New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-03
THE GOVERNORS OPPORTUNITY.


II was Governor Morton's good fortune during
his term of office TO have offered to him on
number of occasions the opportunity to inter
nose his strong commOn-sense and insralned
conservatism of character against the tendency
of the legislators of tie period TO enact unneceS'
sary laws of doubtful utility or embark upon
schemes for partisan advantage involving great
risks without compensatng dement's. III Is true
that he did not always embrace the opportuln!
10 arrest this tendency 10 hasty ana reckless
procedure and that he subjected his admlhisra-
ton 10 serious criticism on that account IL u
also true that he rarely exercised the veto
mower. But this was because he preferred thc
loss AGGRESSIVE and more cOnciliat0ry-and, on
rho whole the wiser-cOurse of letting 1t be
known beforehand that Objectionable action on
the mart of the Legislature would be net with
his formal disapproval if persisted in. 1t IS ohi!
fair to saw. too that the readiness with which
his Marty in control Of the Legislature. bowed
to his will ard receded from its purpose on these
occasions is an argument in favor of party dis
cjpline and the machinery of organization when
IN other respects are chargeable with so much
msCoyernment and mischief. The notceaDie
fact in Governor Mortons administration, how
retained at its close more to the firmncss with
which in one or two instances he set hiInSell
against the policy of the machine and the dc
totion of its leaders than TO any other single
causc 1t signihed that he was actually GoN-
ernor. discharging conscentously the duties or
his office, and not the subservlent creature Oh
q poltical machine whose commands he was
bound to obey.
II is Governor Blacks good fortune that the
same opportunity IS offered him, and much more
abundanty He has already given evidence or
political independence and n determination TO
discharge his official functions conscientious
" and faithfully according to the dictates or
his own judgment, without strenuous sel1-asser-
ton or offensive insistence. If, as has Deen
stated. and as seems entirely credible. the aban-
donment of the effort to pass the silly and dis
graceful Free Pass bill was due to his letting
il be known beforehand through the Speaker
of the Assembly that the measure, II passed,
would not receive his approval he performed
for his party and for the State most useful
service for which he deserves the greater credit
in that he did it in such quiet and unobtruslvc
way that Speaker OGrady through whom his
determination was made known, seemed to be
Tho notential cause instead Of the instrument
nv which the purpose of the Governor was ac-
compljshod and the bill killed in the Assembly
before reaching the Executive Chamber This
was case. too. in which the dull thud with
which the foolish bill fell dead on the Assembly
floor bore testimony to the occasional effective
ness Of party discipline and organization ma
Chincry for a benefcent purpose The intlma-
ton conveyed to the promoters Of the bill from
~ nl,or, ouonOh
tain SCOTS coon they simply said: Don't
shoot we'll come down.
The Governors way is the best way. II nips
trouble in the bud. avoids friction, saves time
and prevents scandal Doubtless he will have
many more opportunities TO serve his party ana
the State in the same way before the Legislature
ndjourns The Capitol is full Of freak bills; Of
proposed measures that have no merit and hard
" any pretext for being; measures conceived by
half-thnkers and born OF reckless partlsanship'
base in motive, futile in purpose ana loaded
with the silly conccits and empty devices whlch
inevitably return to plague their Inventors. One
such is Senator Ellsworth's well-mcant, nut aD-
surd and nonsensical. bill aimed at pictorial pub
lications; piece Of sledge hammer legislation
which, without correcting the abuses at when
It is directed would temporarily embarrass many
worthy and deserving publications. and in the
end bring its authors and advocates TO public
contempt. There is an opportunity for the Gov
eYnor TO put in an anticipative and effective veto
before II makes further progress. And there are
others. Some Of them. doubt, will pass both
houses and eventually reach the Governor.
They will furnish him the opportunity to de-
monsrate still further his conscientious indie
pendence his cearsighted intelligence and his
title 10 the confidence Of the people, by inter
posinC the Executive veto 10 hasty, ill-consid-
cred and foolish legislation. And his political
future depends upon the use he makes Of 1t.
Unless all signs fail, there will be an unusual
demand for an intelligent and determined exer-
else of the veto power before this Legislature
adjourns.