The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-05-28

semblage for the first time in the his
tory of the nation. embodied the idea
of executive power and that their
point of view and their sympathies
were naturally in line with executive
action and executive leadership in gov
eminent. The question has nowhere
been raised. evidently. yet it is of in
terest TO inquire whether this i'm
pressive conference at the White
House did not serve to signalize and
exalt the executive function in our
political affairs
There was a time when men would
resign membership not only of the ma
tiOnal House of Representatives but
also of the Senate itself in order to
become governors of their states.
Those were the early days when the
states were not yet so completely
Overshadowed by the nation and the
national government as they have been
for at least generation past. and it
is evident of course that those times
will never return. No place in state
government and no purely state hon
Ors can ever compete again with the
prestige and dignity attaching to a
high and exalted connection with the
government of the nation. During
the middle period of the republics
history and even later. barring the per
iod of the civil war, there was also
decline in the vigor and authority OF
the executive function both in the
state and national governments. rela-
tive to the position of the Legislatures
and Congress. and this was a develop
ment that had no Connection with the
old antagonism of state and federal
jurisdictions. But the more recent de-
velopment of executive power and in
fluence, especially in the federal gov
eminent. has not been associated
enough. perhaps. with a general tend
ency throughout the Union for the pco-
pie to put their trust and find their
leadership in the executives rather
than in the legislative bodies. In
many states the Legislatures have
sunk low.in popular esteem while the
governors have been the real repre-
sentatives of popular movements, and
have been charged by popular man.
dates to secure from Legislatures, as
sumed to be under the control of pO-
litical machines and private corpora
tions, the reforms which the people
demanded.
The possible effects of the confer
ence of governors at Washington will
not be thoroughly recognized, per-
haps. until the connection between the
conference and the current exaltation
Of the executive power and leadership
is worked out. 1t is in no sense an is
sue between states and nation, but
one between the executive and legisla-
tive functions of government general
~ that calls for our present consider
alton. The conference of governors,
so far as the states rs such are con-
cerned, could not have diminished in
the slightest degree the prestige of the
states in the American system, but
when the federal executive and the
state executives join forces in this i'm
pressive manner. even for purposes of
academic discussion. without reference
to the existence of Congress or the
many Legislatures. can there be any
other result than an emphasizing of
the Importance of the executive func-
ton of government in the public mind?
1t is to be anticipated that the office
of governor throughout the Union will
be somewhat raised in prestige because
of the Washington conference in the
future if the conference idea should
ever develop into a conference habit.
Let the governors meet every year in
this rather spectacular style, under the
craftsmanship of the president of the
United States, the greatest of all ex-
ecutives, and the process of expand
ing executive power and leadership
throughout the whole structure Of the
federal system would probably be
greatly accelerated. for the tendency
Of the people to measure issues In
terms of the executive personality and
of the candidates for executive Office,
seems to be gaining strength all the
time and this fact, under the condi-
tions referred to, could not but mill
tate progressively against the relative
value of leg islative bodies in popular
esteem.
1t is not likely. however, that a "per-
manent" conference of governors, in
the sense that formal periodicity of
assembling would be established, for
while the White House conference
adopted resolutions commenting as
wise future gatherings of the sort,
to be called at the discretion of the
president OF the United States, there
was no effort to make them annual,
triennial or Of measured recurrence in
any way whatever. The country wit
nesses, therefore. happening that
tends Enthusiastically to emphasize ex-
ecutive initiative and influence In the
states, but he would be a most I'M
conclusion of the governors confer
ence anything to regret or fear. On
the contrary, the educational value Of
such a gathering far transcends other
considerations, if its discussions be
wisely directed. while the probable in
frequency of the conferences may be
relied upon to check Developments I'M
duly or dangerously exalting executive
power-Springfield (Mass.) Republi-
can.
Pie for Him.
Human Professionalism has be-
come of the glass eater?
Sword Swallower-Got job as base