The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-31

'!eslullN III IracIlce would put the
rights Of the States on a firm, recor.
nized basis and make Capitalization for.
ever An impossibiity in the Ameri-
can Republic. The plan which | wish
here humbly and respectfully TO pre-
sent to the leaders in the political ac-
tlyites of the country, TO our Gov
ernors annd legislators and to the
american press and public is the orga-
nlzation Of
House Of Governors.
1t is proposed that the Governors of
the forly-iiyc States meet annually for
session of two TO three weeks to dis
cuss, consult and confer on vital ques-
tons affecting the welfare of the
States. the unitying of State laws and
the closer unity Of the States as a ma
tion. The House of Governors would
have no wmaking power. nor should
II ever aspire 10 such power. Its force
would be in initiative. in inspiration
and in influence The Governors would
seek TO unite on general basis of
action on great questions TO be sub
mittod TO the Legislatures Of the re.
spcctiyc States in the Governors
message, 1T would seem that an
august, dignifcd body of fortv.iivc
Governors. representing their States,
with the law-making power of forty
five Legislatures behind them, should
in time become an inherent part in tho
American idea of sclf-governmcut and
n powerful factor for good 10 the Ma.
lion.
This brief statement covers the
broad lines Of the suggestion, and for
IL we ask consideration in connection
with the amplihcation and detail Of the
thought that follows this outline.
In the Congress of the United States
the Senators. chosen as they arc by the
State Legislatures, nomlually represent
their States, but not the people of their
Statcs. for the latter have no direct
voice IN their selection. The members
of the House Of Representatives. do not
represent their States, but simply dis
tricts of their States. With ties to
their constituents and with duties and
obligations 10 them they may i'm theory
have the interest OF the entire State
rs 4 matter of paramount Importance I'm
their hearts, but in fact they never lose
sight of the 6uaIity of value i'm tho
Congressional district. The Governor
of the State, however, is elected 10y
tho people, and is in constant touch
with the people. keeping his fingers
close pressed on the pulse of their needs
and problems. The voice of the Gov
crnors, therefore. in the proposed new
house means n new. direct, vital repre-
scntation of the people in the affairs
" lN' tNldlf dI' Nv iAh' 'flHA'HN ~ Al'
States making up the nation such rs
the people have never yet had.
ON many great questions ~ is diff
cult 10 secure national legislation, and
on others it is impossible 10 secure il
without constitutional amendment. To-
day we have no national holiday legal
lied by Congress for the States-not
even Fourth of July. Thanksgiving Day
or Christmas-yet by the action Of the
separate States these days are univer.
sally observed. They are national in
scope. so if the legislatures of the forty
five States. working together through
the House oG Governors for uniform
laws. should pass the same law the
practical effect of national law would
be secured without federal action.
In the House of Governors no ma
iority vote should be binding ON the
minority. Should even forty-four mem
beTs of the House in full session agree.
the one member not coucurring should
have absolute freedom OF action and he
or his successor would probably ioin
the majority side at the next session
Of the House. The House should deter
mine by vote the ratio Of the members
present that is to he considered the
minimum requisite for the initial i'm
pulse for action toward uniform State
legislation throughout the country, on
the specific question. Should the mum
her Of votes be below the ratio set as
basis Of unity the matter could 90
over TO the next session for recousidera-
ton.
If on the subject Of, let us say, di-
vorce, TWENTY-FIVE members of the
House were 10 agree on general plan
The Twenty-Five Governors thus concur
ring would suggest 10 their respective
Legislatures In their ensuing message
the passage of bill in accordance with
the recommendation. The Legislatures,
of course, would have absolute freedom
TO pass il or not as they deemed best,
but the recommendation would have q
greater dynamic effect and stronger
moral influence when each legislature
knew that twenty-four other legisla.
lures were considering the same pro
posed law. Let us assume that Of the
twenty-five States eighteen passed this
bill, in the other seven were public sen
timent sufficiently aroused and the peo-
pie sufficiently united this question
might be made an issue in the next
campaign and those Legislators elected
who would carry through the bill
At the next meeting of the House,
with the prestige of tho adoption of
the law by eighteen States, ten new
converts might be made among the Gov
crnors non-concurring in the first scs-
sion. and so in the conrse of few ses-
sions we might have uniform State leg
islation on this vital problem without
federal action, a law thus finally
passed by all the States woIld more
truly represent the sentiment Of the
American people than any law passed
by the federal government, even if con
stitutional amendment or new revised
Interpretation of the constitution en-
powered the passing of The law
The annual meeting of such an able
deliberative body rs the House of Gov
crnOrs would receive careful attention
from the press Of the country. Every
State being represented by it's Gov
ernor, and the problems discussed being
vital ones, there would be secured
throughout the country simultaneous
consideration Of the questions before
the House, a thorough. practical venti;;
lation Of the subjects and II general
study of the proposed remedies Vague
diffuscd public opinion, through the
influence Of the House of Governors.
would be crystallized into public senti-
ncnt. and this sentiment, the peoples