The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1911-09-13

LAWS Are
DISCUSSED
At Governors Conference;
Wilson Stands Up for
Direct Legislation.
TeIegram By United Press.

Telegram by United Press.
Spring Lake. n. j., Sept. 1s.-Lla-
bility and workingmens' compensation
were the subjects OF discussion at the
governors conference today. Cover
nors Ray Of Washington and Foss. Of
Massachusetts. were the principal
speakers on the question Of uniform
state laws on the subject Of employ
ers' liability.
Governor Carey. Of Wyoming. do
cIared that marriage denied after d.
yorce in one state should be illegal In
all states.
Gov Hay told how Washington had
solved the worlnen's compensation
problem asserting that no private en-
terprise can cope with the porbleln.
He scores as social parasites" the in.
demnity. casualty and liability conn
panies and declared only enc sixth Of
the money collected from Washington
employers in 1909 ever reached the in
jured workman or his family. This
evil now is remedied in Washington.
Governor Woodrow Wilson Of New
Jersey and Governor Emmett O'NeaI
Of Alabama measured swords over
the initiative and referendum before
the conference of governors Tuesday
afternoon. Governor Wilson, as cham
Dion of the measures, replied to Gov.
ernor O'Neal who had previously de-
nounced them as ~an insidious popular
vagaryT and the southern executive
was on his feet in a moment with an
impassiorad defense OF his position.
There was no mincing Of words In
the Alaban1an's denunciation Of the
initiative, referendum and recall
which he complained left a governor
no power to veto or amend 4 law II
IL Is initiated BY the people and adopt
ed by referendum.
If the law is in violation Of the
constitution. invades vested rights
or destroys individual liberty, the only
remedy can be found in. the courts.
ana when the system Of recall Of
judges prevails. overthrowing. as it
does, the independence of the iudici.
airy, the courts would degenerate into
tribunals ordained chiefly to register
popular Judgment on all legal ques-
ton" Il was pleasing to know. he
added that this ~insidious popular va.
gary will meet with the almost unan,
imous opposition Of the American
bar"
Governor Wilson did not reply un-
til several Western governors had
spoken.
1T seems to me-" he said. that ON
the question Of the initiative and ref.
erendum it is necessary that we car
~ the analysis little further than il
has been carried. A very important
thing. fundamentally importgns
thing, is the source OF the law. some
Of the laws that we have are bad laws
and they are bad for the reason that
there is a suspicion as to their source.
The people Of the United States want
their governors to be leaders in mat
ters Of legislation, because they have
serious suspicion as to the source OF
the legislation and they have serious
distrust of their legislatures
what / urge as against the views
Of Governor o'Neal is that there is
nothing inconsistent between the
strengthening of the powers Of the ex.
ecutive and the direct power OF tho
people"
He then spoke Of the caprice Of the
majority.
Il have known Of instances OF the
caprice of the mobs. he said. but I
have never known Of an instance
where the vote Of the population was
spoken Of as caprice.
Il don't believe there is any distrust
OF the fundamental principle Of demo.
cracy. believe We are an democrats
il we use a small d."