Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-01-07
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE

00VcoVVno "eoS~0e
The message of Governor Burke,
which was delivered before the joint as
sembly of the members of the legisla-
ture, will be printed in the journals
of the house for the consideration of
the members, and will in the course OF
legislative procedure be referred to the
various committee having the matters
with which its several recommendations
have to do in charge. The message Of
governor naturally deals with num-
Der OF departmental recommendations
and with suggestions arising out of his
experience in the execution of the laws
of the state and one administration of
the affairs of state government
OF the general recommendations of
the governor, several are worthy of
more extended consideration than the
departmental recommendations The re-
commentator for the nomination of a
~ candidate for the United States by all
the voters, irrespective of party, and
his election by the legislature, even
90 though a democrat should be recon-
mended to a republican legislature, OF
vice versa, will not, we believe, meet
! with unqualified Endorsement by those
who believe that the government is and
should be controlled by parties. and
that, while senator is an officer of all
the people, he is as we'll representa-
:. tive OF his party.
This recommendation occupies an en-
tirely different ground than the COVER
nor's recommendation for a non-parti-
san judiciary. A Judge, by the very ma
ture of his position, should, be non
partisan, and there is no time in which
the political element should enter into
the decisions OF a judge of any court,
even though it may sometimes do so.
A judge sits to interpret the law, and
the law does not deal with political in
. terests or prejudices. But senator
stands on different ground His func-
tons are with the economic admins
tration of affairs, with the making of
laws, based upon political contentious
of what policy is good and what is bad,
with tariffs and matters of general pub
lie policy upon which two or more par
ties divide as to belief He is called
upon frequently to vote as member
of a political party, when that party,
through its representatives, has declar-
ed itself upon a public question. There
might be occasions when state, whose
interests were thought by the majority
of its voters to lie with one party or
the other, would, through discussions
IN the dominant party, give to a men,
Der of the minority party the greatest
vote for its candidate for the United
States senate. In that event, under the
view of the governor, the legislature,
even though it be of the opposite politi-
cal faith, would be bound to elect the
candidate receiving the greatest vote.
Such plan might be of occasional ad-
vantage to the minority party, but we
fail to see where it could benefit the ma
jority party, which has all to lose and
nothing to gain There can be little
if any criticism of the recommendation
of candidate for the senate to the leg
is1ature by the voters of the party that
is dominant in the legislature, as was
done last year. But we do not believe
party lines should be abolished in the
election of senator's, and we do not
believe that any especial advantage can
come from such situation as exists in
Oregon where a democrat was recon-
mended to the legislature by state that
is strongly republican. !,
OF the governors recommendation for
a law that will permit the removal of
county officers by the executive, there
viii be considerable difference of opin-
ion. The recommendation as we un-
derstand, is made largely with a view
to the better enforcement Of the prohi-
bitior law The supreme court, IN the
majority opinion in the temperance com-
missioner case, dwell upon the wisdom
of permitting the people to select their.
own officers, because Of the virtue in,
herent ii the principle Of local self gov
errner,t The governor Recommending
ton Is doubtless made with the earnest
desire Of bringing about the enforce,
q ,,p,,4 10 the d 4, TING u ffle sale of