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The Commoner
VOLUME 3, NUMBER 2J
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MY CONCEPTION OF THE PRESIDENCY"
By William J. Bryan
Tho following article, written for Collier's Weekly, and copy
righted, is reproduced by permission:
The president's power for good or for harm is often overesti
mated. Our government is a government of checks and balances;
power is distributed among different departments, and each official
works in co-operation with others. In the making of laws, for in
stance, the president joins with the senate and the house; he may
recommend, but he is powerless to legislate, except as a majority
of the senate and the house concur with him. The senate and the
house arc also independent of each other, each having a veto over
the other; and the president has a veto over both; except that the
senate and house can, by two:thirs vote, override the president's
veto. The influence of the president over legislation is, therefore
limited; he shares responsibility with a large number of the people's
representatives. , .
Even in the enforcement of law he is hedged about by restric
tions. He acts through an attorney general (whose appointment
must be approved by the senate), and offenders against the law must
fee prosecuted in the courts, so that here again the responsibility is
divided'.. In the making of important appointments, too, he must
consult' the senate, and is. of necessitv. compelled to exercise care
and discretion. The most important requisite in a president, as in
j&fct nfflninls. ir that his svrrmathv shall he with the whnle TiemYIp
, xk pjrf ,than with any fraction of the population. He is constantly
, WiiUt4 ,llV-LI- UU UJU XXI HUC VjOljJUiVXVJ Ul C JUUgO 'UClilUlllg ucuweca lUO
importunities of those who seek favors aiid the rights and interests
of the public. Unless his sympathies are right, the few are sure to
have an- advantage over the many, for the masses have no one to
. present: their claims. They act only at elections; and must trust
tb their representatives to protect them from all their foes. . ' ' '
, Second, the president must have a knowledge of public ques
tions anci tne acuity to discern between tne true and the false : he
A president must have counselors, and, to make wise use of
counselors, he must be open to convictions. The president is com
mitted by his platform to certain policies, and the platform is bind
ing; he is also committed to certain principles of government,
and these he is in duty bound to apply in all matters that come be
fore him. But there is a wide zone in which he must a,ct upon his
own judgment, and here he ought to have the aid of intelligent,
conscientious, and faithful advisers. The law provides these, to a
certain extent, in giving him a cabinet, and the vice president ought
to be made a momber of the cabinet ex officio, in order, first, that
the president may have the benefit of his wisdom and- knowledge of
affairs and, second, that the vice president may be better prepared
to take up, the work of the president in case of a vacancy in the
presidential office. There ought to be cordial relations: also .be
tween the president and those who occupy positions of influence
in the co-ordinate branches of the government, for out government
is not a one-man government, but a government in which thef chosen
representatives of the people labor together to give, expression to
the will of the voters. ',,:,' :.
But the presidency is the highest position in the world, and its
occupant is an important factor in all national matters. Iff he is
a devout believer in our theory of government, recognizes the con
stitutional distribution of powers, trusts thoroughly in the people
and fully sympathizes with them in their aspirations and hopes, he
has an opportunity to do a splendid work; he occupies a vantage
ground from which he dan exert a wholesome influence in favor of
each forward movement. ', l.'l-T"
The responsibilities of the office are so great that the occupant
ought to be relieved of every personal ambition, save the ambition
to prove worthy pf the confidence of his countrymen; for .'this rea
son, he ought to enter the position without thought or prospect of a
aeuuim ivixu.
must be able to analyze conditions and to detect the sophistries -that - While the burdens of such an office are heavy, and while the
es.. , :, ::: lm;ot the office are; exacting and exhausting, the, field oTs&vipe
are always .employed bythasevwho seek unfair adva-ntatfAR-
Hq must "Dosseas the moral nmifn-rro .n at.n.-nrf' oivnit Va-;fl,i '
ences that are brought toT&ea&dntfaVor of special interests. In Ifact
the quality of moral courage is as essential in a public official as
Either right sympathies or a trained mind.
is large, and measuring greatness bv service, .a. nrpRiffanl: Wlncn
crating himself to the public, weal, can make himself secure invthe
affections of his fellow citizens while he lives, and create for himself
a: permanent place in his nation's history. ,yv J, BKyAJSf..
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"NO LAW FOR MONOPOLISTS ,.." 'ntiminatcSd Mr. Taft, defeated, by a vote, of 880 and' for years Cannon's right hand mari in the
M Expressing the opinion that the Grosscup
, qecisoiii: m tne standard QllOase will bo "gon-
raly agoepted as responsive to itho facts," tho
;Newo Yopjc Mail says: "The fine was a factor
and, jxpusmall one in the progressives uncertainty
in tho American business world that culminated
.A In 'thOiTGTnh of last October."
.." ,JlPVirdid It all happen? With what reason
may. itbq said that tho fact that a notorious
offender, .against tho law is called to account
' ModuxjASf business disaster among . a free and
.progressive people? .-..-
If this is true why undertake to enforce
law;. .1
w? w O w
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. ;BUT THEY FORGOT. IT
The New York Tribune says: "Mr: Bryan
is not fortunate in his efforts to create political
capital 'oit, 0f the reasonable popular desiro for
publicity- in respect to campaigri' "receipts and
expenditures. A fow weeks dgdywhnQ both the
nominees wore still in tho position of candi
dates for the nomination, Mi. Bryan, in what
he conceived to bo a master stroke of "adroit
ness; ifivtted Mr. Taft to express 'aH opinion as
to tho propriety of shedding full light on tne
funds employed in a contest for the presidency,
their sources, amounts and distribution.1 There
upon MrTaft, who had hesitate! (tt'Whn
authority, hot yet bestowed upon" linlVr caused
the fact to &Q made known that ho had' Already
declared In writing for comvplete'J;publitjftyt 'hich
left Mr. Tlryan in a somewhat Tes cmfqrtrfolo
i'"""uh 4"' iuu auinusyu iiiinseii, xp do as
sured of when he addressed his complacent siig-
Vontion about
from Mr.
Tfhowcc
Jaw proYMt
nays 'to1 9 4 yeas, th LaFollette plank providing
lor publicity. - ' w,,'i
And the best the, republican party is willing
to do on thistle is the promise that "AFTER
the election" republican managers will take the
!peoplo,into;their.confldenco. ; v.' ;
V O W tT
TRIAL BY JURY; TOO!
,..,. Referring to the decision of the United
states. court of appeals in. overturning Judge
Landis' fine of the Standard Oil company, the
Chicago Record-Herald says:
"The members of tho court scathingly ar
ralgned Judge Landis, by inference, as denying
the rigfit of trial by jury to the defendant cor
poration of attempting to visit punishment upon
a corporation which had not even leen indicted
and of setting his personality and beliefs above
tho law." .-.k .
Many republican papers heartily approve
the decision. Some of them are indignant that
Judge Landjs "by inference" denied; to the
Standard v'Oil 'company "the Tight of trial by
jtiry"nli($5 they condemn 'tlicj efforts of demo
"crats'ho insist that the right of trial -by jury
be accorded to , Individuals in indirect contempt
VllSUH. .'' ..-. . i- ,-A.
housebe doing in the presidency of the senate?
r", - . buuuoie io Deneve. that, Mr. Sher-
Ynan would' do -a little obstructing;, his qwn
Account when it came to "progressive .policies?"
Assuredly the republican leader is liard
put for a persuasive plea to the rank and file
of his party.
5 t fcyV ,5
TREASON!
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WHT; ABOUT SHERLlN? ;
OX. 8nxrJ tufa tnVA h.AlVA;r.1nA,Afir-i,L- .T-..J., ,
thatL;TW-aty-Star'arglia it :
wouia oevtt-gooujxuing ir- a democratic congress
' '(rtTI VWliCSCt
wore uioutou tu serve , wiin Taft as president.
'RPry. lcqows full well that
and Cannon .remained in
f uuas ut te nouse would
ad-
ion
We would not for the -world engage-in
criticism of the court. But surely there can
be no harm in reproducing a 'republican 'edi
torial (for whoever knew a republican editorial
to be out of accord with the accepted rules of
polite society?) The New York Press, a repub
lican paper, referring to the GrOsscup decision,
says: ... . ..., ."
v., TTl1 Jiidgment of the court' ofy appeals,
which calls. for careful scrutiny and cool read
ing, can not alter the public conviction that the
offenders behind the Standard' Oilf: corporation
in its rebate crimes deserve tO'bg-irf the peni
tentiary and will : be sent thertfwhen the law
is enforced by those who take'tlaths to admin
ister it. , "i7 i ;, i
- &&&& MrOW J-.r;p.'t
" " MAY NOT BE BECTSTVE jt
Eugene W. Leake, a mBmhai!4iiMniR.Ab0
j from New Jersey,1 has won more'oitess'-fa'me
uy announcing that- he will riOt-guppbrt' the
rdemocratic ticket.-i- But demnhMx mm t,q
cause, of thisiileak M at least, sbftehed :byithe
xuijurta max many or tne New Jersey democrats
who refused to support Mr. Bryan in 189 G and
1900, nre'Ww wku'Kihg earnestly and unitedly
,for democratic victory. The True American,
. published a,tTrenton, N. J a democratic news
paper which, pnee bolted Mr. Bryan, announces
!? that it will' support him this year. .."So, ,afj:er
all,, the., .departure of. the young. .congressman
..jrom-.Ne-w Jersey, may, not necpssarilderrttln
.Ik