The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-21

Nfom UMllo.
To mn Enron or TIM BuM-Sirg fvm-
ture 20 aay that thgrO are few peoplUWhO do
not suffer occasionally from hwhEanharA
uhile vast numbers are almosa constantly
annoyed and injured. often seriously, by
acts done IN violation % Tho iAwA. with an
efloieut administrntion Of the laws there
would be very nltls laWbreaking becauge
people would lose mnch more BY violating
thu laws than By ObsyinG theM Most peo-
pie violate the Law because there b 10 good
q chance b elcape lia penalties and beoAn1s
the penAlalss 4niiCtsd for viOlati0hs q law
arr usually 20 ullghG Tals oundltlon h dus
10 tho fast that no ona b hald nctOunlahlo
for TIE pFopsr onforoamsni % ths laws.
Tha courts say h b ths fanlt e M police
and the police say 4 l. the fault q TIE courts.
and the general public doesn't know who h
TO blame. consequently no one q brought 10
book
me Constitution Of this stats makes q
the duty Of the Governor 70 aee that the
laWa are faithfully exeCuted." in hil IN
augurnl address January 4. is0p. Mr. Hnghes
said:
The Governor Il as much bound 70 nuppora our
eonsttuuonal system Of local Eggernmant 20 iar
q u provides for ths local choice a oloors a. Be
b 70 remove snhcors clearly proved 70 - guiig
81 ssrioas nexloct Or misconduct Ths 0SRsrnor
hns % iGhi 10 use NJ power q renewal % asssft
bic preferences o. 10 attempt evsa psnpoFAniy
10 impose bis win up0n ne oonmuniiy Hhtrh Aaa
chosen ~ aAccr. The appeal % him h TIE necsa-
tarF chsck 20 secure ncsponsibie government
md must b JUSTIFIED hy proof o. such dereheuon
a. mar be sufacisnt 10 make remoyalof no elected
olicsr coasistunt With our fundamental principles
% local nelf goyernment
The Constitution does provide for the
election by the people Of different localities
Of certain OfhceFs. but n a locally elected
Official h either negligent or Incompetent
Il does not override the will Of the people Of
the locality that elected him for tbs Cover
nor 70 remove him and appoint compe-
tent. faithful man. and Il Il dos. their Nih
ought 10 be Ovsrridden, The presumufion
Is that when the people elect q man 10 pub
Nc once they believe he h competent 70
discharge ~ duties properly and that he
will do 40. and II they make a mistake they
have provided for his removal by the Gov
ernor.
The Constitution does not say that the
Governor shall not remove a locally elecieu
Oifiosr unless he Il clearly proved 20 be
guilty Of serious neglect 90 misconduct.
but tho Constitution does say very explio-
lily that the Governor shall take care that
tho laws are faithfully exeouted. Laws
are not going 70 be faithfully executed
by negligent and incompetent onicialA,
and there are plenty Of that kind Yet
how many are remOvedl Almost none
N the Governor would start In with a
will 10 weed out the inc0mpetent and neNli- |
gent puhlic officials and give all TO under |
stand that they must perform their duties
properly Or got out. In a short time tbs /
state would be- an entirely different place /
Private people are not going 70 put IN their /
time doing the work OF public Oifcials /
N the uOyeFn0r known that public Official 4
b negligent or incompetent he should
remove him WHISTLER charges are preierred /
BY any one OF not. and Il he believes that /
an olilcial y inoompetent or negligent he
should investigate Tho matter VI his own
Initiative
While the people living IN a locality may |
not care much u ~ al whether their locally /
eierted officers are efficient and hunest, /
nj her people NAV care very much ltOcai |
government a. u h good OF had aneCts /
many people besides those living ia the
lorlluv
The Governor - not responsible for any 4
particular ytulnt iOn of Law unless PERHAPS /
i could no shown that he could have pre- |
vented u bet he y responsible for q general |
condition. Of lawlessness unless with urOuer /
effort be j. unable TO prevent u
NV YoHE. May 70