The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-01-03
HUGHES URGES
REFORMS
Sends In His First Message
As Governor
ASKS RECOUNT IN N. Y.
MayoraIty Contest Wants Mans
Name on Ballot Only once--would
Limit Candidates Expenses to
Certain Fixed Sum.
ASKS RECOUNT IN N. Y.

Albany, N. III, Jan. 3.--Governor Chas.
=. Hughes in his first message to the
legislature made the following recon.
mendations;
a recount Of Che votes cast for mayor
in the New York city election in 1905,
when, on the face Of the returns, w. X.
Hearst was defeated by George b. Nc
lClellan; that the courts be empowered
70 order 9 recount summarily in the fiji,
ture and that the power to bring an
action to try title to Office be taken
from the attorney general and conferred
upon the supreme court.
The adoption of new ballot whereon
the name Of candidate will appear but
once.
That the amounts Of money which a
candidate may expend to procure his
election be limited.
/ That any general committee Of par.
| ty may adopt rules for direct nomina
lions OF candidates at primaries.
| That the state board of railroad com.
niissioners and the commission Of gas
and electricity be abolished and new
board be constituted with power to On
force it's orders through the courts. That
the board Of rapid transit commissioners
| OF New York city be abolished and a
new board created to control transpor.
tation and regulate lighting corpora.
tions in Greater New York.
That children under sixteen years Of
age be not required 20 work more than
eight hours a day and that the work
in which they may not engage be speci-
fed more precisely.
On the recount matter the governor
reviewed 1lie efforts Of w. r. Hearst TO
secure a recount and said that the court
OF appeals of this state decided that the
present law did not confer on the cleo
tion officers any authority to recount
the ballots and the attorney general Dc.
clined to try the title Of the Office. He
said:
There is no question that widespread
doubt is entertained as to the accuracy
Of the official canvass and that doubt
should be resolved. II is 4 matter OF
the greatest concern that the view should
be largely. even though enormously held
that one who has been elected to office
had been deprived Of his seat through
invalid returns. The failure To obtain
"a summary recount through defect
in the law has aggravated the sense OF
injustice lie declared that no eonsid.
Grafton Of persons or expedicney should
be allowed to enter into the matter and
that II Mr. Hearst was elected he should
be seated.
As TO the future, he said that provi.
sion should be made to order a recount
summarily, but the courts should deter.
mine the prnpriety of exercising the
power. The attorney general. he said
recommended that the authority TO bring
an action TO try title to an Office be
no longer lodged with him. This the
governor approved and recommended that
IT be entrusted to the state supreme
court. The governor declared that two
serious objections 10 the present eIec-
ton law we're the doubt as TO the valid.
ity Of certain methods of split voting
and the fact that candidates have more
than one place on the ballot. The lat
ter, he said, leads TO fragrant abuses to
obtain Endorsements for the purpose of
securing place in more than one col
mnn. He recommended a ballot on
which the names of candidates appeared
but once, grouped under the names Of
the Offices with party designation.
u was claimed, he said that there |
is no limitation upon the authority of !
political state conventions and state
committees arbitrarily to exclude hon
estly elected delegates and members. and I
that the fraudulent or corrupt action |
of such convention or committee can
not be reviewed or corrected By any
court. lie declared that "minorities |
should not be permitted to make them,
selves majorities by the arbitrary seiz.
ure Of political organizations nor through |
of dishonest methods, and the |
courts should be vested with ample pow.
or to review in summary manner all /
such abuses and TO restore to defrauded |
persons the political rights TO which they
are Justly entitled"
After referring 10 the subject of UNI.
Just determinations in railroad rates,
The governor said;
"Congresa has legislated upon the sub.
iect with reference to interstate com.
merce, where naturally the evil has been
most prominent, But domestic COM
merce must be regulated by the state,
and the state should exercise its power
10 secure impartial treatment to ship
pers and the maintenance of reasonable
rates There is also need Of regulation
and strict supervision to insure adequate
service and due regard for the conven-
ience and safety Of the public. The
most practicable way OF attaining these
ends is for the legislature TO confer
power upon a subordinates administra.
live body