The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-20
From the Richmond Times-Dispatch

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "HERE was a little furry in the gov
 ernors conference at Spring Lake
 ! on Tuesday which some of the cor respondents have been trying to magnify beyond it's importance. The subject under cons iteration was the initiative and refer endum, and the story is that Gov. Emmet O'Neal of Alabama, in the course of his remarks characterized them as belonging to the brood of insdious popular vasar- ies with which the country is infested. thanks to the so-caled progressive leaders of these spectacular times. The complaint of the Alabamian is that the initiative referendum and recall move ment should be resisted because it tends to weaker rather than strengthen execu- tive authority" strips the governor of the power to veto any law initiated by the people and adopted by referendum. If a law is in violation of the constitution" said Governor O'Neal "invades vested rights or destroys individual liberty, the only remedy can be found in the courts; and where the system of recall of judges prevails. overthrowing, as it does, the ln- dependence of the judiciary, the courts would degenerate into tribunals organized chiefly to register popular judgment on all legal questions
 Governor Wilson made answer to Gov ernor O'Neal's speech, saying that he thought the source of the law" is fun damentaly important thing, that some of the laws are bad laws and bad for tne reason that there is a suspicion as to their source:" that the people of the United States (which was speaking in a rather large way it seems to us) want their governors to be leaders in matters of legislation. because they have serious suspicion as to the source of legislation, and they have serious distrust of their legislatures: and that there is nothing inconsistent between the strengthening of the powers of the executive and the direct power of the people" Which was saying a good deal for the governors, 70 be sure. just as if we should say that the people are suspicious of the source of the laws and distrustful of their legisia- lures when tho laws are originated in the Legislatures but would be entirely re- ljeved of suspicion and filled with abid-  Legislation The people who elect both governors and legislatures, the latter to make the laws and the former to execute could trust the governors, but would be in deadly imminent peril from the legisla- tures. The schoolmaster seems to have slipped a cog somewhere Certainly the strengthening of the powers of the exec utive' would not be advisable in all cases. as. for example, in the case of the late Governor Conner Of Alabama Hoke Smith of Georgia: Walter R. Stubbs of Kansas, and Cole l.. Blease of South Car olina.
 | After Governor Wilson had finished his exposition Governor ONeal reiterated his objections to the new methods which 1t is proposed to introduce, and concluded with this declarations: ''I would rather stand with Madison and Hamilton than to stand with some modern prophets and some of our western statesmen" In the Ian. guage of the Colonel, bully for O'Neal. l We are glad that there was at least one | clear voice in the conference of governors l for the old ways, for the integrity of our 1 institutions, for the faith of the fathers. l It was>not the first time he has spoken l on this subject. At the last annual com mencement of the Alabama Polytechnic | institute In June. Governor O Neal said. This is not an occasion for any pol- | ties This building has been consecra te6 by the lives of great and good men. But should we not look toward the fact that the jewel principle of our republic is in 1 tho federal governments defining and
 limiting liberty through three coordinate powers?
 Men have now begun to say that our l government is antauatcd, to cry out that the men who founded it had no confidence in the people. To that say no. All lib crty must he regulated by law. you can not create a pure democratic govclrmcnt without limit or control No government founded upon a majority rule without q written constitution has lasted more thar q generation.
 Recall. initiative and referendum; th'