Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-07-14
POWERSOFT THE
PRESIDE NCY
OVERRATEO
BRYAN'S CONCEPTION OF
DUTIES OF HIGH OFFICE
Believes Incumbent Should Be
Relieved of all Political Ambi-
ton and Enter Position With
out Hope of Second Term
tBy Morning journal special Leased wirs.l

lBy Morning journal Special Leased Wire J
New York, July 13.-W. j. Bryan
has written an article entitled, My
/ Conception of the Presidency" for The
July, 1905, issue Of Golfers Weekly.
"The presidents power for good ~
/ for harm is often overestlmated THIS
government is government #
/ checks anu balances. power is dis
tributtd among different departments.
and each OF them works in co-opera-
/ ton with others In the making Of
laws, for instance, the president joins
with the svnate and house; he may
recommend. but he is powerless 20
| legislate, except as a majority of the
senate and the house concur win
him, The senate and the house are
also independent of eacn other. each
having a veto over the other, and tAr
president has veto over both, with
The exception that the senate aud
house can by a two-thirds vote, ov n
ride the presidents veto. The lnflu-
ence Of the president over legislation
is therefore limited he shares re-
sponsibiiity with large number of
the peoples representatives
Even in the enforcement of law he
is hedged about by restrictions. He
acts through an attorney general
(whose appointment must be ~
proved by the senate) and offenders
against the law must be prosecut Il
in the courts, SO that here again !ha
responsibility is divided In the maxi
ina ,.f f,,f "a
must consult the senate and is Of ne
cessity compelled to exercise care and
discretion. The most important requi-
site in a president as in other officials,
Is that his sympathy shall be with the
whole people, rather than with any
faction of the population. He is con-
stantly called upon TO act in the ca
pacity Of a judge~-deciding between
the opportunities of those who seek
faVors and the rights and interests OF
the public. Unless his sympathies are
right, the few are sure TO have an ad-
vantage over the many for the
masses have no one to present their
claims. They act only at elections,
ana must trust to their representa- !
dives TO protect them from all their |
foes.
second, the president must have |
knowledge Of public questions and the |
ability to discern between the true |
and the false, he must be able to |
analyze the conditions and to detect |
the sophlstries that are always en- /
ployed by those who seek unfair ad-
"He must have the moral courage |
to stand against the Influences that
are brought TO bear in favor of spe-
,ial interests. In fact, the quality of
moral courage is as essential in pub
lie official as either right sympathies
Or a trained mind
"A president must have cGunsellors,
ana to make wise use of counsellors,
he must be open to conviction. The
president is committed by his platform
10 certain policies, and the platform
Is binding; he Is also committed to
certain policies of government and
hese ne Is in duty bound to apply in
All matters that come before him.
But there is a wide zone i'm which
ne must act upon his own Judgment
md here he ought to have the aid of
conscientious and faithful
ldvisors.
But the presidency is the highest
position i'm the world and its occupant
S an important factor in all national
matters. If he is a devout believer
n our theory Of government. he rec
gnizes the constitutional distribution
f powers trusts thoroughly i'm the
'eople and fully sympathizes with
hem i'm their aspirations and hopes, |
ie has an opportunity to do a splen-
I'D work; he occupies vantage
round from which he can exert a
wholesome influence in favor of each
onward movement
The responsibilities of the office
re so great that the occupant ought
o be relieved of every personal am
ition, save the ambition to prove
iorthy Of the confidence of his coun-
rymen for this reason. he ought to 2
nter the position without thought or I
respect of second term.
while the burdens of such an Of 7
oe,are so heavy and while the labors
Z the office are exciting and exhaust
lg, the field of service is large and.
leasurlng its greatness by service, a
resident by consecrating himself TO |
le public veal can make himself Sc
urc in the affections Of his fellow
itizens while he lives and create for
imself permanent place In the ma I
on's history"