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Show Our Government How It Operates By William Bruckart THE PRESIDENT'S JOB IT IS quite apparent to anyone that the job of being President of the United States carries with it something some-thing more than the honor that attaches at-taches to that great office. Those who have observed the performances of even two or three individuals in their service as President arrive, I believe, at two irrevocable conclusions respecting re-specting Presidents. One of them presents pre-sents a problem for which I can offer no solution. The other constitutes a fact that is a glorification of a nation producing such men. These convictions are, first, that the office of President of our nation is a burden too great for any one human being to bear and, second, that no person per-son ever has served long in the office without yielding to the guidance o some Impelling religious philosophy, regardless of the state of mind he had when he assumed the duties. It was only a comparatively few years ago when it was a common sight In Washington to see the President strolling about the city unattended, meeting and greeting people. The tasks were not so onerous in those days. But the duties of the President in late years have become so complex, the responsibilities so great, that his work actually never is done. And add to the worries of the office, this fact: he Is never free from criticism, some of which is sincere but much of which Is purely for political purposes. As the nation has pushed forward and its government has expanded, more and more responsibility rests with its Chief Executive. It has resulted re-sulted in a condition wherein the Presidency carries with it entirely too much work. The fact long has been recognized, but the solution is not apparent. ap-parent. A President has Constitutional Constitu-tional obligations, and there is no way by which he can be relieved of them. It is obvious to all that the President Presi-dent cannot personally be in touch with every activity of the far-flung governmental machinery, yet he Is held to account for them. He must leave them to others. He has to be content with attempts to co-ordinate the whole and determine general policies. poli-cies. In an organization of some 700,-000 700,-000 persons, it is not difficult to see how unwise decisions may be reached by various subordinates, and in our two-party system of government, the "outs" overlook no opportunity to capitalize cap-italize the mistakes of the "ins." And so it goes. An error or an unwise decision de-cision or a piece of malfeasance becomes be-comes as a snowball and grows as It rolls. The President, therefore, has to be concerned with all of the thousands of activities, and assume responsibility for results without being able at the same time to supervise them except indirectly. in-directly. Nor is there ever any shortage short-age of critics and agitators to call attention at-tention to the vulnerable spots. There are close advisers to the President, of course. He has his cabinet, cab-inet, but loyal as are the cabinet members mem-bers and wise and careful as they may be, the head of the nation still must lead. He must frame the policies relating re-lating to international affairs; he must think clearly respecting the nation's economic needs, and he cannot escape the thought that from every word or deed of his flows consequences so far-reaching far-reaching that our nation may be plunged into war or its whole people may suffer the privations of "hard times." Even further, from the things he says or does may come blasted reputations rep-utations or unmerited riches. Perhaps it is the constant thought of this great responsibility that makes men consult the depths of the souls for the guidance that they need. It is a fact, nevertheless, that whatever they have done or whatever their source of wisdom may have been prior to becoming President of the United States, their private thoughts during their terms of office have shown their regard for the truth as it is imparted in one or another of the religious teachings. Things of this sort about the President Pres-ident seldom reach the people. It Is' one of the numerous things which cannot can-not become known. The President is entitled to some privacy, though he gets very little despite all of the effort to provide it. My thought always has been that the President ought to have a lot of sympathy. Everybody is so anxious to get a glimpse of him or to talk with him that he Is not given the time to have a good hard-boiled grouch, however much he may feel like it Lt might be just as well, therefore, that the fond mother who looks upon her first-born as a President-to-be might change her hope. If she seeks happiness for him, it may come through the honor that attaches to the Presidency, but patriotism does not prescribe that there shall be a continual rending of heart strings and a searing of souls for all who serve their country. , 1932. Western Newspaper Union. |