The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-02-10
THE APPOINTING POWER.


The fight over the bill to restore the
appointing power to the Governor in the
House of Delegates, on yesterday, DEM
onstrsted one thing, if nothing more,
and that i necessity for organization
on the part of the Democratic members
Of the Legislature. 1t is true that the
Republicans are in the minority, but they
always preserve q perfect organization
and often strike blows when the Demo-
Gratis are least expecting 1t. The Demo-
cratic members relying upon their
large majority have been blunder-
ing along without regard to the
effect their disorgsnized condition may
have upon their party in preparing their
legislation. The Republican members,
on the question of conferring the power
of appointment upon. the Governor, on
yesterday occupied precisely an opposite
position TO what the Republicans did in
the Legislature of 1928 when for the first
time in the history of our State, the move
was made to strip the Executive of its
appointing power. The circumstances
which led to tais result, are we'll known
as part OF the history of the State.
The Governor then in office had
placed himself in opposition to his
party, and had been elected by u solid
Republican vote added TO that OF his
personal Democratic friends. The Leg
islsture, on the contrary, was elected as
a straight out Democratic body; and
under the peculiar circumstances and a
bitter party feeling, the Governor
was shorn of his prerogatives and the
power of appointing public officers con-
ferred upon the Board OF Public Works,
whose members were in sympathy
with the dominant party in
the Legislature. This may
have been an excuse, but
not a justification of this peculiar
legislation. The matter was contested
in the courts, and the Supreme tribunal
of the State decided that the Legislature
had the right to repose the appointing
pow er wherever it saw proper. Circum.
stances alter cases, and the reasons upon
which the excuse was founded, for the
action of that Legislature do not exist
to-day. We have recently passed through
hotly contested canvass in the State
and the people by an overwhelming
majority elected the full Demo-
cratic ticket. The Governor elect
Is representative man of his
party and having elected HIM, it is the
duty of his party to confde in his
judgment and integrity, unless some
thing should occur IN the future to i'm
pair that confidence. In such an i'm
proble event as that, it would not be
proper to rob the Office of its dignity
in order to punish the individual filing
it, but there is a way provided under
the Constitution TO deal with an official
who may betray his trust. The office OF
Governor is q dignifed one. and
when its standard is lowered the stand
ard of the people of the State is low
cred in q corresponding degree. And
it may have been this reason why the
Republicans should have reversed their
position, and by refusing to grant the
Executive its proper power and dignity
have aided in lowering Democratic ad'
ministration in the estimation OF the peo-
pie. We know of no other reason for
their action, and unthinking Democrats
who had been carried away with the
idea of opposing zone man power fell
into the trap laid for them. 1t was graft
fying however as soon as the Democrats
realized the attitude they were placed in,
reconsidered the vote by which the bill,
had been rejected and passed, it by q
handsome majority. We would urge upon
our Democratic friends the necessity OF
being on the alert, and BY proper or.
ganization and frequent consultation see
to it that they are not caught mapping
again.