The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-06
Massachusetts Executive Believes
in Direct Nomination of
State Officials.
DICTATORSHIP MUST CEASE
Agreement Reached on Senator
ship in Ohio by Democratic
Caucus Choice of Pomerene.

BOSTON, Jan. 5.-Eugene \. Foss,
native of Vermont, a business mau
of Massachusetts. realized long cher
lshed wish today in assuming the office
of governor of the commonwealth.
The inaugural ceremonies, before a
,oint convention of the senate and the
house, were in the nature of a Demo
cratic celebration. Governor Foss also
made another record by delivering an
inaugural address that was the short
est and plalnest in the memory of the
oldest office holder beneath the gilded
dome.
Looking out upon the members of the
legislature. the Judges Of the courts,
The state commissioners and host or
invited guests, and occasionally glanc-
ing up to those Of his family, including
his brother, Congressman George r.. Foss
of Illinois, the new governor expressed
bis ideas on state affairs and suggested
piany reforms.
He told the legislature it should cor
slider direct nominations, the initiative
and referendum, the rights of labor to
organize and be protected. the constl-
tutional amendment to provide for an
Usurpation Of Power,
owe have reached a crisis in the
affairs of this commonwealth, 1t is a
crisis which our form of government is
facing today, not only in Massachusetts,
but in every state of the union This
crisis is ali the more marked in our
state because Massachusetts is the
birthplace of popular government. The
people in all sections of the country
have lost confidence in many of their
public servants. The dictatorship by
political bosses and by representatives
Of special interests is hotly resented.
| for these men desire to control public
servants and to direct legislation to
| their own ends.
'This Usurpntion Of power can only
be ended by the people taking into
their own hands the direction and con
| troll of their government. The first step
is to abolish the boss and all his agen-
! cies the caucus. the nominating conven.
tion and all political machinery which
iutervencs between the people and the
| government. All candidates for pub.
| lie Office, without exception, must be
chosen by the people through the di-
rect primary. To the direct primary
must be joined the power of recall so
that any public servant who proves
| recrcant to his trust may, be lmmcdl,
atcly dismissed -
Better Labor Conditions.
| Governor l'oss then said labor should
be exempt from unfair Injunction re-
strictions: that compensation of labor
should be above bare living, and that
! the hours of labor should be rigidly dc
fined and limited.
Home rule for cities was advocated
and the recommendation WAS made that
all municipalities within radius OF
ten miles be consolidated into greater
Boston, organized on the borough plan
.'The use of money in our elections
has become a great evil" said the gov.
ernor. 90 For it amounts to a substan
,ial denial of the privilege of the man
Of moderate means to aspire to any
public Office in the commonwealth; OF
else 1T overwhelmingly temDts him tc
make his secret peace with those private
! Concluded on Page Fourteen.