The Detroit times., 1908-07-14
||DRYkN Views
s|n[ OFFICE OF
PRESIDENT
colaAAoNER SETS FORTH IN COL
Liars WEEKLY THE MAIN REQ
uieirEs-WouLD COOPERATIVE
WITH GOVERNMENTS BRANCH

NEW YORK. July l4.-"My concep
ton OF the presidency" IL set forth
by VIM. Jennings Bryan. Democratic
nominee for president In the current
issue of Golfers Weekly. He says,
In part:
THE presidents power for good or
for harm Is often over.estimated. Our
government is Il government of cheeks
and balances; power Is distributed
among different departments and each
Official works In cooperation with 9th
ers.
In making the laws. for instance,
the president joins with the senate
and the house: he may recommend.
but he Is powerless TO legislate, ex-
cept as a majority OF the senate and
the house concur with him. The SEN
ate and the house are also indepen-
dent of each other, each having a We
TO over the other. and the president
has veto over both; except that the
senate, and the house can, by two
third vote override the presidents We
TO. The influence OF the president over
legislation Is. therefore. limited; he
shares responsibility with large
number of peoples representatives.
Even In the enforcement OF law
he is hedged about by restrictions.
He acts through an attorney general
Whose appointment must be approx
ed by the senate. and offenders
against the law must be prosecuted
In the courts, SO that here again the
responsibility Is divided.
Must Consult the Senate.
I'm the making OF important ap-
pointments, too, he must consult the
senate and is, OF necessity. compelled
to exercise care and discretion The
most important requisite in a presi
dent, as in other officials, Is that his
sympathy shall be with the whole
people. rather than wit hany faction
OF the people. He Is constantly call,
ed upon to act In the capacity OF
tudge-deciding between the importu-
mites OF those who seek favors and
the rights and interests OF the pub
lie.
Unless his sympathies are right
the few are sure to have anadvantage
over the many. for the masses have
no one to present their election claims
They acr only at elections; and must
trust to their representatives to pro-
tect them from all their foes.
Second, the president must have
a knowledge of public questions and
the ability to discern between the
true and the false; he must be able
( oanalyze the conditions and TO de-
tect the sophistries that are always
employed by those who seek unfair
advantages.
Must Have Moral Courage.
He must possess the moral cour-
pge to stand against the influences
that are brought TO bear In favor OF
Q special interests. In fact, the quality
of moral courage Is as essential in Il
public official as either right sympa
thies or a trained mind
a PRESIDENT must have counsel
ors. and. to make wise use OF coun'
sellers. he must be open TO convlc-
tons. The president Is committed by
his platform TO certain policies and
the platform is binding; he Is also
committed to certain principles Of gov
eminent. and these he Is In duty
bound to apply In all matters tnat
come before him.
But there is wide zone In which
ne must act upon his own judgment.
and here he ought TO have the aid OK
intelligent, conscientious and faithful
advisers. The law provides these to
a certain extent, In giving him cab
met. and the vice-president ought to
he made a member OF the cabinet ex-
of5icio in order first. that the presi'
dent may have the benefit Of his wis
dom and knowledge of affairs. and,
second. that the vice-president may be
better prepared to take up the work
OF the president In case OF vacancy
in the presidential office.
Relations with subordinates.
There ought to be cordial relations
also between the president and those
who occupy positions of influence In
the coordinate branches Of the gov
eminent, for our government Is not
a one-man government. but a govern
ment in which the chosen representa-
tives OF the people labor together 10
give expression to the VIII or the
voters
But the presidency is the highest
position in the world. and Its occupant
is an important factor In all national
matters. II he Is devout believer
I'm our theory of government, recog-
nizes the constitutional distribution
of powers. trusts thoroughly In the
people and fully sympathizes with
them In their aspirations and hopes,
he has an opportunity to do a splen'
did work: he occupies vantage
ground from which he can exert a
wholesome influence In favor OF each
forward movement
single Term Enough.
THE responsibilities OF the office
are so great that the occupant ought
TO be relieved OF every personal am
hilton. save the ambition TO prove
worthy of the confidence OF his coun'
trymen: for this reason. he ought to
enter the position without thought or
prospect OF a second term.
while the burdens OF such an OF
fce are heavy, and while the labors
or the Office are exacting and exhaust
ing. the field of service Is large, and
measuring its greatness by service. q
president. by consecrating himself to
the public veal, can make himself Sc
cure in the affections Of his fellow
citizens while he lives and create for
himself permanent place In the ma
tons history"