The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-09-07
The Saratoga Convention.

The delegates are giving themselves a
\ great deal of trouble about a matter which
should not trouble them at ALL They are
anxious and puzzled as to how they shall
shape their platform so as to support reform
without strengthening Governor Tilden.
This is a. foolish solicitude. In the first
place a Governor is not to be chosen this
year, and Mr.. Tlden, who has been only
eight months in Office, is still on his trial be-
fore the people. 1t is too early to judge
whether he is a success. 1t does not yet APP
/ pear whether his bold and boastful attempts
are to be crowned with commensurate results.
/ The trite Latin proyerb, FMS corofat opus,
which has its equivalent in our less elegant
Don't halloo till you are out of the woods,
and in the inspired g Let not him that grid
eth on the harness boast himself as he that
putteth it of, conveys a maxim of prudence
supported by the experience of all times,
and never more happily expressed than when
! Webster told Hayne that it was ''not the
! first time in human affairs when the vlgor
of the war did not come up to the sounding
phrases of the manifesto" 1t is not the
part Of wisdom for tho republicans at
Saratoga either to commend Governor Illden
or to condemn him. Let them wait until
next year. when a new Governor is to be
elected, before publishing an estimate of his
services. 1t would be moro pertinent and
business-like to confine their review now to
the State officers whose successors are to be
chosen at this election.
MI Nod &c Al, o-a o~o 41,a
eral officers who are er Q6icio members Of the
Canal Board. II, as Governor Tilden main
tains, the management of the canals is so
corrupt and rotten as to dwarf all other issues,
it must be the fault of the Canal Board,
which is responsible for that branch of adj
ministration. The Canal Board consists of
nine members, and six of the nine were
elected by the democratic party. The Gov
ernor of the State is not member of the
Board he has no constitutional or legal au-
thority to control or interfere with its pro-
ceedings. He has not even power to lock the
stable door after the steed is stolen, but only
to pursue the thief and recover the horse if
he can. 1t is the Canal Board, not the Gov
ernor, that decides all important ques-
tons relating to the administration
of the canals, and this responsibility
will continue to rest upon them until the
State constitution is further amended.
Whether it would be wise to SO amend it as
to make the Governor responsible for the
whole State administration, as the President
is for the federal administration, is a ques-
ton on which much might be said, but 1T
would have no relation to the approaching
election. The Governor cannot make the
other executive officers of the State his sub
ordinates in any such sense as the
heads of departments at Washington are sub
ordinates of the President They are elected
by and directly responsible to the people,
like the Governor HIMSELF and he would as
sumo an authority which the constitution
does not give him if he should undertake to
control their official action.
The administration of the canals belong
ing exclusively to the Canal Board, without
any constitutional authority on the part of
the Governor to interfere with its proceed
ings or influence it's decisions, it is evident
that the people, when called to elect new
members of the Canal Board, do not thereby
express their opinion of the Governor. When
the mistress of house finds it necessary
to employ a new cook she is not obliged to
say at the same time whether she is satisfied
with the chambermaid. 1t being the chief
business of the Saratoga Convention to select
candidates who will be members of the
Canal Board If elected, it is a suitable occa-
sion for declaring their sense of the merits or
shortcomings of the present Board. Now it
SO happens that the democratic party has
majority of two to one in the Canal Board,
and may be justly held responsible for its
action. If the action of the Board has been
corrupt the republicans can make party
capital by denouncing it, but the conduct Of
the Governor is not in question in this cleo
ton. The people will not be called to pass
upon it until next year, when they will
possess ampler materials for q correct judy
ment Let the republican delegates at Sara
/ toga arraign the present democratic Canal
Board with as much severity as the facts will
warrant, and let it nominate honest sue
cessors for such Of them as go out. But why
should they concern themselves with the
Governor? The constitution does not per-
NIT him to administer the canals, nor to
have any share in their administration. He
is the only important State officer who is not
a member of the Canal Board. He has
not even veto on its decisions as he has on
the acts of the Legislature. The people have
confined the authority Of the Governor
within narrow limits The heads of the ex-
ecutive departments are as independent of
him as they are of one another in the admin
istration of their separate departments, and
they are equally independent of him in their
collective action as members of several ex-
ecutive boards. Purity in the administra-
ton Of the canals does not depend on the
Governor, but on the officers under whose