The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-07-16

BYRAN ON THE. PRESI-
DENCY.

Its Powers Overestimated-
Chief Executive is Powerless
Unless a Majority of the
House and Senate Concur
with Him-Must Stand Against
the Influences of Special
Interests.
New York Dispatch, 18th.
William Jennings Bryan, the
Democratic nominee for Pres
ident, has written an article en-
titled My Conception of the
Presidency" for the July 18th
issue of Golfers Weekly. Mr..
Bryan says:
'The Presidents power for
good or for harm is often over
estimated. Our government is
a government of checks and
balances; power is distributed
among different departments,
and each of them works in CO.
operation with others. The
making of laws, for instance,
the President joins with the
Senate and the House; he may
recommend but he is powerless
to legislate, except as majority
of the Senate and the House con-
cur with him. The Senate and
the House are also independent
of each other, each having a
veto over the other; and the
President has a veto over both;
except that the Senate and the
House can, by a tWO-thirds vote.
override the Presidents veto.
INFLUENCE LIMITED.
"The influence of the Presi-
dent over legislation is there.
fore limited; he shares responsi.
bility with a large number of the
peoples representatives. Even
in the enforcement of law he
is hedged about by restrictions
He acts through an Attorne!
General (whose appointment
must be approved by the Senate.
and offenders against the Law
must be prosecuted in the courts
so that here again the responsi
bility is divided. In the maxim,
of important appointments, h
must consult the Senate, and /
of necessity compelled to exercis
care and discrimination. Tn
most important requisite in
President, as in other OF
fcials, is that his sympa
thy shall be with the whole peo
pie, rather than with any frac
ton of the population. He i
constantly called upon to act i
/ the capaity of a judge-decidin
betweenthe opportunities ofthos
who seek favors and the right
and interests of the public. Ur
less his sympathies are right, tn
few are sure to have an advar
tage over the many, for tn
masses have no one to preser
, their claims. They act only
elections, and must trust to the:
representatives to protect thel
from all their foes. Second, tn
President must have a know
edge Of public questions and tt
. ability to discern between tt
true and the false; he must
able to analyze the condition
m and to detect the sophistries th'
II are always employed by tho
g who seek unfair advantages.
MORAL COURAGE.
He must possess the NOR
courage to stand against the i
fuences that are brought to be-
gu in favor of special interests.
tn fact, the quality of moral coura'
re is as essential in a public offici
en- as either sight sympathies or
ell trained mind.
on A President must have cou
selors, and to make wise use
counselors he must be open
convictions. The President
committed by his platform to &C
y tain policies and the platform
binding; he is also committed
certain principles of cover
- ment and these he is in du
bound to apply in all matters tn
? come before him. But there
a wide zone in which he MI
act upon his own judgment, a.
here he ought to have the aid
intelligent, conscientious a
faithful advisers. The law pl
vides these, to a certain extel
in giving him a Cabinet, and
Vice President ought to be ma
s a member Of the Cabinet
officio, in order, first, tt
k. the President may ha
the benefit of his wi sdoma
knowledge of affairs, and secor
that the Vice President may
better prepared to take up
work of the President in case
a vacancy in the president
office. There ought to be &C
2 dial relations also between
! President and those who occr
positions of influence in the
ordinate branches of the COVE
ment, where our government
: not a one man government,
i, a government in which the cho
representatives of the pee
labor to give expression to
will of the voters.
HIS OPPORTUNITIES.
"But the presidency is