New-York tribune., 1910-11-30
GOVERNORS CONFERENCE
Applause for JudSon Harmon and
Appeal for Cheers.
WOODROW WILSON'S PLEA
Urges Cooperation in Regulation
of Railroads and Corpora
tions by the States.

Frankfort, KY, Nov. 29-The third an
nual conference of Governors. the first TO
be held outside of Washington began
five days session here today with twen-
ty-four of the executives of the states
present. Heads of commemorative from
almost the extremes of the nation were
brought together in one body TO derive
benefits from the experiences of each
other
For several days Governor Wilson OF
Kentucky has made it plain that. he would
do all in his power to eliminate politics
from the conference, and in the prelimi-
nary arrangements has done it However,
at the first session to-day, held in the
Hall of Representatives of the new state
Capitol Building. there were two outbursts
of political enthusiasm. One was when
Governor Judson Harmon of Ohio entered
the hall. He was greeted by slight hand
clapping, which was accorded no other
Governor 'The moment the meeting ad-
journed man in the gallery. called for
cheers for Mr.. Harmon.
With q frown Governor Wilson raised
his hand and stopped whatever progress
the suggestion might have made. He said
such a demonstration was entirely out of
place and would not be tolerated. He had
already laid stress on this feature, when
in his opening remarks he stated that the
Governors were called together for a con-
ference only and that it was not a House
of Governors previous meetings had
been termed. Governor Wilson then read
a letter from President regretting his alb
sence in which he said:
Il have great sympathy with the objects
Of your meeting, which understand 10 be
g. IEr-1 b. mi
formity of state legislation upon subjects
having general national interest which are
not bv the Constitution intrusted to Con-
gress and the central government 1 wish
for YOUR meeting the most successful issue
in substantial results.
Governor A ]. Pothier of Rhode Island
responded to the welcoming addresses Of
Governor Wilson and Mayor Polsgrove of
Frankfort after which the visiting party
and several prominent Kentuckians were
entertained at luncheon.
Woodrow Wilson's Plea.
At the later session Governor-elect Wood
row Wilson of New Jersey delivered an ad-
dress on The Possibilities Of the Gov
ernors' Conference" He said, in part:
Centralized business has built up vast
structures of organization and equipment,
no match or competitor except the led
eral government itself. which was not III
tended for such competitions Amid a con
fused variety of states and statutes StandS
now the colossus of business, uniform, CON
centrated, poised upon a single plan, GOV
erned not by votes. but by commands seek
ing not service, but profits.
We have no foolish or pedanuc Jealousy
of federal power. We believe in the exeT
else of the federal powers to the ,o1 utmost most
should be brought into action for the com
mon benefit But we do not believe the IN
terventon of federal powers either neces-
sary or desirable We are not attempting d
task of mediation; neither are we trying 70
fend off revolution We are striving neither
opment OF the federal government as the
instrument of the common life OF the c0un-
try. Our function is one or leadership.
Leadership, L take it. is a task OF sussess
ton, of adaptation, of the quickenng OF
thought and the devising OF means. 1t Is
our privilege and duty to study the prob
lens common TO all the states and to sug-
gest the means by which the states, WltnF
out loss of their natural variety or OF tnelr
opportunities of local adaptation may YET
freely throw their energies INTO common
task of protection and development
Our effort to render this service may re-
suit in the setting up of one of those volun-
tary institutions Of counsel by which the
life of free countries is enriched, Dotn IN
action and in opinion We shall 1il De a All the ne
no authority but that Of reasonablenesS ana
good sense. Where we go astray we BIND
no one; where We are right we shall pre-
vail
We ought not to allow ourselves to be
pedants, sticking at words and phrases;
we ought to deal with realities, and deal
with them very frankly. Let us distinguish
local power from personal influence; the
two things ought to be easily distinguish
able certain amount of legal power
every Governor has. Every Governor OF
state is by the terms of the constitution
d part of the Legislature NO bill can be-
come law without his assent and signature.
1t can be passed over his veto, but only by
deliberate process and generally only by
more than the vote of a majority. His
legislative vote, so to say. is never less