New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-10-23
HONORING HUGHES
Continued from first page

and this is their troubIe-they must pick some
thing that will stand public discussion and go
before the people in a political campaign
said Are you in favor Of repeal OF the Puo-
lie Service commissions law?' find M d.
rect answer, and it seems 10 be clear that tne
position can be taken that my opponent is IN
favor of a repeal of the law 1 have said. y o
what officers do you want the powers OF tne
commission transferred asked that because
In the Democratic platform they COMPLIANCE
that we had taken away from the otncers OF
the state some Of their prerogattves. and L
wanted know who they meant Apparently
they can't say that there is any officer to wnon
they want this transferred. But I said. II you
say these commissions are too powerful what
powers would you deprive them of" And ap-
parently they can't put finger on the powers
that they would deprive them Of
We know what would happen II they couid-
they would want to get rid Of this RESTRICTION
and that restriction. We can understand very
well the desire of many of those who were PACK
of the Democratic state platform actually 10
get rid Of some of the restrictions, but It Is d
very different thing to say so openly anc MAKE
an issue of it in the campaign So AFTER an Il
said and done and after long period OF silence
after year and a Half to consider the Dues
ton, what is it they say? Practically nothlhs
but this: That they want the commissioners
elected Apparently government by commission
seems to be q good thing after all The powers
of the commission seem to be such should
be had after all. but the object of the attack
now is simply that the commissioners should
be elected instead Of appointed
Well now, I am absolutely against throwing
these matters Of regulation and of department
business or business of the state into politics.
are a
necessary offices. There IS no reason why thS
public service commissioners should be erected
any more than the Banking superintendent or
the Insurance Superintendent or any OF the
commissioners who have charge of education.
agriculture labor departments
Why the distinction is perfectly clear. Some
officers represent political policies. OF aeces-
sity they must be chosen by the people N or
der that the policies for which they stand may
be debated. But when you come TO the bust
ness which should know no pohtics-the de-
partment business-then want to secure the
system which will give us the most efficient
why don't thew ask that the Interstate Com
merce Commissioners be elected? Apparently
they never thought of that. OF course. Mr..
Corners and Mr. Murphy and Mr.. McCarren
might want to see these commissioners Of pub
lie service elected. They might say they
wanted to bring these commissioners closer to
the people The truth would be that they
wanted TO get a little closer to them them
selves
Lieutenant Governor Chaner reached here
late tonight. Governor Hughes and he both
will campaign along the Falls Road tomorrow.
and will be at Albion and Brockport at the same
time. the Governor speaking after his opponent
has finished.
GREAT CROWD AT SENECA FALLS.
Before reaching here to-day the Governor
spoke ar Seneca Falls, in Seneca County, and
Geneva and Canandaigua, in Ontario County.
His first meeting was at Seneca Falls. where
car 10 the theatre. and damned it to the limit
Of its capacity Charles A Hawley the chair
man presented him as "a Governor without fear
and without reproach, the present and future
Governor" which brought a cheer from the as
semblage. Governor Hughes plunged at once
into an analysis of Mr.. Chambers long delayed
statement of position on the racetrack gambling
and Public Service commissions propositions
Just as he began speaking some wag in the
rear OF the hall yelled loudly in a most lugubrt-
Gus and commiserating sort of tone:
90 Governor. don't roast poor Chanler; he has
his own troubles"
Despite an sfrort to keep a straight face. the
Governor had 10 smile; but the merciless logic
of the Governor and the facts themselves could
not permit him to follow the wag's injunction
Governor Hughes declared that Mr.. Chambers
now revealed attitude the racing question
proved the administration right in insisting on
enforcement of the constitution as prohibiting
racetrack gambling. This position is so just
and secure" said the Governor, that even the
Democratic party does not dare to attack it
He said
After q long wait my opponent has said that
he is not in favor of the repeal of the Agnew-
Hart BILL and thereby he Endorsed the admins
tration and the policy for which nave StooG,
Now. what does this mean? For this policy
have been abused and Caricatured and mlsrep-
resented from end of the state to the other
know the method in which the advocacy Of the
Agnew-Hart bills was made. The matter was
presented 10 the people of the state by argu-
ment and by an appeal 10 their intelligence and
conscience. We succeeded because the people
supported the position that had been taken; and
they did not propose 10 see the fundamental law
of the state openly tricked-
Now. il appears that I was right, and my OF
ponent has come out and said that he is against
the repeal of the laws for which I stood SO de-
ternainedly. II he is against the repeal Of these
laws, then it was a good thing to pass those
campaign which we did conduct to secure their
passage
Regarding Mr.. CHAMBERS statement last even
ing his position on the Public Service Com
mission. Governor Hughes said
We at last have a statement from him in
regard to the matter. l did not find. despite
the denunciation OF government by commits
sion that he would repeal the Public Service
commissions law. 1 do not find. despite the
statement in the platform that we have taken
away from the constitutional officials OF the
state their prerogattves, any statement that
he would transfer to any other officer of the
state the powers vested in the Public Service
commissions. I do not find. despite the in
situation that the commission was too pow
erful, any specification in his answer Of any
power that he would take away. The fact
that he has spoken and has said little is an
eloquent approval of the policy for which the
administration has stood.
J. E. H Nongn Republican leader Of Seneca
County. against whose leadership many Repub-
leans revolving. was one of the most en-
thusastic in his applause OF the Governors
speech He said that prospects in his county
were most pleasing We'll do as we'll by
Hughes we did two years ago" he said The
turning down of Senator Wilcox for renomlna-
ton won't hurt Hughes at all in this county:
i'm be help"