Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1909-05-06
HOUSE OF GOVERNORS
Body Formed on W. G. Jordan's
Plan to Meet This Year.
NEW IDEA IN STATE POLITICS

|
concentrations Expected to influence
Public Opinion and Lawmakers.
The important movement in Amert
| can politics for the organization of
house of governors begun over two
| years ago at the close of the Roose-
| welt conference of governors in the
| White House. recently made a great
step In advance and put itself in a
| position for immediate action by the
organization of an executive commit
tee of five members. This committee
consists of Governors Augustus e.
Wilson of Kentucky, Claude A. Swan
son of Virginia, Charles Z. Hughes of
New York, Edmond f. Noel of Missis-
sippi and James n. Gillett of Califor-
mia. The first meeting will probably
take place in the early summer, and
the committee will arrange In advance
| the subjects to be discussed and on
| which uniform state legislation seems
| desirable.
The movement began in March, 1907,
! by the publication by William George
| Jordan, formerly editor of the Satur-
/ day Evening Post, of a pamphlet en-
| titled THE House of Governors" The
! scope of the plan was suggested in the
| subtitle, a Tew idea in American
politics aiming to promote uniform
! legislation on vital questions. to con
serve states rights to lessen central
| izati0n. to secure fuller, freer voice
of the people and to make a stronger
! nation" Mr. Jordan at once entered
| into correspondence with the govern
| ors and found an instant response.
| over thirty of them expressed their
| cordial appreciation of his plan and
! their desire to cooperate with him.
| There was no dissenting voice among
the governors, though a number did
markably simple, can best be given in
Mr.. Jordan's own words:
1t is proposed that the governors of the
| forty-siX states meet annually for a ses-
| sion of two or three weeks to discuss,
| consult and confer on vital questions af-
| fecting the welfare of the states, the uni
| flying of state laws and the closer unity
| of the states a nation. The house of
governors would have no Iawmaking pow
er, nor should it ever aspire to such pow
er. Its force would be in initiative. in
inspiration and in influence The govern
ors would seek to unite a general basis
of action on great questions to be submit
ted to the legislatures of the respective
states in the governors messages. 1t
would seem that an august. dignihed
body of fOrty-siN governors representing
their states. with the lawmaking power
OF torty-slN legislatures behind them.
should in time become an inherent part in
the American idea OF self government
and powerful factor for good In the
nation.
The method Of procedure of this
body ON great question like a uni.
form divorce law would be somewhat
as follows;
1t is proposed that in the house OF gov
ernors no maIoTity vote should he binding
on the minority. so no pressure would be
brought to force legislation on unwillin,;
states. If twenty-five of the governors in
q session of the house were to agree on a
general plan of divorce the governors thus
couCurring would suggest to their respec-
tive legislatures the passage of bin in
accordance with the general recommended
ton The proceedings of the house being
open. there would be wide discussion OF
the plan by press and public The legis-
latures. of course. would have absolute
freedom to pass It or not but the recon-
mendation would have a greater dynamic
effect and stronger moral influence
when each Legislature knows that twenty
-four other legislatures are considering the
same proposed bill.
Were eighteen states TO pass It,"
says Mr.. Jordan. Eat the next session
of the house. with the prestige of this
unity, ten new converts might be made
among the governors nCnconcurring In
the first session. and so in the course
of few sessions we might have uni
form state legislation on this vital
problem without federal action. \
law thus finally passed by all of the
states would more truly represent the
sentiment of the American people than
any law passed by the federal govern
ment even If constitutional amend
ment or new revised Interpretation of
the constitution empowered the pass
ing of the law"
The constitution. MIR. Jordan de.
clared needs little amendment 1t is
no more outlived than the Ten Com
mandments. IL simply has not been
lived up to. 1t made the government
one of strictly limited and enumerated
powers and left all other rights and
questions to the states and to the peo-
pie. The only thing that has been
needed is a means or way provided
for the states to get together as states
and thus solve the problems that have
always belonged to them This"
says Mr.. Jordan, the house OF gov
ernors provides and by SO doing would
eliminate about 90 per cent of the need
of amendment and show n simple
method of obtaining the needed 10 per
cent or less All amendments In our
history have begun in congress and
have had then to be ratified by three
fourths of the legislatures. But two
thirds of the legislatures can demand
of congress to call a convention for
constitutional amendment whether con-
greSs approves or not. The house Of
governors seems TO form an ideal be
ginning for this demand from the
states for in the house they meet on
perfect equality through their repre-
sentatives the governors who should
find ii easy to move their legislatures
to cooperative action"
Among the subjects upon which Mr.
Jordan felt that uniform action is de-
sirable are: Marriage and divorce laws,
extradition laws. rights of married wo-
men. corporations and trusts, pure
food (supplementing government legis-
lation), insurance, prison reform, child