The morning journal-courier., 1908-11-28
AN EXECUTIVE MANSION.


 AN EXECUTIVE MANSION.
 The announcement that Governor elect Iilley intends to make the city of Hartford his home during his term Of office has given rise to an amusing dis cussion with regard to the proprlety of the state establishing an executive mansion into which each governor would move upon being inausurated The Waterbury American appears im- pressed by the feasibility of the sug- gestion while the Hartford Courant makes merry over it.
 Tho American cannot understand why if the goyenor-elect wishes to entertain during his term he should be put to the expense of hiring @ house and moving into it. The Courant, evi- dcntly recognizing no obligation on the part of a governor to entertain simply because he has been elected to that office, reminds its contemporary that if there is to be an executive mansion there must be large annual appro priation for It's maintenance. Our friend then goes on in this breezy way to pull the tail feathers out of the American's suggestion: "rhe very pur- pose of the mansion would be enter tainment If the governor must meet If the state meets the expense then what an endless complication develops If the governor does not draw all of the appropriation, then he is negligent and fails in his hospitality If he does draw 1t, somebody who has met disap- pointment (which in such cases means appointment turns up to accuse him of not spending it all. If he can prove that he has spent 1t all, then the criticism Is that he did not spend 1t properly This form of censure will range all the way from the complaint of the prohibitlonist, who discovers a state bought cocktail, to that of the ambitious politician who didn't get a cocktail or any part of the hospitality
 If We must take the suggestion seriously then of course the Courant Is right in ridiculIng it There can he no objection to a governor undertaking to make his administration additionally interesting in the way Governor elect Liley is disposed to do if he wishes to, but under no philosophy with which we are familiar is he obliged to do so. The executive mansion at Albany ex- fists as a necessity not a convenience, created by the size of the state and the distance of the governors home town from the capitol The executive man sion at Washington exists for like reason An executive mansion at Hart ford in the small state of Connecticut, or at Providence In the smaller state of upon the theory that certain definite social obligations attach to the office of governor and that the state ought to foot the bills If there was anything i'm this theory Connecticut would gladly step to the captains office and settle but there is nothing to it.
 The interesting question suggests if. self who would the governor of the state entertain if he should maintain an executive mansion? Obviously there would be no one whom he would bc under obligations to entertain. There ie no diplomatic corps to receive the social consideration of the administra tioni 1t has never been the practice oi the governor to entertain the justices of the supreme court there Is an army and navy in the state but their officers have never been Included among those who are entitled to a reception at the hands of the chief executives, there art two houses of legislation but the grea majority of the members return home al night And so by the process ot elimination there would be left 10 en, certain only those whom the governor and his wife would personally like tC entertain, and thai is clearly none o the business of the state at large; 1t i' certainly not the concern of the tax payers So that while Governor elect Lilloy may add nightly to his owr pleasure of holding the office by pos sessing a home to which he may at his convenience Invite people of politica prominence, and people in Hartforc