The Detroit times., 1910-10-10

saia' one signature involves the
peace OF the nation. another It's imam
cial policy, another the life of q man.
and the next the payment of ten dol
lars from the national treasury"
The president may transact the
business OF his ONCE at any place be
may elect. II Is this right which en-.
ables Mr.. Taft TO stay at Beverly dur.
Ing the summer. Congress once re-
quested President Grant to advise it
as to what part OF his duties he Der.
formed while outside OF the District
OF Columbia. He replied In q politely
wordod note that II was none OF con-
gress' business. Never since then has
this right been questioned. There IL
nothing In the constitution which pro.
hibits the president from going be-
yond the borders of the United States.
but Mr.. Cleveland was the FIRST chief
executive to do SO. On fishing trip
to North Carolina he went beyond the
three-mile limit In the Atlantic ocean.
Aside from the great power Of the
president through his right Of appoint
ment and the presIige of his once, ~
exercises legislative influence equiv
alent to that OF the fourteen senators
and 65 representatives whose votes
are enough to sustain his veto a. the
senate and house are now constituted.
The only method by which the prosi-
dent can be thwarted In his purposes
by congress, so long as he keeps with
In his constitutional powers, II By
congress refusal to appropriate the
money he needs for carrying out hia
plans AS commanderin-chief Of the
army he has the right to handle It -
he sees At But congress has the pow
er TO limit appropriations for. tho
army. and in this way IL able to CIR
cnmxent the will Of the president- An
instance OF this kind, outside Of the
army, occurred when congress de-
clared that no money appropriated by
II should be used for the payment OF
President Roosevelt's conservation
commission. Mr.. Roosevelt declared
recently that II he had continued In
presidential office he would have
found funds for the maintenance Of
the commission In spite OF the limita-
ton OF congress-
The person OF the president II inviol-
able during his term Of ONCE. Theo-
retically, he cannot be arrested or re-
strained by anybody. oven should he
commit murder. The only remedy
against him while president II the
cumbersome impeachment proceed
ings Even In these proceedings he
cannot be compelled to answer, to at
tend, or to do anything which In the
slightest degree interferes with his
personal liberty. This Is on the the
DRY that such restraint would restrict
the negative or positive powers OF his
ONCE and take part Of the presiden-
tial power vested In him by the con-
stitution of his hands. In practice.
however. The president may be arrest
ed or otherwise restrained. President
Grant was fond Of fast driving, and
upon one occasion was arrested for
violation Of the speed laws. The
Negro policeman who made the ar
rest began to apologize for disturbing
the president but the latter command
ed him to do his duty. Next day
President Grant forfeited $50 collat-
eral In the police court.
As far as the courts are concerned,
the president may do as he pleases.
There have been instances where In
terested parties sought to restrain him
from doing certain things by Injunction
proceedings ard other instances where
they have tried to compel him to do
other things by mandamus proceed
ings. The courts have uniformly re-
fused to take any action restricting
the discretionary power OF the presi-
dent. Congress and the president off,
en- have had clashes, but differences
between the judiciary and the presi-
dent have been few. In one instance
Chief Justice Marshall handed down
an opinion with reference to the
Cherokee Indians In Georgia. II did
not suit President Jackson and he de-'
clared: John Marshall has made his
decision, now let him enforce It,
With full control over more than
billion dollars In salaries, with the
right to suspend or extend the civil
service regulations. the power to In
fiuence legislation by the use OF pa
tronage or resort to the veto, the d.
rection OF nine-tenths Of the ofiioe-
holders of the country. and the super
vision of the expenditure OF nearly four
billions of dollars, the president OF the
United States stands at the head or
the list of influential leaders % the
world. Since the beginning OF the
government his authority has grown
and his influence has been extended
until now he il a much more powerful
executive than the trainers OF the con-
stitution. ever intended he should be.
Says Detroit Should Have Subway.