Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-20
TRUMAN views THE PRESIDENCY
The Most Honorable and Powerful Office

election of the President to be
mixed UP in the hurly-burly of
party politics. But our two-party
system. as 1t developed. changed
all that.
The electoral college became a
formality, and the President came
to be elected by the whole people.
AS result. the President emerged
as the man who had led his party
to political victory, and who was
expected to set its policies for the
future.
Through his policies and actions,
the President must try to convince
the people that his party can run
the National Government better
than the opposition. But at the
same time, he must never forget
that he is responsible to all the
people in the Nation, regardless of
party. and he must always think Of
the welfare of the Nation as q
whole.
The President and the Vice Presi-
dent are the only officers elected
from the United States at large. and
as / have said time and time again,
the President is the only lobbyist
in Washington who looks after the
interests Of about $50 million peo-
pie. The other Is million are able
to hire people to go to Washington
to present their claims to Congress
on any subject they choose.
That is lobbying, and it is a per-
fectly legitimate function, and an
exercise of the right of petition.
But there are $50 million people
who don't have any lobbyists.
1t is the business of the Presi-
dent to find out what is good for
those $50 million people, and to
act as the principal lobbyist in the
Nation for their welfare and bene-
fit. When a President does that,
he is a good President.
The President cannot carry out
his legislative job and his political
leadership without lot Of opposi-
ton. The Constitution makes the
executive and the legislative sepa-
rate and independent branches of
the Government, and as a result
there is a certain amount Of con-
flict built into the Constitution.
The separation of powers was
not devised to promote efficiency
in government; il was devised to
prevent absolutism or dictator
ship. 1t was devised to prevent
executive dictatorship and con-
gressional dictatorship. So GER
tain degree of struggle between
the President and the Congress
is natural, and good thing.
1t is the duty of the President to
see that the constitutional powers
of the presidency are not infringed.
Some elements in Congress are al
ways trying to legislate him out of
Office, and make themselves an
English legislative government,
which is not what the Constitution
provides at all.
Another Tough Job
Now / come to the sixth Job Of
the President. The President is the
social head Of the Nation.
A great many of the stuffed
shirt people like this very much.
They think it is the finest thing in
the world to be able to meet counts,
princes, kings and queens and other
dignitaries Of foreign countries. OF
course. when distinguished guests
of that kind come to the United
States, the President is their host,
and he is always a courteous host,
and that is vital part Of our inter-
national relationships.
The President gives five or six
state dinners each year at the White
House and holds several large re-
ceptions. and if you think it is lot
Of fun to shake hands with 2.700
people, whose names you can't even
understand when they are pro-
nounced. I wish you could try it
sometime.
He holds diplomatic receptions,
receptions for Congress. recep-
tions for the Supreme Court, and
various other receptions; and l
want to say to you that the wife
of the President has a tremen-
dOus burden.
The last year we were in the
White House, Mrs. Truman shook
hands with some $4,000 people.
shook hands with $4,000, and
lodged the rest, but she had to go
ahead and do them all. However.
the social end of the Presidents
Office is a necessary job and an i'm
pcrtant one.
I have enumerated for you the
six full-time jobs that one man has
to fulfill. and there isn't any way
in the world, under the Constitution
of the United States, for him to get
out of any one of them.
He must do them. He must do
them. or they aren't done; and
when they aren't done, it is just
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