American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-09-11
TIN PRESIDENT HIS POWER.

tue pltHiuNhA OF Aht Inittu states
can determine how much you shall get
for your buahel Of wheat. and also
how much you shall a for your
loaf lie can ahunt your carload VI
household furniture onto "a side track
and keep II there as long aa he pleas
ea, and. perhaps. by doing that. con
fine YOU ln a boarding house. II you
are engaged la certain kinds OF bust
ness. he can determine how much
profit you may make. or he can AXE
them away from you and denote you
from the position of proprietor to that
OF "a chief clerk under his direction.
Sic can determine how much wine and
beer shall be- made. or forbid the ma
king OF them altogether; and N he
permits the making of them. ne can
atipulate what their alcoholic strength
shall be. ITO can tie up q ship in port
cor lease II ON its way. permitting II
90 take all or only such part OF It's
original cargo as hc may please. The
diet or not fewer than a hundred mil
lion alien people ia subject some
what 10 his regulation He can keep
you from leaving the country. and he
can send hundreds OF thousands 10
the death trenches. He can dictate a
message which viii gather you into
Jail And. 10 mention but one of his
other powers though this rs a moral
rather than "a legal he can speak
q word which would take the United
States out OF tho war. and In doing
that. probably end Il within thirty
days. Thus comments am exchange.
II Us doubtful " any individual In
the history OF the world possessed SO
much power over the lives and for
tunes uf men as does the president OF
the unitod States now. Certainly not
within modern times has $50 much
power. II we TAX account of the mum
Der OF people affected hy its existence,
been concentrated la one individual
Tho kaiser has never exercised SO
much. nor any ear. ancient or mod
orn Nor shalt we bee likely To find
in history any instance of an individ
uals possessing 800 much power and
weighted with sO much responsibility.
And yet the possession and exercise
Of This Immense power does not make
the president an autOcrat For u the
metea and bounds of the power ne
exercises are not marked with any
uNity 90 tho acts comforting H.. those
acts are. nevertheless. a free grant
from me elected representatives of the
people who are subject 90 that power.
And those acts can be dclimited or re-
pealed go the extent and Whenever
it shall please the people I'm whose
authority q was conferred one may
possess and exercise more autocratic
v.... any auloerai that ever
coveted. and Vet not be an %autocrat
And this "a exactly the ease of the
president of the United States. His
power ia a leased power. and the ten
ure 0f his lease "a contingent upon his
wise and proper use Of that power.
That the president of the United
states exercises this %autocratic. this
dospotic power. Is not. under rational
analysts, the mockery Of democracy
that the a~pologists for Germany would
have AS think %. Tho president has
become a ruler. but he rules in the
name and by authority OF the people
ruled. and not BOO the name and by the
"impiously pretended authority of the
Divinity There ls ana infinite differ
vnre am the difference between au
tocracy and democracy. vOssAldRe and
freedom Instead ~ hcing D rcpronch
to democracy. &c is democraCy's tri-
lmph chat 10 is so confident of it's
ultimate authority and power that it
cam suspend IT'S rights. preogativcs
and privileges, sure thnt what % yields
wil uot he abused. and equally sure
off COS ability GO recover them at what
ever moment it should desire 20 do
800 Nor need one Do alarmed lest
what has been granted VIII rise 20
plague ms when the occasion of the
grant has passed Many methods.
Z processes and ideas which had the
I s%anctity of the highest orthodoxy be.
fore the war will be- known no more
, Already the war has wrought a rovo.
luton in the conditions which mex.
D. orahly govern our ideas Of the cN.
pcdiont Hut these revolutiona
a changes will be the effects OF the wa
4 itself. and not OF the policies an,
n measures We have rcsorted TO 70 maxi
a war We have made no precedents
= or az all events. none which viii com
mand heed In time of peace. II som
20 the innovations we have made q
,e accommodate the ~exigoncies OF va
are made the practice OF peace. IL wi
,g De because they commend themselvC
20 our Judgment OF what Ia e~Npedicn
and not because they will have an
rd authority as precedents.
or We have been impelled 20 Great
il and confer autocratic powers. But "a
We have created no %autocrat We r,
10 main a democracy. disciplined 90 n
* necessities OF war. but retaining n
RS means 20 reassert the authority OF
ng democracy whenever Il pleases us
yer do so.
not
L.. Mvrou Foster foaxaa forrorro,y for