The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-03-18
SATURDAY. MARCH 10. 1888


In the senate and elsewhere there are some ex-
pressions Of anxiety lest the strong action of Presi
dent Roosevelt during the last two weeks shall set
dangerous precedents for executive usurpation Of
extreme power.
A survey Of our historical experience fails to
reveal any cause for alarm and many grounds for
qualification and assurance.
The great majority of our capable Presidents have
had no hesitation in asserting decisive executive
leadership Almost invariably this has been as
ISOLATED with beneficial results which hardly could
have been obtained otherwise. In all major
national emergencies, executive supremacy has been
Indispensable
For Washington and Hamilton to have waited
for congress- or for them to have been oversnstive
in regard to congressional feelings and opposition
certainly would have destroyed our federal expert
ment at the very outset.
These two men formulated a strong and coherent
plan for meeting the great emergency and put it
through congress with promptness, in spite of some
opposition from Jefferson Madison and other Dem
ocrats.
When jefferson himself became President in 1901
he had hesitation in asserting an executive init
atiye quite as vigorous as that shown by Washing
ton. consummate political leader Jefferson had
congress eating out of his hand during most of his
eight years in Office in spite of his sponsoring of
many policies very unpopular in certain parts of the
country.
The strength of the executive under Andrew
Jackson is symbolized by his nickname of "OId
Hickory" He prevented South Caroline from multi
fcation and increased our prestige abroad through
his strong stand on the French debt problem but
his policies in regard to the United States bank
public finance banking and public works were less
fortunate for the country.
The Civil war never could have been won if
Abraham Lincoln had not assumed extreme pow
ers. These alone enabled him to meet the draft
issue The emergency in public finance, and banking,
and the strategic problems involved in holding the
border states in the Union.
Such positive gains as Grover Clevand was able
to snatch from the hands of greedy politicians and
vested interests secured because of Cleveands
stubborn determination to follow what he believed
to be the right courts
The outstanding act in the administration of
Theodore Roosevelt his threat to send in fed
eral troops unless the money powers in New York
allowed the anthracite coal strike of 1902 to be set
tied in accord with fairness and Justice
Woodrow Wilson was recognized as the most
vigorous executive leader the Democrats had put in
the White House since the days of Andrew Jack
SON. He put the lobby out of business in Washing
ton by eXcoriating it before the American people,
He put through large volume Of high construc-
tive legislation in the teeth of powerful opposition
Even IN campaign period he forced congress to
rush through the Adamson bill in the summer of
1916 and save the counrys railroad system from par
ayss Once war declared, Wilson had con-
ferred upon him by congress wider powers than
those exercised by any leading European monarch
at the time
Thus far, Franklin D. Roosevelt has led more by
personal force and executive alerness than by arbi-
trary use of extreme executive power.
The extraordinary power held by him was not
achieved by seizure other usurpation 1t legally
and freely was delegated to him by congress. In
that fundamental sense, it not dictatorship