The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-08-20
THE MEETING OF GOVERNORS

The dispatches yesterday morning
had an optimistic forecast OF the busl
moss session that the Governors Of the
various States expect to have at thell
meeting in Spring Lake, New Jersey
on September 18th. The dispatch
stated that the Governors have here
tofore had too much sociability and
recreation in their meetings, but that
under Governor Wilson s guiding mind
they will have this year business ses'
sion, and less sociability. Speeches will
be delivered by Governor Dix Of New
York, Governor Foss Of Massachusetts,
Governor Wilson OF Kentucky, Gov
ernor Norris of Montana, Governor
Aldrich Of Nebraska, and Governor
Carey of Wyoming. This gives pretty
good representation in the speechmak-
ing line to Western Governors; and the
forecast made, that the meeting will
be business one, will be received with
hope by the country.
And yet, what can a Governor do at
this meeting9 Very few of the States
have authorized their Governors 10
represent them officially in any way In
| it. Lack of power in the Governors to
do anything was such noteworthy
handicap on the meeting Of two years
ago that Senator Root urged the neces
sity, if the Governors meetings were
to have any useful purpose, of having
g.
to act for it, and to pledge it specifi-
cally to certain lines Of action at these
Governors conventions Senator Root
urged that each Governor should be
authorized to sign in behalf of his
State, sometimes absolutely and some
times subject to tho confirmation Of
the Legislatures, definite stipulations
on various propositions that would
come before these meetings for action.
30 far as known, however, the State of
Wisconsin is the only one that has re-
sponded to this idea. The Legislature
of that State has passed an act author
izing the Governor to attend and rep
resent the State Of Wisconsin at any
and all conferences of Governors, and
to make such arrangement as he may
deem necessary for the State of Wis
consin to bear its share of the ex-
penses Of such conferences, and tenta-
lively to bind the State on matters af-
firmatiyely passed upon by such con.
yentions.
In view of the futility Of the meet,
ing Of the Governors without any ar
rangements by the States to pay ex.
penses, and without any authorization
by the States of the Governors to act
for them in such conventions, the fail
ure of them has been clearly pointed |
out. But, if the Governors were given |
a definite commission to act with au
thority, to draw on the State treasury
for sufficient amount of money to
pay the expenses Of attendance on such
conventions, and to meet the prelimi-
nary assent that might be required by
the affirmative action of such conven.
tions On any subject, then these con-
ventions would take on a dignity, i'm
portance, and practical value wholly
wanting in the voluntary assembling
OF greater or less number of the
Governors of the States at the differ.
ent conventions as called, without any
OF them having any authority from
their States for the meeting,
Wisconsin has acted in limited way
to be sure, but still it has recognized
the Governors conventions, and has
the Governor of that State
to act in such way as to give him a
standing and authority in the coming
possessed by no other Gov
ernor who may attend, And every
other Governor who attends will be
eager to present his disability com
pared with the standing of the Gov.
ernor of Wisconsin, to the Legislature
IF his State at it's first session of his
return from this New Jersey conven-
ion. Clearly, something more definite
and decidedly advanced from the con-
Ventions held hitherto by the Cover
nors must be had, in order to allow OF
:hese Governors conventions being
,eld with self-respect to those who at.
end, and with benefit 10 the States
md to the public. Unless the States ,
authorize their Governors to be in ef-
'ect their commissioners for the pur