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

Tho general opinion of the people OIL
this. country today is unquestionably
against capital puuishment-a sad relic
OF primitive barbarism still perslsting
with war in this vauntcd twentieth
century ciyilization-yet there is no
method today by which this uncX-
pressed public opinion can be vitallZcd,
transmitted into public sentiment mani
Testing itself in uniform State laws,
yet the House Of Governors might ac-
complish it at a single session.
The lack of uniformity in State
legislation today is 80 clearly rccog-
ni2cd as an evil in our political system
that further details in this article seem
unnecessary. Any plan that even faint,
" foreShadows the possibility OF
compleXity and contradiction would
seem worthy Of really serious con
sidcratiOn.
The House of Governors seems to
offer no chance for graft. colluslon,
combination. pairing off, the working OF
private interests, bribery. jobbcrS. cor
ruption or any of the other diseases 10
which legislative bodies are liable, This
immunity arises from the non-law'
making character Of the House. IL
is said 10 be easier to buy State legis-
lators than TO purchase Federal action
or Federal inactivity. The House would
thus have the dignity, character and
poisc of the Federal Government.
The Governors here would be subject
10 no pressure, they would not be
likely to be carried of their feet
by the whirlwind cloquence of one of
their members advocating some Utopian
scheme or some trust measure mas
querading as n plan of public beneVo-
lcnce. But even If temporarily capti-
waited, they would probably cool on
reflection, and there is no chance of the
ynll fol Il l.,y oh la.
10 stand tho acid test of wide public
discussion by press and people and TO
pass the Safeguarding process of forty
five Legislatures.
Ii seems advisable that Inc meetings
Of the House of Governors should be
annual, though tho sessions Of State
Legislatures are annual in only six of
the States, while Quadrennial in one
and biennial in thirty-eight In 1907
only six States have legislative scs-
sions. but in 1908 forty Statcs--or all
but Alabama, Oregon, Utah, Virginia
aud Wyoming sessions We're
the House Of Governors 10 meet during
the present year a splendid test of the
value Of their session could be made
Legislatures then meeting, except
Florida (ApriD, Louisiana (May).
Georgia (June) and Vermont (Oc-
toberl
II may be objected that lhe Gov
crnors could not spare time away from
their official duties 10 attend sessions
Of the House, but as their bodily pres
cnco at home Is not necessary. except
when the Legislature meets, this oh.
jectlon IS more theoretical than real.
and the State could for a term Of two
or three weeks he left 10 the Lieu
tenant Governor or TO the Secretary Of
state as acting Governor.
The place of meeting Of the House
of Governors should not he in Washing
ton, D. c. Except possibly its first ses-
sion). but successiyelY in State capitals
selected by vote of the House or by
decision of committee, and giving
the honsr of tho session Succcssivcly
10 States in rotation on n general plan
of choice, selecting for the first wear
perhaps an Eastern State. the following
year Western State, then Northern
then Southern and last Central
State, repeating the order of choice
till the forty five (Oklaboma, the forty
sixth, not having been officially adj
mitted to the Union AT This writing)
shall have been recognized.
The date of the session should he
at a season that would avoid the time
Of the sitting Of the State legislatures
and the months directly preceding the
November elections. The cost Of the
meetings of the House of Governors
should be little more to each State than
the travelling and other necessary per
sonal expenses of its Governor for tho
brief period of the session Any State
selected for an annual meeting would
gladly provide its legislative assembly
room for the meetings of the House,
with accommodation therein for visitors
(perbaps by iuvjtation) and press rep
resentatives at the daily sessions. The
force Of doorkeepers, pages, steno.
graphers and others needed for the
brief term should be but slight tax on
the hospitality of the State.
Topics for Consideration.
In order that the members Of the House
Of Governors should be fully informed
in advance of the topics TO be discussed
aud TO save valuable time for the ses.
sion, 1T is suggested that it shall be
the duty of the chairman of the House
or of the committee appointed therefor
TO invite the members: say four months
before the session, to send in lists of
suggestions of vital topics for consider
alton. These lists when received from
all Governors would be tshulated in the
order of their Importance and submitted
as candidates Of topics. The Governors
would then mark given number of sub
iccts a number in excess of those like
lv to be covered during the session,
and from these lists Of preferences re-
turned 10 the chairman, or committee.
the resultant official list of elected sub
.iects would then be sent TO each mem
Der, thus giving him time for thought
ful preparation for the session
Among the subjects OF vital interest
to the entire country and on which free
discussion tending toward uniform log
isation is desirable may be named:
marriage and divorce, rights of mar
ried women corporations and trusts. in
surancc child labor, capital punishment.
direct primaries. convict labor, prison
reform, contracts, uniform system OF
conveyancing, inheritance tax. income
tax, mortgages, referendum, election re-
forms and similar topics. The House
of Governors might have n consulting
board Of legal advisors, specialists in
law and federal aud