Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-06
PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS
Mr.. Taft Discusses Law and Law
Enforcement at Macon.
RESPONSIBILITY OF EXECUTIVE
He VIII Recommend Needed Changes
in Laws. and 1T VIII He Duty of
Representative of People
to Act.

SAVANNAH, Ga, Nov. 5-President Taft
travelled through central and southern
Georgia Thursday afternoon through
woods rich in the warm reds Colds
and browns of autumn. He spent the fore
noon at Macon, where he declared he was
glad to be back in Georgia again and felt
thoroughly at home in the state whence he
went to Washington last March to assume
the path OF office.
The president arrived here at 7:45 o'clock
tonight and began his eighteen hours stay
with a banquet at the De Soto hotel. To-
morrow he will be taken for a sail over
the harbor, will rave a spin around the
famous automobile course over which the
grand prize races were run last fall and
will have lunch at the Thunderbolt casino.
Savannah is the farthest south the presi-
dent will go and when he leaves here at 2
O'Clock tomorrow afternoon he will return
at last toward Washington, where he Is
I due to arrive next Wednesday evening.
Georgia has proved no exception to the
other southern states President Tart has
visited, in extending a welcome. In Macon
this morning 1t seemed as though the coun-
try for miles around had been depopulated
to make up the throngs that gathered In
that city. At every one Of the numerous
stops between Macon and this city there
were large throngs out to greet the presi-
dent and cheer the few words he had an
opportunity to utter. Tonight the presi-
dent was met by another great crowd. Dur
ing his stay in savannah Mr.. Taft is the
guest Of General william w. Gordon an
old family friend.
President and Congress.
The Macon fair speech was Mr.. Taft'a
principal utterance Of the day and in it he
sought to define more exactly than he mas
in the past the limitations placed upon the
executive and the responsibility that should
rest upon congress. Tit president also
took occasion to state the belief that the
best way to accomplish reforms was not
in the disregard by the executive of the
limitations that stand in their way,
The president said:
I'VE have been trained a thousand years
through our English ancestry in the self
restraint that is necessary to the success
of popular government and in that quality
Of being good losers that enables us to live
happily and contentedly under a govern
ment Of which we are not a part. And
the same self-restraint that teaches the
majority that rules that not only the limi-
tations OF law and the constitution, but
limitations Of deeency. limitations Of pa
triotism, are as strong on the majority as
it is possible that should be.
In other words, the power that is en-
joyed is the power to be exercised only for
the benefit of the people and the country,
and not for the purpose of exalting the
person who temporarily is vested with the
power to exercise It.
u always hear, because 1t is pleasant
and because the man who says II believes
II and also because It rounds a full period,
about the power OF the president of the
United States, and 1 doubt not that after
/ am out OF office l shall be able to look
back and see where / might have done
things in the exercise Of power that would
have filled ME with a consciousness Of H.,
but am bound to say that under existing
circumstances the thing which impresses
me most is not the power / have to ex r.
else under the constitution, but the limita-
lions and restrictions TO which l am sub
ject under that instrument
Forefathers BuIIded Well.
But our forefathers builded well, and
they knew what they were doing, and !
an not In favor. even II It seems to me
that a particular provision ought to be
omitted, OF changing the constitution every
time you run against the sharp edge OF
something that Indicates that you are only
7 mortal and that the fo%refathers in making
the constitution distrusted your human
nature.
my friends, that leads me up to on,
little sermon. and that Is. the wisdom
and necessity OF following the law as 4
exists. / know hat some times In th'