The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-04-06
Monday. April O. zoos.
POLITICAL CONDUCT.


Governor Hughes of the state of New
York continues to give striking illus
trations Of political independence APP
parently the rules of the game as they F
are recognized and played by others .
fail TO Interest him. 1t is not to be un- I
derstood that he is undertaking to in
troduce new laws Of political conduct. |
or to reform the political organization /
of things in novel manner. on the !
other hand, his conduct suggests that
II IS the old and original way of doing
things which interests MIN 1t Is con
ceivable that II he had his way, the
three departments of government would
be left to perform their functions with
out interference on the part Of any one
with any other,
This is indeed very old-fashloned but
It still has its charms for a large mum
ber Of people, possibly an ever increas-
ing number AS a presidents bossibili-
~ he has declined to do more than per-
nit the use of his name, II anyone
cares to make use of IT, When he might
shape his conduct as governor of the
great state of New York TO further
his presidential interests, as In the case
of the law forblddlng race track gam
bling, he goes, steadily about the re-
demption of the promises he has made
the people His public speeches have
been models Of good taste and have
turned invariably upon that view of
constitutional government which rests
In faith in the people as the rulers in
~ff1fs country. In this respect he has
been compared, and not inconsistency
so, with Grover Cleveland at a similar
period In the distinguished life of that
gentleman. Now he tells Timothy l..
Woodruff, who Is the chairman of the
Republican state committee of New
York, that he must decline to express
preference as between individuals In
the matter of delegates to he sent to
the Republican national convention.
I'm the choice of these delegates"
writes Governor Hughes, "the wishes
of the Republican voters of the state
acting through their representatives In
the State convention, should find free
expression" This must have made Mr.
Woodruff sit up and take notice. II Is
not customary for man whose name
will be presented To the national Re-
publican convention by his own state
TO thus place the full responsibility for
playing fair on the people themselves,
who II they want him in the White
house for four years have only to say
so In their own characteristic way. It
is not for him to undertake to do their
thinking for them.
If anything can carry Governor
Hughes over the course in advance OF
Secretary Taft 1t will be the dignified
policy he has adopted. In fact, were It
not for the popularity of Mr.. Taft, and
his remarkable preparation for the Of
llce Of president, the Hughes policy
would win the day for him. The
movement Of the century is away from
impertinent medding on the part OF
officeholders and politicians. The direct
nominating act Is the most emphatic
statement, There has been enough OF
political Interference and Governor
Hughes is In sympathy with a propos
ed change and In order to show hi
sympathy uses acts rather than words
to define his position While the PEG
pie view with gratitude the object los
son provided by the governor Of New
York, they are showing an increasing
interest in the movement which pro
poses to revive the deliberatve charac
ter of the national house OF representa-.
lives, Again last week was shown t
what an extent that body has passeC
from popular control to the control o
the speaker and his own committee on
rules. Unwilling to discuss the subjects
which President Roosevelt has repeat
eddy urged upon congress or els
| afraid to, Speaker Cannon and hi.
committee on rules strange in an ar
bitrary manner the right of free delib
Grafton on the floor of the house. Thi
they can do under the existing rule
for the organization of that body. Fo
this reason the reform movement inau
gurated by Representative Hayes g
California ought to succeed. His pla
is TO have the committee on rules elect
ed by theshouse itself and to have tn
speaker excluded from membership o
Il. to have tho chairnlen Of committee
selected by the committee and not a
now by tho speaker; TO introduce tn