If I could finally persuade them to support me, well and good; in such case I continued to work with them in the friendliest manner.
If after repeated and persistent effort I failed to get them to support me, then I made a fair fight in the open, and in a majority of cases I carried my point and succeeded in getting through the legislation which I wished.

In theory the Executive has nothing to do with legislation.

In practice, as things now are, the Executive is or ought to be peculiarly representative of the people as a whole.

As often as not the action of the Executive offers the only means by which the people can get the legislation they demand and ought to have.

Therefore a good executive under the present conditions of American political life must take a very active interest in getting the right kind of legislation, in addition to performing his executive duties with an eye single to the public welfare.