The Washington herald., 1908-02-26
Executire Noninrerference.

Executive NoDintcTference.
Gov Hughes continues 20 amaze and
distract the politicians of the Empire
State. His programme of reform legisla-
ton includes four important measures.
the ore which has attracted most public
attention being the bill TO prohibit race
track gambling. IN addition. the governor
has recommended the removal of Otto
Kelsey. the superintendent of insurance,
for incompeteney in Office, Competent
observers agree that Kelsey is not likely
10 be disturbed. for his friends in the
senate. the body having power OF re-
moval, are more numerous than the gov
ernor's supporters. The governors four
reform measures are bottled up IN COM
mittee, whence they viii not reappear
unless public sentiment forces the legis-
lative leaders 10 act in opposition TO their
own desires. as il did last year when the
public utilities bill was in jeopardy
The legislative situation at Albany.
therefore, the average American would
consider one calling loudly for the vigor-
Gus WELDING OF a gubernatorial big
stick" But Gov. Hughes will have none
OF that sort OF thing. He adheres IN
finchingly to the principle which has
guided him from the beginning. that ex-
ccutive pressure should not be exerted 10
compel action by an unwilling legislature
he will not make war on the law-making
body. He believes that the principle OF
noninterference is more valuable than
anything else ar stake. His conviction
is that IF the justice Of the cause, il the
inherent public necessity OF his pro-
gramme. was not enough 10 recommend II
to the legislature. then all that was left
TO be done was TO wait for better
times These last words. saws the
Albany correspondent Of the New York
Evening Post, from whom the above
quotation is taken, are the governors s
own. This correspondent thus outlines
what he regards as the most serious
crisis" in the Hughes administration:
A band Ct practical politicians, determined to
set limit 10 reform and perhaps animated With
the utenor desire to set a limit 10 the national
career q reformer. have united to defeat every
item II he governors programme. They have Sc
cured tse necessary votes. and have only 70 hold
these votes. On the other hand stands the gov
IN aceordaDee With the wish Of a majority Of the
people Of the State; convinced. also that its re-
toetion viii mean the Overwhelming defeat Of his
party in the State; but, determined to use no
weapon in the arsenal Of executive power. Com
mitted to a policy in which the big stick is
permitted 40 part the governor is prepared TO take
dsieat, If defeat is consequence Of strict ed-
herence 10 this principle. rather than achieve VIC
tory By any deviation from II"
So extreme an application Of the prin-
ciple Of the separation Of executive and
legislative functions is unusual in Ameri-
can politics. Public sentiment commonly
sustains the executive in any measures
r may take for the promotion of re-
forms, and our legislatures are notorious
for their unwillingness TO do anything
Of a bipartisan character save under
strong pressure from without Beside.
our executives are customarily politicians
CROUCH to be perfectly at home in the
art Of dickering and trading with re-
calcitrant legislators. Gov Hughes. how
ever, Is not a politician, and has no in
tention Of becoming one. He will not
stoop to the petty business of exchanging
executive patronage for legislative sup
port. nor viii he attempt TO exert the
power Of party leadership. He is. indeed.
almost completely isolated from the legis-
lature and from the recognized leaders
Of his own party. He has completely
sunk his partisanship in his office.
How would this uncompromising at
titude Of isolation and noninterference
thrive in the intensely political at
mosphere Of Washington. to which Gov.
Hughes friends seek TO translate him?
Here the executive and leg. slative func-
tons, in spite Of a theoretical separation.
are closely interviewer. Congress has a
large hand in administration. and the
President Is freely consulted about legis-
lation. 1t is the immense volume of Fed
eral patronage, and the tremendous lar
gesses from the public Treasury. that
form the intimate bond between the Cap
itol and White House
The President and the two Houses Of
Congress must agree upon all these mat
ters. and in the process of reaching agree
ment there is abundant opportunity for
logrolling. Would Gov. Hughes be able
TO adapt himself 10 this intricate system
OF political give and take. or would he
attempt to revoiutionize the whole busi-
ness? For assUredly. it would be little
short Of revolutionary il the White
House were occupied by a President who
refused TO give or 10 receive counsel from
members Of the legislative body and
maintained the isolation of a man who
asks no aid from politicians in the con-
duct Of the public business.
His supreme test would come in the
bestowal of the ofices-a task the despair
OF every President and that has been
the undoing of more than one. As mat
ters are now. responsibility for both
Executive appointments and for legisla-
tive action is divided. Il might be worth
while 10 see how a system would work
in which the President were held SOLELY
responsible for the quality of the public
service and Congress solely responsible
for the quality of legislation. But does
any one really believe that such An ex-
act separation of functions is humanity
possible a; the seat of the Federal gov
ernment?
Really, you will have. to speak a little
louder Senator Dick. X is impossible to