Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-04
THE GOVERNMENT AT WORK.
1.-THE PRESIDENT.
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.


presidential office and the grind usually
tells on the in
Grind Has It's Effect cumbent. Be
on the President. nsners exsm,n,
ing acts of Congress, receiving visitors.
considering matters Of state with his
cabinet and appointing men to office. the
President finds that very often he must
work far into the night to get through
with his task. President Harrison once
said: "One signature involves the peace
OF the nation. another it's financial policy,
another the life of a man. and the next
the payment Of ten dollars from the ma
ttonal Treasury
The President may transact the bust
ness OF his ONCE at any place he may
elect. 1t is this right which enables MIR.
Taft to stay at Beverly during the
summer Congress once requested Pres
dent Grant to advise 1t as to what part
OF his duties he performed while outside
OF the District of Columbia. He replied
in politely worded note that it was
none of Congress business. Never since
then has this right been questioned. There
is nothing in the Constitution which pro-
hibits the President from going beyond
the borders of the United States, but
Cleveland was the first chief executive
to do so. On a 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
Exercises Great prestige of his
Legislative Influence c,ses lee,s,a-
tive influence equivalent to that of the
senator's and representatives whose votes
are enough to sustain his veto as the Sen
ate and House are now constituted. The
only method by which the President can
be thwarted in his purposes by Congress.
so long as he keeps within his constitu-
tional powers, is by Congress- refusal to
appropriate the money he needs for car
rying out his plans. AS commander-in-
chief OF the army he has the right to
handle 1t as he sees fit But Congress has
the power to limit appropriations for the
army, and in this way is able to circum-
vent the will of the President. An in
instance of this kind, outside of the
army. occurred when Congress declared
that no money appropriated by it should
be used for the payment OF President
RooSevelts conservation commission.
Mr.. Roosevelt declared recently that if
he had continued in the presidential Office
he would have found funds for the main
tenance Of the commission in spite Of the
Limitation of Congress.
The person Of the President is inviolable
during his term Of Office. Theoretically
he cannot be arrested or restrained by
anybody, even should he commit murder.
The only remedy against him while Pres
ident is the cumbersome Impeachment
proceedings. 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 per-
SOnal liberty. This is on the theory that
such restraint would restrict the negative
or positive powers of his Office and take a
part of the presidential power vested in
him by the Constitution out Of his hands.
In practice, however, the President may
be arrested and 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 arrest began to
apologize for disturbing the President, but
the latter commanded him to do his duty
Next day President Grant forfeited $40
collateral in the police court.