The evening star and Newark advertiser., 1907-10-29
Katnenbach's Attitude Uncourageous.
From the Hudson Observer, Ind.l

fFrom the Hudson Observer, 1nd.l
New Jerseys Constitution provides that
when a bill shall have passed the House
and the Senate, and shall have been
vetoed by the Governor, 1t may still be
made Jaw by majority vote in each
house. In many of the other States a
two-thirds vote is required to pass
measure over the executives Veto,
Whatever influence the Governor of this
State exercises over legislation, there
fore, must be due to his own character
and convictions. Only by the force of
reason can he stop the making of bad
law. or the rep n of a good one
This is why it is necessary to elect
strong men in New Jersey--men whose
views on public questions are known and
approved, and who will not be found
afraid to assert them when the legisla-
tive department of the State, through
haste, carelessness, passion or prejudice,
shall have passed measures inimical to the
public welfare.
Frank S. Katzeahach, in his Krueger
Auditorium speech in Newark, deliberate
lv announced an intention to debase the
honored prerogatives of the office.
Whatever bill the Legislature might pass
on the subject of excise, he said, he would
regard as an expression of the will of the
people. and he would approve it. Mean
while he had no views of his own to make
known.
There is scarcely need to point out that
such a policy would not only nullify the
Constitution, but reduce the executive office
TO clerkshp OF what use would 1t be
to elect a Governor If he had no convic-
tions on an important subject; if he in
tended simply to put his signature to any
thing the House and the Senate happened
to send along? Such an executive would be
no better than wooden Indian, or an
automatic typewriter
If the House and the Senate were to
pass a bill abolishing all saloons and es-
tablishng prohibition, Katzenbach, accord
ing to his own declaration, would regard 1t
as an expression of the popular will, and
sign 1t.
On the other hand, IL measure came
to him from the same source, which pro-
posed to abolish all of the restrictions
about the saloons, even to the extent OF
giving them the. right to sell on week days
and Sundays without license, he would also
consider 1t his duty to affix his signature
Sometimes a bill of great Importance
slips through each of the houses by bare
majority of one or two votes in each. All
excise bills have been passed by slender
majorities. Katzenbach makes no excep-
ton in such cases. Though the source of
his power is the same as that of any AS
senblyman or Senator, he would not con-
slider that he had a right to do anything
but forward such measure to the statute
books.
We do not believe that the Democratic
candidate for Governor means what he
says. We do not believe that any edu-
Gated citizen of the State, elected to this
high ofhce--the power of which is so well
defined in the fundamental law-would
prostitute the office to so ignoble a level.
The truth is that the candidate is trying
to evade an expression of opinion on a
subject in which the people are deeply
interested, and nothing more. He has
been told by the overlords that If he con-
tinues to dodge and trim, he can obtain
the votes of the people of South Jersey.
who are for the strict regulation of sa
looms and the votes of people Of some of
! the localities Of North Jersey who want
a liberal" policy adopted by the State.
| He is a trimmer, a dodger and a coward.
but he is not as bad as he painted himself
lin his Newark speech.