The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-14
Conception of Duties and Re- QuiTeneRts of the Office Are
 Discussed In Golfers
EXECUTIVE MUST BE
 WITH ALL TIE PEOPLE
Bryan Says Presidency Is Highest Po- sition in the World and Holder of Place Must Fully Sympa-
 thize With the People.

New York. July 19.-William J. Bryan. the democratic nominee for President. has written an article entitled My Con ception of the Presidency" for the July IS issue of Golfers Weekly. MT. Bryan says:
 "rhe Presidents power for good or harm is often over-estimated. Our gov ernment is a government Of checks and balances; power is distributed among diff ferent departments, and each official works in cooperation with others. In the making of laws, for instance, the President joins with the Senate and House. He may recommend. but is pow erless to legislate, 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 over the other. and the President has veto over both except that the Senate and the House can by a two thirds vote override the Presidents veto. The influence of the President over leg islation is therefore limited he shares re- sponsibility with a large number of the peoples representatives
 Even in the enforcement of law he is hedged about with restrictions He acts through an Attorney general (whose ap- pointment must be approved by the Sem ate), and offenders against tife law must be prosecuted in the courts, so that here again the responsibility is divided. In the making of important appointments, too. he must consult the Senate, and is of necessity compelled to exercise care and discretion.
 Of the People.
 ''The most important requisite in a President, as in other officials. is that his sympathy shall be with the whole people. rather than with any fraction of the pop ulation. He is constantly called upon to act in the capacity of a judge deciding between the opportunities of those who seek favors and the rights and interests of the public. Unless his synpathies are right the few are sure to have an advan- tage 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,
 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 sor> stries that are always employed by those who seek unfair advantages.
 'He must possess the moral courage 10 stand against the influences that are brought to bear in favor of special in- terests. In fact the quality of moral courage is as essential in a public official as either right sympathies or a trained mind.
 Advice of Counselors.
 "A President must have counsellors. and to make wise use of counselors he must be open to conviction. The Presi- dent is committed by his platform to cer- tain policies and the platform is binding; he is also committed to certain principles of government, and these he is in duty bound to apply in all matters that come before him. But there is a wide zone in which he must act upon his own judg- ment. and he ought to have the aid of intelligent, conscientious and faithful ad- visors. The law provides these to a cer- tain extent in giving him a cabinet and the vice president ought to be made a member of the cabinet ex-officio, in or der first that the President may have the benefit of his wisdom and knowledge of affairs; and, second that the vice presi- dent may be better prepared to take up the work of the President in case of d vacancy in the presidential office. There ought to be cordial relations also be- tween the President and those who oc- cupy positions of influence in the CO., ordinate branches of the government for our government is not a one-man govern ment, but government in which the chosen representatives of the people la bor together to give expression to the will of the voters.
 Highest Office.
 But the Presidency is the highest po- sition in the world and it's occupant is an important factor in all national mat ters. If he is devout believer in our theory of government, recognizes the constitutional distribution of powers, trusts thoroughly in the people and fully sympathizes with them in their aspira- tions and hopes. he has al, opportunity to do a splendid work he occupies q vantage ground from which he can exert a wholesome influence in favor of each forward movement.
 ''The responsibilities of the office are so great that the occupant ought to be reliever of every personal ambition save the ambition to prove worthy of the confidence of his countrymen for this reason he ought to enter the position without thought or prospect of second term.
 While the burdens of such an office are heavy, and while the labors of the office are exacting and exhausting, ths field of service is large, and. measuring its greatness by service, President by consecratng himself to the public veal. can make himself secure in the affections of his fellow-citizens while he lives and create for himself permanent place in the nations history"