The Democratic advocate., 1908-07-31
BRYAN ON PRESIDENCY.

BRYAN ON PRESIDENCY.
Declares it the Highest Position in
The World.
New York, July 13-Wiliam ]. Bryan
has written an article entitled my
Conception of the Presidency" for
Golfers Weekly. Mr.. Bryan says:
''The Presidents power for good or
for harm is often over estimated. Our
Government is government of checks
and balances ;power is distributed
among different departments, and
each official works in cooperation
with others. In 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 concur with him.
The Senate and the House are also
Independent of each other, each hav-
ing veto over the other and the Pres
ident has a veto over both, except that
the Senate and House can by a two
thirds vote override the Presidents
veto. The influence of the President
over legislation is, therefore, limited;
he shares responsibility with a large
number of the peoples representa-
tives.
even in the enforcement of law he
is hedged about by restrictions. He
acts through an Attorney
! (whose appointment must be approved
by the Senate), and offenders against
the law must be prosecuted in the
courts, so that here again the respon-
ic dixyi6 IN
important appointments, too, he must
consult the Senate, and is, of neces-
sity, compelled to exercise care and
discretion. The most important req
uisite in President, as in other
officials, is that his sympathy shall be
with the whole people, rather than
with any fraction of the population.
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
sympathies 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.
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 to analyze
the conditions and to detect the soph-
is tries that are always employed by
those who seek unfair advantages.
HE must possess the moral cour-
age to stand against the influences
that are brought to bear in favor OF
special interests. In fact, the quality
of moral courage is as essential in
public official as either right sympa-
thies or trained mind.
"a President must have counselors,
he must be open to conviction. The
President is committed by his plat
form to certain policies, and the plat
form 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 judgment, and
here he ought to have the aid of intel
ligent, conscientious and faithful ad-
visers. The law provides these, to a
certain extent, in giving him Cabinet
and the Vice-PreSident ought to be
made a member Of the Cabinet eS
officio, 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. There
ought to be cordial relations also be-
tween the President and those who
occupy positions of influence in the
coordinate branches of the govern
ment, for our government is not {
one-man government, but a govern
ment in which the chosen representa-
tives of the people labor together tt
give expression to the will of the
voters.
But the Presidency is the highes
position in the world, and its occupan
is an important factor in all nationa
matters If he is a believer in oul
theory Of government, recognizes thu
constitutional distribution of powers
trusts thoroughly in the people ant
fully sympathizes with them in thei
aspirations and hopes, he has an op
portunity to do splendid work; ht
occupies 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 ough
to be relieved of every personal am
bition, save the ambition to prove
worthy of the confidence of his coun
trymen; for this reason he ought tt
enter the position without thought Of
prospect of second term.
while the burdens of such an Of
flee are heavy, and while the labors O.
the office are exacting and exhaust
ing, the field of service is large, and
measuring it's greatnes by service, {
president by consecrating himself
to the public veal, can make himself
secure in the affections of his fellow
citizens while he lives and create fol
himself permanent place in the ma
tion's history"