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

NitCAi -SOA0h W ~ y SSN ~ - -
- Relations of President,
Cabinet, Congress and Public
Opinion
Some persons, but not many, have
noticed that. in rather special sense,
President Wilson is in the position oil
man who has said how given great
task ought 10 be done, and then, sud
denly. has been given the chance To
make good In his Blumenthal lee
lures at Columbia University, in the
winter OF 1903, he made plain what
he thought the office Of president OF
the United States might be and be
come Five years from that time he
was laying definite plans for his ad'
, ministration of that office, says the
New York Post
Much has been made, of course, OF
Mr.. wilson's entrance upon the presi.
dency almost Immediately from a line
! of activity far removed from the voca.
lions which have usually furnished our
presidents Compared with other
presidents limitations into high exec
utiye office, the New Jersey governor.
ship was very brief experience
albeit very significant, In spite OF
this, however, 1t may be affirmed that
not for century has the country had
president whose serious, responsibly
uttered views concerning the powers.
duties, and opportunities Of his high
office were more easily accessible. 1t
may be quite true that In the case OF
other to-be-presidents the country was
satisfactorily informed as to their
views upon the dominant issues OF
their times.
But in no other case has the country
been so plainly informed as TO what II
might expect from the candidate s
opinions concerning the place Of the
presidency in the national system of
government and its opportunities in
relation to leadership. OF course, this
does not mean that these views were
uttered with any vivid expectation
that he would be called upon to put
them into practice. Mr.. Wilson's ideas
in their most maturely considered and
happily expressed form, were given
in the Lectures referred to, in the
winter of 1908. At that time, in spite
OF Colonel Harvey's picturesque propa.
ganda, Mr.. Wilson's expectations OF a
call to realize these possibilities could
have been no more than-pious aspira-
tions. let us say. Nevertheless, the
views were responsibility uttered, and
that, too. in the sense Of the word
responsible" which he Is fond of us
ing. For it was Characteristic of him
in the academic portion Of his career
to take very seriously the duty which
he considered to be laid upon educated
men-to reflect very thoroughly and in
very practical spirit upon public af-
fairs. His admiration for Bagehot was
no mere literary whim When speak.
ing as representative OF scholarship
he thought of himself-whether Who'll.
| ly consciously or not as under a
categorical imperative to be sober
as well as brilliant, as though he
i might expect to be called upon to
make good in action the words spoken
| in counsel One of the amaziRg fea
lures Of the situation is that. in this
case, the nice preservation of this
tender conscience through so long a
period should have been-shall we say
rewarded. or visited?-by the coun
Itry's commission to make good" on
this program.
What Are Wilson's Views Now?
| There is especial point at just this
time in thinking of this, and inquir
/ ing, What does Mr.. Wilson think he
is going to do with the presidency;
With such fats accomplis" as the
tariff and currency bills put to his
1his administration, the country may
be said to be fully aware of his arri
val, in achievement as well as prom
| Use. Whatever expectation ever ex
| listed that 9Th Doc" could be easil,
handled, or bluffed, or baffled by mas
1 terly inaction, has been put to flight
i Indeed. according to current gossip
/ all kinds of high sinners have recent
i ly been protesting repentance anC
are conling-to the attorney general
/ and ineuiring, What must we do Il
be savsd2"
Now, it is not to be pretended tina
one can spell out from these lecture,
what are Mr.. Wilson's specific views
upon the tariff, currency, antitrust
4 conservation and other issues. Hi
utterances on such matters, even ii
his campaign speeches, have beel
couched in general langnagevague
his critics say. As governor of New
i Jersey he seemed bent on making hi
party's deeds speak louder than hi
own words And when he signed tn,
currency bill the other evening h
gave voice to the same idea. Blu
!. there are people whose interests o
whose conceptions of duty make it
matter of practical concern TO then
to have some notion of the working
of the presidential mind. They thin
they need TO know how the presiden
is inclined to go to work upon thes
matters, within what lines he cor
ceives his powers may be exercised
how extensive he believes those pow
. ers to be, etc. etc. For such person:
the lecture on the president of tn
United States, by the next presiden
as he was at the time of the deliver!