Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-07-30
BRYAN'S VIEWS
ON presidency
Tells OF Restrictions
Which Limit His
Power

an has written an article "My Concep.
tion of the Presidency for Golfers"
issue of July 18th. II is reproduced in
| full herewith:
THE Presidents power for good or
! for harm is often overestimated. Our
| government Is government of checks
and balances; power is distributed
/ among different departments and each
| Official works in cooperation with 9TH
! ers. In the making of laws, for in.
stance, the President Joins with the
| Senate and the House; he may recon-.
mend, but he is powerlcss to lcgislatc,
| except as a majority of the Senate
and the House concurs with him The
Senate and the House arc also indie.
pendent of each other each having 4
veto over the other, and the President
las veto over both. except thar the
Senate and House can. by twothirds
| vote, override the Presidents veto.
The influence of the President over
| legislation Is, therefore, limited: he
shares responsibility with = large
number of the Peoples representa-.
| tives.
Activity Restricted.
Even In the enforcement Of The law
he is hedgcd about by restrictions. He
acts through an Attoney.G sncrai,
whose appointment must he approved
| by the Senate. and offenders against
the law must be prosecuted IN the
courts, so that here again the rtggons-
ibility Is divided. In the making of
important appointments, too, he must
consult the Senate ana Is. Of nee ssity.
| compelled to exercise care aul lscre-
ton. The most important requisite in
4 President. as in officials, Is th1t his
sympathy shall be with the whole peo.
! pie, rather than with any fraction Of
the population. He H. constantly
| called upon to act IN The capacity of a
Judge, deciding between the impurtu.
mites Of those who seek favurs ANA
| the rights and interests OF the public.
Unless his sympathicS are right, the
few are sure to have an advantage over
the many, for the masses 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
"Sccond--The President must have
knowledge Of public questions and the
u
the false; he must be able to analyze
conditions and to detect the eophis.
tries that are always employed by
those who seek unfair advantages.
Needs Moral Courage.
He must possess the moral corr
age to stand against the tnlucnces
ihat are brought TO bear in favor of
special interests. In fact, the quality
Of moral courage is as essential in a
public Official rs either right sympa.
lhies or a trained mind
"A President must have councillors,
and, 10 make wise use OF counselors,
he must be open to convictions. The
President Is committed by his platform
TO certain policies and the platform Is
binding; he Is also committed to GER
tain principles of government and
these he is duly bound to apply in all
matters that come before him. But
there Is wide zone in which he must
act upon his own judgment, and here
he ought to have the aid of Intelligent,
conscientious and faithful advisers.
The law provides these, to a certain
extent, in giving him a cabinet and the
Nice-President ought to be made Il
member of the cabinet eX-ulicio in
order, first. that the President may
have the benefit OF his wisdom and
knowledge of affairs, and, second, that
the VicePresident may be better pre-
pared to take up the work of the Pros
ident in case of a vacancy In the Pres.
idential office. There ought to be COR
dial relations also between the Presi-
dent and these who occupy positions
nj In In, bp h,.,,
of the government, for our govern
ment Is not one.man government,
but government in which the chosen
representatives of the people labor to.
gether to give expressions TO the will
of the voters.
Great opportunity.
But the Presidency is the highest
position in the world and its occupant
rs an important factor in all national
matters. II ne Is deVuut believer in