第56章

therewasnoquestionofcrookednessintheotherofficesintheState，andtheycouldbehandledintheordinarymanner。LegalproceedingswereundertakenagainsthiscolleagueintheSenate，andoneofhiscolleaguesinthelowerhouse，andtheformerwasconvictedandsentencedtothepenitentiary。

InanumberofinstancesthelegalityofexecutiveactsofmyAdministrationwasbroughtbeforethecourts。Theywereuniformlysustained。Forexample，priorto1907statutesrelatingtothedispositionofcoallandshadbeenconstruedasfixingtheflatpriceat$10to$20peracre。Theresultwasthatvaluablecoallandsweresoldforwhollyinadequateprices，chieflytobigcorporations。ByexecutiveorderthecoallandswerewithdrawnandnotopenedforentryuntilproperclassificationwasplacedthereonbyGovernmentagents。

TherewasagreatclamorthatIwasusurpinglegislativepower；buttheactswerenotassailedincourtuntilwebroughtsuitstosetasideentriesmadebypersonsandassociationstoobtainlargerareasthanthestatutesauthorized。Thispositionwasopposedonthegroundthattherestrictionsimposedwereillegal；thattheexecutiveorderswereillegal。TheSupremeCourtsustainedtheGovernment。Inthesamewayourattitudeinthewaterpowerquestionwassustained，theSupremeCourtholdingthattheFederalGovernmenthadtherightsweclaimedoverstreamsthatareormaybedeclarednavigablebyCongress。Again，whenOklahomabecameaStatewewereobligedtousetheexecutivepowertoprotectIndianrightsandproperty，fortherehadbeenanenormousamountoffraudintheobtainingofIndianlandsbywhitemen。HereweweredenouncedasusurpingpoweroveraStateaswellasusurpingpowerthatdidnotbelongtotheexecutive。TheSupremeCourtsustainedouraction。

InconnectionwiththeIndians，bytheway，itwasagainandagainnecessarytoassertthepositionofthePresidentasstewardofthewholepeople。IhadacapitalIndianCommissioner，FrancisE。Leupp。I

foundthatIcouldrelyonhisjudgmentnottogetmeintofightsthatwereunnecessary，andthereforeIalwaysbackedhimtothelimitwhenhetoldmethatafightwasnecessary。Ononeoccasion，forexample，CongresspassedabilltoselltosettlersabouthalfamillionacresofIndianlandinOklahomaatoneandahalfdollarsanacre。I

refusedtosignit，andturnedthematterovertoLeupp。Thebillwasaccordinglywithdrawn，amendedsoastosafeguardthewelfareoftheIndians，andtheminimumpriceraisedtofivedollarsanacre。ThenI

signedthebill。Wesoldthatlandundersealedbids，andrealizedfortheKiowa，Comanche，andApacheIndiansmorethanfourmilliondollars——threemillionsandaquartermorethantheywouldhaveobtainedifI

hadsignedthebillinitsoriginalform。Inanothercase，wheretherehadbeenadivisionamongtheSacandFoxIndians，partofthetriberemovingtoIowa，theIowadelegationinCongress，backedbytwoIowanswhoweremembersofmyCabinet，passedabillawardingasumofnearlyahalfmilliondollarstotheIowaseceders。TheyhadnotconsultedtheIndianBureau。Leuppprotestedagainstthebill，andI

vetoedit。AsubsequentbillwaspassedonthelineslaiddownbytheIndianBureau，referringthewholecontroversytothecourts，andtheSupremeCourtintheendjustifiedourpositionbydecidingagainsttheIowasecedersandawardingthemoneytotheOklahomastay-at-

homes。

Astoallactionofthiskindtherehavelongbeentwoschoolsofpoliticalthought，upheldwithequalsincerity。Thedivisionhasnotnormallybeenalongpolitical，buttemperamental，lines。ThecourseI

followed，ofregardingtheexecutiveassubjectonlytothepeople，and，undertheConstitution，boundtoservethepeopleaffirmativelyincaseswheretheConstitutiondoesnotexplicitlyforbidhimtorendertheservice，wassubstantiallythecoursefollowedbybothAndrewJacksonandAbrahamLincoln。Otherhonorableandwell-meaningPresidents，suchasJamesBuchanan，tooktheoppositeand，asitseemstome，narrowlylegalisticviewthatthePresidentistheservantofCongressratherthanofthepeople，andcandonothing，nomatterhownecessaryitbetoact，unlesstheConstitutionexplicitlycommandstheaction。Mostablelawyerswhoarepastmiddleagetakethisview，andsodolargenumbersofwell-meaning，respectablecitizens。Mysuccessorinofficetookthis，theBuchanan，viewofthePresident’spowersandduties。

Forexample，undermyAdministrationwefoundthatoneofthefavoritemethodsadoptedbythemendesirousofstealingthepublicdomainwastocarrythedecisionoftheSecretaryoftheInteriorintocourt。Byvigorouslyopposingsuchaction，andonlybysodoing，wewereabletocarryoutthepolicyofproperlyprotectingthepublicdomain。Mysucce