Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-04
The Government nc
Work-The Pres
ident.

tors, 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, an.
other the life OF man and the next tho
payment OF $40 from the national treasury"
The president may transact the business
OF his office at any place he may elect
II Is this right which enables Mr.. Taft 10
stay at Beverly during the sumner. Con
gress once requested President Grant &c
advise it as to what part OF his duties
he performed while outside OF the District
OF Columbia. He replied in a politely
worded note that 1t was none of congress-
business, Never since then has this right
been questioned. There is nothing in the
constitution which prohibits the president
from going beyond the borders of the
United States, but MIR. 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 presl-
dent through his right Of appointment and
the prestige OF his office he exercises
legislative influence equivalent to that Of
the fourteen senators and sixty-five repre-
sentatives whose votes are enough to sus-
tain his veto as the senate and house are
now constituted. The only method by
which the president can be thwarted in his
purpose by congress- so long as he keeps
within his constitutional powers, is by con-
gress refusal 20 appropriate the money he
needs for carrying out his plans. AS COM
mander-in- chief OF the army no has the
right to handle 1t as he sees fit But con-
gress has the power to limit appropriations
for the army. and in this way is able TO
circumvent the will of the president An
instance Of this kind, outside of the army
occurred when congress declared that no
money appropriated by 1t 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 commits
sion in spite Of the limitation of congress
The person of the president Is inviolahle
during his term Of office. theoretically, he
cannot be arrested or restrained by any
body, even should he commit murder. The
only remedy against him while president
is the cumbersome impeachment proceed
ings. Even in these proceedings he cannot
be compelled to answer, TO attend, or to do
anything which In the slightest degree in
terferes with his personal liberty. This Is
| on the theory that such restraint would re-
strict the negative or positive powers OF
| his office and take a part Of the prest-
Dental power vested in him by the con-
sttution 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.
AS far as the courts are concerned, the
president may do as he pleases. There
| have been instances where interested par
ties sought to restrain him from doing GER
tain things by injunction proceedings, and
other instances where they have tried to
compel him to do other things by mandamus
proceedings. The courts have uniformly
refused to take any action restricting the
discretionary power OF the president. Con-
gress and the president often have had
clashes, but difference between the judiciary
and the president have been few. In one
instance Chief Justice Marshall handed
down an opinion with reference to the
Cherokee Indians In Georgia. 1t did not
suit President Jackson and he declared:
John Marshall has made his decision, now
let him enforce IT,"
With full control over more than 81. Co.,
100000 in salaries. with the right to sus-
pend or extend the civil service regulations,
the power to influence legislation by the
use of patronage or resore to the Veto the
direction of nine-tenths of the office hold
ers of the country and the supervision of
the expenditure of nearly 1900 100000, the
president of the United States stands at
the head of the list of influential leaders OF
the world. Since the beginning OF the gov
eminent his authority has grown and his
influence has been extended until now he
is a much more powerful executive than
the trainers of the constitution ever in
tended he should be.
By FREDERI0 ]. HAsKIM.
Tomorrow-Ths Government ut WORK
1.-THE state Department..