Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-03-14

at liberty 10 lead the houses of con-
gress by persuasion" as he is mot
at liberty as president to dominate
them by authority suppos.ng that he
had, what he has not, authority
enough to dominate them" He has
no means Of compelling congress ex-
cept through public opinion" So
there we are againi-President lead
ership. congress. public opinion.
IF the president has personal force
and cares TO exercise II, there is this
tremendous difference between his
messages and the views of any other
citizen, either outside congress or in
il: that the whole country reads them
and feels that the writer speaks with
an authority and responsibility
which the people themselves have Civ.
en- him., With this comprehensive
view of the place and character OF
the presidential message, several 9TH
er recent White House policies fall in.
to place. ~. ........ il
The question of the exertion of un-
due pressure" upon congress, which
has agitated certain senatorial bosoms
becomes rather question Of how far
a presidents insistence on a policy
by the methods of persuasion is in
accord with public opinion. For, bar.
gaining with members as to appoint.
ments or as to other legislative .mea.
sures. or overbearing congress by
arbitrary acts which ignore the laws
or virtually override Them" he brand
as mot only deeply immoral but de.
structive of the fundamental under.
standings of constitutional govern
ment, and therefore of constitutional
government itself" So far, no sue
cess has been attained in the attempt
to fasten upon Mr.. Wilson the respon.
sibility for this kind of pressure.
As in his relations with congress
he has chosen the manner which will
give all legitimate scope for personal
powers of persuasion, so with his re,
lations with the press. BY his semi
weekly personal interviews with the
Washington correspondents he seeks
TO impart greater feeling of respon.
sibility to the human agents who may
powerfully affect public opinion by the
tone and manner, as well as the
substance, of the information they
furnish.
In his relations to the executive ser.
vice there have also appeared several
indications of fulfilment of the prom,
Use of the lecture. In 1908 Mr.. Will
son described the president of the
United States as ''the most heavily
burdened officer in the world" With
humor, slightly grim under the cir.
cumstances, he intimated that IF the
strain be not somehow relieved, we
shall be obliged always to be picking
our chief magistrates from among
wise and prudent athletes-a small
classi" But at the same time he also
suggested that the president "can Sc.
cure his own relief without Sinking
any real responsibility, naming az
one method thereof that appoint.
ments should be made more and more
upon the advice and choice of his
executive colleagues" Have we for.
gotten that very nearly the first bomb.
shell he threw into the camp of pre-.
cedent- the first was the omission of
the inauguration ball-was the an.
nouneement that he would refer all
callers upon matters of patronage to
the head of the executive department
concerned? At the time marvel was
accompanied by doubt as to the feast.
bility of living Hp 10 the announce.
ments But the country has no occa.
sion for uncertainty upon that point
now-the condition of the state de.
partment's Office and field force Ger.
tainly represents only Mr.. Bryan's
ideas
OF course, legally, the responsibility
remains upon the president. But Mr..
Wilson probably would point out that,
short of constitutional amendment
release of the presidents energies for
what he considers the more import
ant tasks of leadership of party and
nation can be had only at a price
One may disagree with Mr.. Wilson as
to the expediency of paying this
price; one is at liberty to suggest
other ways of release not so expensive
to the country's interest, but at least
on this basis the matter is intelli
gible.
Larger Matters Reserved
Further relief, he held, could be
obtained by depending on the deter.
limitations of Cabinet officers in minor
matters of policy, as well as of detail
"reserving for himself only the larger
matters of counsel and general
Oversight. of the business of govern.
ment and of those who conduct it.
This requires skill and promptness in
dealing with unexpected and suddenly
occurring difficulties. without no.
tice details may loom up as large
motfnrc Tho hnndlinn nf tho No