New-York tribune., 1909-01-02
rHE Src0Nn IN4rGTRAI

THE SECOND IF4rGU RAJ.
Governor FIvghes'> second inaugural address
VIII rank a. one Of his greatest speeches. 80
phil6<ophic Is its view OF popular government
81 lofty * lis ideaiism. and Vet witha - prae-
-ica1 are the observations contained n II 50
fnSniring moreover. is lis optimism throughout
There i perhaps no passage in il which : more
cl,ara rtarierir cf the unconventional habit #
The Governors mind than that wherein he dis
cl!sSeS the familiar difficulty Of drawing the
heSf men INTO the public service This fact 1s
COMMONPLACE Of politics. and the conventional
remark shout il Is thar the public cannot hop"
n attract first class non into its employ because
public positions do not pay rs highly aS COM
-ra-ris7 nrnnlovue7t does. How many times are
TO -o-d that We cannot have the best legal in
rellpcIS on The bench unless Judges salaries
equal The retainers Of corporations or the best
administrative officers unless the state pays
Whist commercial life pays executives. Perhaps
srvs the Governor. there should be ''juSter com
r.srszr=or- hut II * nor necessary 70 compel"
with :Fa material rewards" of business.
~ far greater Importance than coH1pensation
: tho proper recognition Of the dignity ot puphc
sa-ziCs So f. as ~ may he able -
-afea ,re standards r+ administration make
easier he task ~ drawing 70 the pubic service
men y hieh capacity and 7Iu=eilSh motive on
s7fcuous examples of administrative efficiency
sr5 -he a-rf-opriete tributes Won from 4 CRATE
f;ii people sill 90 more n secure dislnteT@S
men of talent Tor public of1oe ana - MAINTAIN
r5gn standards than either protests against thN
abuse ~ criticism OF increase ~ pecuniaTF rS-
wards.
PLENTY n men ri the best type are found
readv 10 refuse the seductions Of commerce ~
deYo-p their lives 70 science: Why should not
this be the case with the public service. which
ought to be one Of the noblest OF careers: Is
II not because rhe whole tone Of public life has
hean lowered by making its places the spolis 81
politics. putting their control into the hahaS OF
men with the wrong ideals:
The Governors mind in his speech runs
chiefly On this on, the elevation Of the char
aCrer Of administration and public life The
Governors power Of appointment and removal
he remarks. i very different from that Of the
President. The latter has control Of the great
executive departments OF the federal govern
ueut Their heads are removable ny him IN
The various departments Of tn" St3fe me CON-
roiseforers are appoinrad generally FOR 4 longer
term than the Governors and arc not ren"7ahie
hv him without thn concurrence of the senate
The result is. as hp justly declares. no real
ac-cor1nta bili+v and no stimulus to efficiency.
Tho Governor * net responsible to the people
for the failure Of the bureau heads. His idea is
that 70 Obtain good government thel > shoud
everywhere lie accoUnta biliy directly 10 the poo
ME ho1h on the part Of those elected and on
the part Of those appointed through one OF
4hnsa elected Nn ono should stand between tle
-,e.o-la and their elected officials No eiecI"ra ]
or nominating machinery should he tolerated
n means o7 which elected officials he held
accountable - anv ono has those vh2 "le"t
them. Then. 70 secure good government We
r771l>r rely upon all the forces that contribute 70
form an Intelligent public opinion. - he puts
il himself
II 5s obvio,5z that 20 secure efficient admins
rr7tion requires the cooperation of many forces
We must mainly rely upon the constant - ora ~
tho ed;.ca tIonal and moral agencies which de
,elou rhl public spirit that = needed 70 support
democratic goxernment- And we may nal7r our
governmental activities more responsive - the
sentiments thus lncuicated by Such improve
Eserr of our nominating and electoral rnachin-
e-- as --iH facilitate the expression o. The p"pu-
lar will encOrrage 1Ge more actlEe participation
~ tine Deople iT their political affairs, and thus
make less easy the domination Of selfish inter
ests or the protection Of those Who ma pTolit IN
laT-bTeaklng-
II * = familiar observation that government
/ will rot he any better than the people who GOV
era or are governed. This remark is often made
even of autocracieS. Yet those who diStrust full
pnDular government always forget it. Those
who defend the present system Of nominations
on the theory that il results In better govern
menf than the popular system forget this
principle. Mr.. Hughes's way is 10 trust the
people with the power and educate them 10 a
sense Of their responsibilities. or the pros
poets Of popular government he takes a most
hopeful view:
our dependence for progress is not chiefly
upon governmental agencies. but upon the Nirt-
ues Of sobTiety. industry thrift and moderation,
upon the realization of mutual dependence
and upon the gradual supDIantiHg Of motives of
mere self-interest by those inspired by the ap-
peals Of brotherhood. The influences contrib
uting TO this development multiply more rapidly
and are more potent than those |" which they
/ posed.