New-York tribune., 1907-06-02
"LEGISL4TTTE DECAY"

Lieutenant Governor sherman of Illinois III
his Memorial Day address at Chicago deplored
the gradual weakening of the Legislative branch
of the government The cause" he said, may
be the personality Of its members 1t may be
the insidiOus attacks Of executive encroachment
from time TO time" The history Of legislation in
many states this winter is probably what Mr..
Sherman has in mind rs indicating the decay Of
legislatures, This has been Il year of "gov-
ernors triumphS" In a number of states the
governors have laid down elaborate pro
grammes, and their legislatures, not without
some show of opposition, have in the main car
ried them out Some of the Governors. like
Mr. Folk. of Missouri, and Mr. Campbell or
Texas have resorted TO special sessions in order
to secure the enactment of their policies but
generally by the use of one device or another
long familiar TO governors with legislatures on
their hands, through the pressure of public
opinion, the governors have had their own way
in larger degree than ever before.
In a conflict with the executive legislature
is commonly weakened by its relative lack o.
public confidence The people trust and support
the governor and in some measure distruSt the
legislature. This Is no new development, but
the governors have learned this year 10 the
public support with better effect than ever be
fore The governor has certain strength in
standing for the whole people of the state, while
the legislature is weakened by the very fact
OF its responsibility 10 the people at large III
a state that is politically close the governor. If
he misconducts himself. cannot hope for re
election, and the prospects OF his party's sue
cess with another candidate are put in jeopardy.
In the same state the balance Of power in the
legislature is almost sure to be made up Of
group OF men of both parties whose districts
are practically certain TO Tc-elect them, no mat-
ter how badly they fail To represent popular
opinion Such men tend to become utterly ire
spOnsible. party men only In name and eau
measures the rest of the time looking out
for themselves or representing certain inter
estS.' 1t is the existence of such strong groups
that has weakened most legislatures in the pub
lie mind. We hardly ever hear a word Of doubt
expressed regarding the honesty OF governors.
while there is a widely prevalent belief that
enough legislators usually listen to the lobby t.
prevent Il measure in the public interest from
being considered on its merits SO If governors
are disposed 10 encrOach upon legislatures they
have fair prospect of public support in their
enterprise.
Yet we fail to share Lieutenant Governor
Sherman's alarm at the situation We have had
Governors triumph in this state and we
fail TO see that the Legislature is weakened by
IT, On the contrary, the excellent work Of the
session will strengthen ii in the public estima-
ton. and ii is a restoration Of full public con
fidence that legislatures need Can any one
think that If the New York Legislature had re
jected the Governors programme it would have
stood as well with the public to-day as It now
dOesi Whatever may have been said of pre-
vious sessions. no charge that the cor
pOrationS have been in control at Albany this
year. If that is permanent reform the legiS-
Iative department viii be strengthened rather
than weakened by the Governors triumph"