Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-04-30
TWO GOVERNORS.

OF States today, Hughes of New YORK
and Folk OF Missouri stand as high as
any in the estimation Of the people.
Gov. Hughes has resolutely endeav-
ored to carry out % substantial pro-
gram of reform in his State. That he
has not succeeded has been through no
fault of his. The reactionat'y elements
OF both his own and the opposing party
in the Legislature have succeeded Ill
defeating or at least delaying most
of the measures which he especially
recommended.
In New York politics. 1t is said that
to adjourn early, after having done
substantially nothing, has ever been
the political maxim for Presidential
years. and TO this the leaders this year
have been attentive. Unhappily TOT
them. they seem to have exceeded the
irleducible minimum Of achievement,
and now an extra session is to result
To turn aside from legislation, to the
real spirit of the present session, there
can be no escape from the conclusion
that the main object of the bosses VINO
dominate the Legislature has been TO
rob the Governor of prestige by defeat
ing his legislation. to endeavor to make
him ridiculous by bringing failure upon
all his projects, and to eliminate him
from national and State politics per-
manently and completely
The Governor attempted to remove
Supt. of Insurance Kelsey, to stop
race track gambling, and to reform the
insurance system. The old leaders have
sought to block the reform movement,
and they are said TO BIO convinced that
they have done so. at least temporar-
lily. Their query now seems to be
"Will Hughes stay beaten|
However, though most of the bills
advocated by the governor failed 10
pass, he has saved out of the wreck
of his program one reform of primary
Importance, that affecting State bank
ing. The nineteen bills, drafted under
the supervision of Clark Williams
superintendent of banks, and all passed
in substantially their original form
represent a reform quite as important
as that embodied in the Armstrong in
surance law. 1t may be questioned, IN
fact. whether any single reform of any
recent session surpasses the import
ance of this series of bills. But they
represent Gov. Hughes single triumph
wIung from the present Legislature.
Another reform governor, Folk OF
Missouri, has had a task precisely
similar to that OF New Yorks execu-
tive, but has been more fortunate In
carrying 1t through, 1t is not denied
in Missouri that when Folk came into
the office, bribery, lobbying, corrup-
ton and greed were rampant. The
cities were in the control of gangs
Laws were ignored and openly violat-
ed. Elections were riots Of violence
and fraud. The state was In partner
ship with race-t track gamblers. In the
cities the saloons We're dominant AT
the State capital and at every Import
ant center Of population the control
ling elements We're practically lawless
and public conscience seemed to sleep.
Three years of Folks administration
have now elapsed and largely by his
efforts, and in each instance through
his initiative wonderful change is
apparent An independent journal
says. ana the statement we believe to
| be correct, that the old legislative
lobby of Missouri has been finally abol-
ished. The state press today is prac-
tically unanimous in declaring that
laws are no longer bought and sold,
there are fair elections politicians no
longer serve in police uniforms, rail
road passes have been done away with,
laws providing for good roads, for the
repeal of the fellow servant Injustice,
for the restriction of child labor, for
the eight-hour day, for the establish
ment of public service commissions, for
state primary, for compulsory educa-
don. for the free bridge, for pure food
for the repeal of certain odious alum
enactment, for the prosecution or
trusts, for the prevention of discrim-
nation, for the reduction OF freight
and passenger rates, and for tho aholi-
| ton Of racetrack gambling have been
passed. and from border TO border laws
have been enforced, good order MAIN
tanned, taxes decreased, expenditures
wisely applied and the criminal and
| dissolute classes held I'm check.
| IT is a splendid record. In fact, not
alone New York, Missouri. and Min
nesota, whose governors are mentioned
as presidential probabilities but many
others of the states, including our own,
have good reason To be proud OF their
governors,