Iditarod pioneer., 1917-01-27
THE PRESIDENT AND THE CONGRESS

The people the United long ago became accustomed to e lea that when precedent stood in the of President Vii sns well thought plans policies the nature of the brush it aside And when the announcement came that he had expressed desire address the senate abstract problems relations with other world powers there great surprise But there must have been attng of dry bones in the up2er house of suppressed resentment that the chief executive should seek exercise reogave for which there other authority than implication Tn the constitution and which had been claimed by President since Washing tons time That the gravity of the occasion demanded that the President place his before the country the mpres possible doubt the justification for his ha hos thoroughly succeeded in his aim evidenced by tlc remark of leading senator's It quite likely that in the his reading his instead o transmit ting them according to custom he will continue the practice l gurated last Monday and doubt it will have the dered e bringing the people of the entire country into closer touch with congress through "pokenan of tke nation whole In hs book CosttuionaI Government in the United being reproduction of lectures delivered at Columbia University n 1907 the then Professor Wilson probably with no thought his future occupancy of the White House defined the Ihc Presie, the United States" especially interesting at t time nasnch he forecasts the action taken by him last
 @> lca,lership in government naturally belongs officers who daily in contact with practical conditions and escaces and whose reputaons elke for good gov crnulcn and fidelity stake much than are those members of the legislative body turn the laws application. The aWnakng part of the ought certainly to be very hospable to the sug of the planning and acting o It. Those PreS dents who have felt themselves bound to adhere to the sc
 literary theory the constitution have crupulousy refraned from attempting determine either the subjects the char ucter lcgsAon except far they obliged to de eide themselves after had acted whether they
 
 Icy authorizes the President recommend
 such measures as he shall deem necessary and expeen and
 necessary the integrity of the literary theory of the insist that such recommendations should be merely perfunctory Certainly General Washington did not regard them and he stood much the "hs theory than do. Presidents to congress have more weight authority than their intrinsic reasonabene and innortancc give them but that their only constitutional Limitation The constitution certainly does not forbid President back them up General Washington dld, with such personal force and influence he Some ot Presidents have felt the need which unquesonab exists tho patlOO of legislation less than in other matters and have tried supply congress with the leadership ot sugges
 backed by argument and by iteration and by every R gitnlate appeal public opinion Cabinet officers shut congress- the President himself has by custom no floor many long-estabshed barriers of precedent though of law hinder him from exercising direct in
 ucnce upon deibeatons and yet he is undoubtedly the only spokesman of the whole people They have and again as often as they were afforded the opportunity
 scd their when he has boldly accepted the role of leader which the peculiar origin and character of his authority enitle him The constitution bids him speak and of ana change and more thrust upon him the attitude of originator of policies
 His is the vital place the system whether he accept it such or not snd the office IS the measure Of the dsny equps him stay the hand of congress when he will It is seldom possible pass measure his veto and no President has hesitad the when hs own Judg- the public good seriously at issue with that of the houses The hos been suffered to fall into even temporary jiause with The tramers oi the eonE.tc2 made IT our President more powerful because
 isolated king than the they initiating and because the constitution gave hn their veto such explicit terms Presidents have hesated to it, when put their individual judgment against that Of large
 ajorites both houses of And yet in the exer- else the power suggest legislation, quite explicitly conferred upon them by the constitution some of our Presl have seemed have tnd fear that they might of cnd law of taste which had become constitutional prnciple.
 The Presidents theory forth his book that the composed of spokesmen of the various states and the house of representatives up the spokesen of the e of small and widcpaated districts President the spokesman of the whoe people, of the country has specific duty to perform in the initiation of new legalon