The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-05-27
GOVERNOR USED
THE BIG STICK
TO CONTROL AND GEORGE ILLin.
OiS LEGISLATURE. SAYS
CORRESPONDENT.
LONG SESSION END[D
With Lower House Still in Open Re-
bellion--Preeedent Set May Be
Followed BY Future
Assemblies.

J special to The Bulletin
Springfield ILL.,, May 2G.-The mi.
, nois legislature has at last adjourned
sine die, the end of the session com.
ing last Saturday. Thus Is termin
atcd the longest and in many re-
speets the most remarkable session Of
the general assembly in the history
toi the state. 1t began January 0, 1897
and with recess from time to tins
continued for sixteen months and four
teen days. The stringing out OF the
session was due mainly to the game
of politics that has been played adroit
~ between the executive and legis,a.
tive departments Of the state govern
sncht. 1t Is no nov lining for the gov.
loIhor and tie legislature to clash. All
though we now and then hear much
about the independence" of the sew
eral departments of the state govern
ment, there is, in practial operation,
no such thing as absolute independ
lenee between the chief executive and
The general assembly The constitm.
tion imposes duty upon the governor
to point out To the assembly what ii
ought to do In the way OF legislation
good many governors have placed
a broad construction upon this part
of the constitution, and If they really
wished law passed they have gener
lally taken the necessary steps TO get
| 1t through. Ordinarily the Governor
has great influence with the leglsla-
ture He possesses several varieties
fthe big stick which he may hqr'
menacingly over the heads Of -
makers. One Is the vrriitrs CIV
No legislatnrstick" II the power y
meas,,,ago Almost every f'emost
',a''o Non,h,y more especially thoFe
'ne ra aominant party, is intefes'en
vi w ,ostion for he is certain W
III 'n'e wants ru,-.a aspiring con
stituents Than III eau Jaisa -sarc of
and he wants to be 'in right" NJ the
executive mansion. This makes II
reasonably certain that the average
Legislator will give due consideration
to any suggestions emanating from
the governor.
| The first Governor Yates, who found
himself with an incorrighle legisia-
ture on his hands showed his ability TO
| meet the emergency by proroguing
1.-THE assembly-an act that was then
without precedent, but one that was
lreceived with general approval That
of course was a Democratic lcglsla'
lture, and the differences between the
Governor and the legislature were
largely those of partisan politics. Gov
Palmer had some interesting exper'
Iienccs with the general assembly. AMI
so did some of the other governors
lGov Tanner during the two regular
land one special session falling within
his administration was ON good terms
with the assembly Gov. Yates, upon
his Inauguration, had a falling out
with the house. OF which l.. Y Sher-
| Imam was then speaker. At the next
session. Yates dictated the organiza-
, tlon of the house. and he got on pretty
( was master of the situation In the
, was master fthe situation IN the
assembly in 1905 but the opening Of
r the session OF 1907 developed feud
; that has continued until the present
i time. While the senate has exhibited
; signs of friendship for the administra-
, tion. the house during most of the
time has been in open rebellion
The long session" of the assembly
- was an accident When "A year ago
S recess was taken until October.
s nobody dreamed that anything Of iH'-
3 lpOrlance would happen In the autumn
T. It was thought probable that the leg
S islature would reconvene, dispose ot
{ the deep waterway question summaT-
< ily. and then adjourn sine die. But
$ the overturning Of the primary Law
5 and the other questions that suhse.
loucntlv arose made the October sea
: sion" one OF more than seven months.
: Instead of the seven days that hal
been anticipated.
While there is a difference OF opi1
n ion as to the long session" and as -
the political effects that viii follow,
one Of the odd results rs that the prs-
cedent just established may be fol
o liowed regularly in the future The
. lsuggrstion has come from many
q sources that. the salaries Of members
Having been increased and the pay Tor
= extraordinary sessions having been
Z cut OF the legislature ought to remsiH
lin continuous session during the two
:, wears Of its existence II has been
Z proposed that in the future after the
. principal work of the legislature -
r finished a recess ~ taken from month
4 to month thus making the assembly
.s for practical purposes. always IN se=-
h sion" prepared To meet aRv emergen-
4 cies that may arise. Perhaps the nev
l. lplan will become an established eus-
ltom after this year