Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-14
RESPONSIBILITIES Shared.

tWO-tn1TuS vote, override the TTeSiOcHI .
Veto
Responsibilities Shared.
The influence of the President over leg
islation, is, therefore, limited; he shares
responsibility with a 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 ap-
pointment must be approved by the SEN
ate) and Offenders against the law must
be prosecuted in the courts. so that here
again the responsibility is divided.
In the making of important appoint
ments. too. he must consult the Senate.
and is of necessity compelled to exercise
care and discretion.
1.-The most important requisite in q
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 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
sentatives 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; ne must be able to analyze the
conditions and to detect the sophistries
that are always employed by those who
seek unfair advantages. He must pos
sess the moral courage to stand against
the influences that are brought to bear
in favor of special interests.
Moral Courage Essential.
"In fact. the quality of moral courage
Is as essential in public official as
either right sympathies or a trained
mind.
"A President must have scounselors
and to make wise use of counselors he
must be open to conviction. The Presi-
dent is committed by his platform to
certain policies and the platform Is
binding; he is also committed to certain
principles of government. and these he IL
in duty bound to apply In all matters that
come before him.
But there is g. wide zone in which he
must act upon his own judgment, and
gent, conscientious and faithful advisers
The law provides these, to a certain ex.
tent, in giving him a cabinet, and the
Vice President ought to be made a mem
Der Of the cabinet ex-off1cio. in order
first, that the President may have the
affairs. and, second, that the Vice Presi-
dent may be better prepared to take uI
the work of the President In case of g
vacancy in the presidential Office.
There ought to be cordial relations
also between the President and those who
occupy positions OF influence in the CO.
ordinate branches of the government: for
our government Ia not a one-man govern
ment, but a government in which the
chosen representatives of the people labor
together to give expression to the will of
the voters.
Highest Position in World.
But the presidency is the highest posi-
ton in the world, and its occupant Is an
important factor in all national matters.
II he is devout believer in our theory
Of government, recognizes the constitu-
tional distribution of powers. trusts thor
oughly in the people, and fully sympa-
thizes with them in their aspirations and
hopes, he has an opportunity Ito do a
splendid work: he occupies vantage
ground from which he can exert q whole
some influence in favor of each forward
movement
THE responsibilities Of the Office are so
great that the occupant ought to be re-
lieved of every personal ambition, save
the ambition to prove worthy Of the con-
ndence 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, the field of
service is large and, measuring its great
ness ny service. President, by conse-
Grating himself to the public veal. can
make himself secure In the affections of
his fellow citizens while he lives, and
create for himself a permanent place in
the nations history"