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Show an appeal thre, but it does not ay ha shall not. So we take it that while the president has the ab: strsct right to do that, it is not in the best of tate frr biin to do it after he has submitted a measure, with hie reasons, to congress and before-rongress arts upon it. THE RIGHT AND THE GOOD FACTS. Has an executive, a president or governor a right, when he has a pet measure on hand, to ap- . peal to the people and thuk, at least indirectly, ask them to bring what pressure they can upon their representatir to stand by their executive! This is called out by President Taft's recent speech in Chicago. e should say that as an abstract right, yes, because free speech is free to all. As a matter of taste, we should say it is a right which an executive execu-tive should fight shy of, because the real lawmaking lawmak-ing power in a state ia the legislature, in the general gen-eral government that perogative belongs to con-grtss con-grtss and the president's power begins when the measure, being submitted to him, he approves or disapproves as his judgment dictates. When he submits a measure to congress he gives his reasons rea-sons why it should pass, and then it is the exclusive . property of congress to dispose of. In the meantime mean-time the press takes up the president's reasons and ' advertises them broadcast. Constituents of legislators legis-lators and congressmen read what the newspapers say and if the reasons seem good to them they write to their representatives. We do not believe that the framers of the law which defines the power of the president ever intended that he should lower his high office by making direct appeals ap-peals to any one save congress, for the constitution constitu-tion says: "The president shall from time to time give to the congress information of the state of the union and recommend to their consideration such ' measures as he shall judge necessary and expe.li- it does nut say he shall go to Chicago and make - '- ,. ' ' " |