Henry L. Quotes

Stimson had been a key member of the Theodore Roosevelt national administration, and Roosevelt, before he became Vice President and then President had been a very popular governor of NY. Stimson, although a brilliant administrator, and statesman was a bit stuffy and aloof and was a terrible campaigner. He thought it immodest to refer to himself in public or to talk about his record. See {589269}. So the Republicans tried to tie him to Roosevelt who was still very popular. See {589268}. It was not enough. Stimson lost.

Stimson had run for the New York Governor and had lost. Stimson had been offered by President Taft the job of Secretary of State, and asked TR’s advice as to whether to take it. Stimson became Secretary of State.

Congressman Moody was very concerned by the Administration’s efforts to enforce anti-Trust policies. The penalties that existed in the law had been quite mild, usually small fines for large companies. Moody was not concerned about those. However, the public relations effect on the company was much more damaging than the criminal penalties and this is what the Congressman objected to.

Stimson had been asked by party leaders to run for Governor of New York. He sought advice from his old colleagues of the Theodore Roosevelt Administration. This quotation illustrates two interesting things. First, that the governor of the State of New York was considered by most as the second most powerful public position in the nation. Second, like Roosevelt himself, Stimson was from a very wealthy family and was also an accomplished attorney. Prior to Roosevelt, men of this class had not entered politics for many generations. When route told him that if he were defeated “ so much the better for you personally” he was not referring to the fact that Stimson could make much more money which he could but to the fact that he would not have the hard work, hassle and aggravation of public life.

This is a complaint that many nations make against the United States. Few foreigners really understand the United States form of government which differs from the usual Parliamentary form that exists in most of the world. Specifically, in the Parliamentary system, the Government (Executive Branch) and the Legislature are one and the same. Often it includes the judiciary. In America we have separation of powers and these branches not only are not coordinated and consistent but are often at odds with each other. As a result, Presidents and Secretaries of State can make honest commitments and promises but later find that the Congress will block American fulfillment of the promise. At the time, the most glaring example was President Wilson who was so active in advocating a League of Nations and then when it became a reality, the Senate would not ratify the treaty and America could not join, thereby dooming it to failure. There have been many other examples in history. Another dramatic one was President Obama promising to close the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay during the War on Terror, Congress would not appropriate any funds to move the prisoners anywhere else, and the President’s promise to other nations could not be fulfilled. This is a structural part of the American system. Some people see it as a weakness; others, as a strength.

This quotation is very interesting in that it shows a President who was not very happy with the policies of his own Secretary of State. This would never have happened overtly after the FDR presidency. Prior, the Secretary of State had a great deal of independence of operation, which was one of the reasons that it was such a prestigious position. However, on modern times President’s would never publicly criticize their own Secretary of State. They would either control the policies directly, accept his/her actions as their own, fire the Secretary, for force him/her to resign as George W, Bush did with Colin Powell. Also, most Secretaries of State, spending most of their time on foreign affairs, become much more sensitive and sophisticated to the intricacies of the world situation, that their nuanced views are very often not viewed by American public opinion as sufficiently pro American. At the same time, there has been a tradition in America that the Secretary of State does not engage in domestic politics, so does not always seem to be pro American.