlcio in order, first,
that the President may have the
benefit of his wi, dom anc knowl-
edge of affairs and second. that the.
Vice President may be better pre-
pared to take up the work OF the
President in case of vacancy In
the Presidential office.
"There ought to be cordial re-
lations also between the President
and those who occupy positions OF
influence in the coordinate branch
es of the government, for our gov
eminent is not one-man govern
ment, but a government in whict
the chosen representatives OF the
people labor together to give ex-
pressions to the will of the voters.
"But the Presidency is the high
est position in the world and its
occupant is an important factor in
all national matters. If he is a
devout believer in our theory OF
government, recognizes the con-
stitutiOnal distribution of powers,
trusts thoroughly In the people
and fully sympathizes with then
in their aspirations and hopes, be
has an opportunity TO do a splend
i'd work; he occupies ground from
which he can exert wholesome
influence in favor of each forward
movement.
"The. responsibilities of the
m hnln hnl