It’s A Big Job Being President
Who will be the next President of the United
States? This question plays on millions of minds
nowadays, but few people in 1960 know how
different the question was in 1787. Then, at the
Constitution Convention, one hotly - debated
question was
Should we have a President at all?
Many of the delegates feared that a single
Chief Executive would have too many opportuni
ties to turn himself into a dictator. So, many
delegates favored establishment of a three-man
executive committee to carry out the will of the
Legislature.
Most important reason why supporters of a
one-man executive finally won out may well
have been that everybody was sure that George
Washington—whom all the delegates knew and
trusted—would get the job.
"Squint Toward Monarchy?"
Pierce Butler, a delegate from South Carolina,
wrote a friend after the convention was over:
“Entre nous (between us—ed.) I do not believe
that the executive powers would have been so
great, had not so many of the members cast
their eyes toward General Washington as Presi
dent, and shaped their ideas of the powers to be
given a President by their opinions of his virtue.”
Even so, not everybody was happy. Patrick
Henry, of “give me liberty or give me death”
fame, who was so opposed to strong central gov
ernment that he had refused even to attend the
Convention, called the Presidency “an awful
squint toward monarchy.”
As a matter of fact, there had been those who
wouldn't have thought a constitutional monarchy
was a bad idea at all—but Washington flatly
turned down the idea of becoming King George
I of America.
Washington thought he had his hands full as
President of a 13-state U.S.A., with a population
of 3.9 million.
“These public meetings with reference to and
from different departments of state are as much,
if not more, than I am able to undergo,” he wrote
in 1790.
But across the past 170 years, the President’s
job has grown as fast as the country herself.
During a typical year of administration, Wash
ington signed 44 laws and one executive order;
President Eisenhower is maintaining an average
of 944 laws and 60 executive orders a year.
Washington granted nine pardons and gave Fed
eral jobs to 65 persons in 1791; Eisenhower has
averaged an annual 112 pardons and 43,537 jobs
Note: On November 8 Americans at large
will have the final say on who will be their
next President. Here begins a two-part series
on some interesting historical material con
cerning the Presidency and our political
convention system.
(including military and Post Office appoint
ments). Washington’s first budget was written on
a single sheet of paper; the current budget runs
to 1030 pages, with a 188-page appendix.
He Has Five Big Jobs In One
Today’s President holds down not one job, but
five—and any one of the five could fill an eight-
hour day.
The President is—
1. Head of State, the nation’s chief ceremonial
officer—a job that involves everything from pre
siding at banquets for visiting dignitaries to
throwing out the first baseball of the season for
the Washington Senators.
2. Chief Diplomat, the leader of the Free World
and the United States’ top representative in her
dealings with all other nations.
3. Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces.
4. Chief Legislative Policy-Maker, with power
to exercise tremendous influence on the making
of our laws by initiating or amending bills, rush
ing them through Congress or vetoing them.
5. Chief Executive, the boss of all Federal em
ployees (there are 2718 in his own Executive Of
fices alone) and the top law enforcement officer.
He is also, of course, the head of his political
party, and must often keeps its welfare in mind.
But his primary commitment is to the two “Great
American Imperatives”, goals upon which most
people in both parties—and most independent
voters—are agreed. These are;
:: In foreign policy, to work towards the free
dom of men and nations throughout the world;
to keep the peace, but at the same time to keep
the U. S. and her allies strong enough to win a
war if one becomes unavoidable;
;: In domestic policy, to insure economic pros
perity for all, with equal and available oppor
tunities to work (according to ability) at ade
quate wages; to keep the dollar reasonably
stable; to plan for economic growth that will
keep a growing labor force busy and living
standards rising; to protect every citizen from
economic disaster in unemployment, long illness
or old age.
(November: How We Choose a President.)
Sales And Income
—From page 1
outlook is based upon certain
economic trends that have a
favorable effect on the rubber
industry. Other factors are the
population growth and the needs
it creates, highway and street
construction programs, and sub
urban development, the trend
of industrial expansion, accept
ance of compact cars, industrial
ization of the less-developed
countries of the free world, and
new products through research.
:: We are preparing for the
future by making plans now for
corresponding growth of Fire
stone business. The company is
investing $120 million in world
wide plant expansion and mod
ernization.
:: With loyal, experienced
personnel in all Firestone plants
and sales offices everywhere,
we will realize our goals in the
future, through higher quality
products produced and market
ed efficiently.
Second To Textiles
Value of the forest products
industry in South Carolina
reached an all-time high of 386
million dollars in 1959, as forest
products continued to rank next
to textiles as the state’s second
largest industry.
f
\
SOME GOBLINS IN THE MAKING
Come the night of October 31, and if you’re bobbing for
apples, munching popcorn, or roasting nuts in a warm cozy-
house—watch out! A witch, black cat, rattling skeleton, gob
lin, or other weird spirit may join the party.
All in fun, of course. And Vickie Cabe and Jimmy
Kilby, third-grade students at Victory School, do a practice
session on a real pumpkin creature, in preparation for Hal
loween and its shades of legend and superstition from an
ancient past.
Philip R. Cabe, Vickie’s father, works in Twisting (syn
thetics) at Firestone. Jimmy’s mother and father, Mr. and
Mrs. J. R. Kilby, work in Main Office.
NEWSWEA VERS:
PEOPLE, PLACES, THINGS
During a two-week vacation in late September, comptroller
E. J. Mechem and Mrs. Mechem went on a trip to the Mid-West
and Southwest, with stopovers in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Mr. Mechem once worked in the district offices of the company’s
retail system in Oklahoma City, before going to a similar job in
Dallas, Texas. He was in the administrative department of the
company’s synthetic rubber operation in Port Neches, Texas sev
eral years ago.
EARTHSIDE
ARRIVALS
• Thomas Alden, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Thomas Taylor, born
August 3, 1960. Father works in
Weaving (cotton).
• Beth Ann, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Reginald Davis, August
6. Father is in nylon treating
unit.
• Marsha Kay, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bridges,
August 11. Her father works in
Weaving (synthetics).
• Jeffrey Curtis, son of Mr.
and Mrs. David T. Matthews,
August 18. His father is in
George Jackson of this department went with his family and
his father and mother for a recent week’s visit with relatives in
Detroit, Mich.
Warehouse superintendent F. T. Morrow had a two-week vaca
tion in late September.
W. R. Rainey was recovering from a hip operation in late
September.
Shipping supervisor Harold Robinson took a trip to Florida
recently.
Miss Janita Falls has returned to Winston-Salem Teachers
College. She is the niece of Albert Meeks of the Warehouse.
Twisting (synthetics).
• Kelly Lynn, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. James J. Slechter,
September 1. Father is in the
electrical section of the me
chanical department; mother is
niece of Mrs. Lois Woolley, first-
shift nurse.
• Pamela Joyce, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Crisp, Sep
tember 16. Her father is in
Twisting (synthetics).
Former Employee At Fort Jackson
Pvt. Algie Brice Warren was recently
assigned to basic instruction in the
regular army at Fort Jackson, S. C. He
had worked here for several months in
Twisting (synthetics). While employed
here, and at the time he was a high
school student, Brice was president of
the local “Hot Rod Angels” auto club.
He is the son of A. B. Warren, Carding,
and Mrs, Warren.
His address: Pvt. Algie Brice War
ren, RA 14-715-861; Co. A, 11th Bn.,
3rd Training Rgt., Fort Jackson, S. C.
FIRESTONE TEXTILES
P. O. BOX 551
GASTONIA. N. C.
OCTOBER, 1960 PAGE 6
Form 3547 Requested
POSTAL MANUAL
SECTION 134.1
U. S. POSTAGE PAID
GASTONIA, N. C.
PERMIT NO. 29