Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-09-29
inItiative.f And Referendum Before The
Governors


/ Governors.
/ The governors of the various states
met circumference at New Jersey. The
governors had particularly interest
ing time over the initiative and re-
ferendum. The New York World says
The experience meeting of the gov
errors of twenty -four states, with Gov
ernor Cruce OF Oklahoma as presiding
elder, was enllvened by spirited YER
tai battle between Governor Wilson Of
New jersey and Governor O'Neal Of
I Alabama regarding the "caprice of the
majority and "mob rule" by a
spirited attack on the divorce evil by
Governor Carey Of Wyoming and a
pitiful plea for sympathy by Governor
Kitchen OF North Carolina, who has
neither the power of veto, appointment
nor removal.
Governor O'Neal and Governor
/ Morris of Montana had read distinctly
reactionary papers on the necessity for
granting more power to governors,
wheu Woodrow Wilson led an sttack
on them, in which Covers rs Nc
Govern of Wisconsin, Aldrich of Ne
braska and other western executives
joined.
"There is movement that seems to
be gathering strength in certain sec
tons OF the unIon,n said Governor
o. Neal. (which tends to weaken rather
than to strengthen executive authority
and that is the system of initiative,
referendum and recall. The governor
has no power to veto or amend law
initiated by the people and adopted by
referendum. If the law is in violation
of The constitution, inv ades vested
rights or destroys individual liberty
the only remedy can be found IN the
courts; and where the SYSTEM of recall
of judges prevails, overthrowlng as it
does the independence of the Judiciary,
the courts would degenerate into tri-
bunals organized chiefly TO register
popularjudgmeut on all legal questions.
"INsIDIOUS vAGARYo
Governor O'Neal said that it was
pleasing 10 know that this ''insidious
popular vagaryn will meet with the
almost unanimous opposition of the
American bar. He said that the recall
would "convert the public officer into
spineless and servile hireling, stirred
by every passing breeze of public
opinion, obeying every popular impulse
and yielding to every wave of popular
passion of prejudice" and spoke with
contempt of the "eaprice of the major
ity,' catch word that provoked
storm of criticism.
81 have never seen an instance where
the registered will of a majority could
properly be called caprice" retorted
Governor Wilson. "Nor is the verdict
of the majority mob rule, as it is de-
scribed by some. A mob is one thing;
thousands of people voting in thous-
and precincts quite another thing, and
there is no chance for confusion of
terms. The initiative and referendum
so much discussed, are not designed to
change our form of government, but
to rejuvenate the methods of it. Any
governor is dlgnified and glorifed by
going to the people as the source of
his power"
Governor O'Neal was at bis feet in
an instant.
81 would rather stand with Hamil-
ton and Madison than with some of
the prophets our states are turning
out" he cried. "Let US not forget that
the purpose of government is TO limit
the power of the majority, and of con-
situations TO protect the minority from
the tyranny of the majority. Leaving
aside the initiative and referendum,
the recall of judges would surely in
stitute mob rule"
GILCHRIS's WARNING