280 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 
sponse to their demands in enlarged provision for river surveys, in 
provision for a national waterways commission empowered to extend 
and apply plans framed by the last administration, and in a recent 
declaration of the administrative and legislative authorities that “ pork- 
barrel” appropriations must cease—indeed, to the longest steps in the 
right direction since Washington prevised and Gallatin planned and 
Windom pleaded for rational waterway development. Verily, the water- 
way workers have not wrought in vain! 
The significant fact lying behind the past and prospective legisla- 
tion is the power of the people when once aroused—a power not to be 
confounded for a moment with that of tumult or mob, but inhering in 
the very spirit and lodging in the innate structure of democracy. True, 
this power is too often ignored by those for the moment responsible for 
the public welfare, too little felt by its own possessors; it is seldom 
stirred save by war or rumors of war, rarely tempted to exercise save 
by partisan calls at times of political stress; yet although a virtually 
neglected factor of our national life, it is worthy of weighty con- 
sideration. 
GILG 
The first, second and third articles of the constitution, respectively, 
define the legislative, the executive (including the administrative) and 
the judicative functions of the government. The specifications of the 
executive function are general to the point of vagueness—naturally 
enough, in view of the then current antipathy to concentrated authority. 
Few matters were so faithfully discussed during the constitutiontl con- 
vention as the powers of the president;* and few of the discussions 
better exemplify the superlative caution which constantly led the dele- 
gates away from definite specifications and toward bare generalities in 
compromising mooted points. So, just as the instrument is silent on 
the primary governmental function save in the preamble, the common- 
place functions of administration are implied rather than explicitly 
stated in the second article—being most clearly (or most nearly) de- 
fined in the oath or affirmation by the president-apparent that he will 
“ faithfully execute the office of president,” which “ office” manifestly 
covers minor governmental affairs not otherwise specified. The indefi- 
niteness was not due to inattention or indifference concerning the 
administrative function, as the debates clearly show. Mid-course of the 
deliberation, “ Mr. Gouverneur Morris” thus expressed what seems to 
have been a prevailing view: 
One great object of the executive is to controul the Legislature. The 
legislature will continually seek to aggrandize & perpetuate themselves; & 
will seize those critical moments produced by war, invasion or convulsion for 
4The index to the discussion occupies a page in the recent edition of 
‘Madison’s Journal” (edited by Gaillard Hunt; Putnam’s, New York and 
London, 1908). 
