The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-08-28
MAKEUP AND METHODS OF LEeIs-
uATURgs SHOULD BE CHANGED
WITH FREQUENT SESSIONS.
WOULD EXTEND VETO POWER
Central Responsible Authority Should
be Held Accountable for Laws Enact
ed-The only Remedy is to Increase
Powers and Duties of Executive.
(Bp Associated PreSs.)

(By Associated PreSs.)
Colorado Springs, Colo, Aug. 2S.-
Far-reaching reforms in the makeup
and methods of state legislatures, in
Guiding more frequent sessions, small |
er membership, better salaries for /
members. and a greater percentage of |
"Legislators-at-large," were advocated
by Governor Emmett O'Neal, of Ala
bama, in an address before the Con-
ference of Governors here today. Gov
ernor O'Neal, whose subject was dis
trust of state legislatures, the cause.
the remedy" also urged an extension
of the executive veto power.
IF state constitutions stand in the
way of necessary reforms" said Gov
ernor O'Neal, "let those constitutions
be amended. Let no narrow spirit of
conservatism check us in our efforts
to make our state governments more
/ efficient"
Emphasizing the need of radical re-
/
DDS of legislative procedure, the Ala
bama governor cited constantly
growing distrust of state legislaturse
on the part of the people. In some
states" he declared, that .distrust has
grown into open contempt. In many,
session of the legislature is looked
upon as something in the nature of an
unavoidable calamity. Business be
comes alarmed, industrial development
/ hension"
Various methods adopted to in
crease the tone and efficiency of leg
| islative bodies have, said the speaker.
failed to improve the legislative out
put at will be found" he said, that
the legislatures have been more cor
rupt and more incompetent in exactly
the proportion that they have been
increasingly deprived Of power and
their responsibility restricted"
Supporting his contention that fire.
quent legislative sessions would aid
in increasing the efficiency of legisla-
lures, Governor ONeal cited his own
state, where but one legislative ses-
sion is held every four years. There
quadrennial system, he declared, has
proven to be the most prolific source
yet devised for hasty, ill-advised. and
ill-considered legislation The vice of
the system is that it denies the people
for four years the right to repeal or
revise vicious or unwise legislation"
Continuing, Governor O'Neal said;
The present salary in almost every
legislature is utterly inadequate. 1t
would be better for the state to in
vite free services from her citizens
than to pay the miserable pittance she
now offers.
"One of the strongest objections to
our legislatures as now constituted
is that the members represent only
localities and are more concerned in
promoting local legislation than in
enacting necessary laws for the state
lat large. 1t would unquestionably ele,
vate the tone OF a state legislature il
a certain proportion of its members
were elected from the state at large.
The membership OF our legislatures
should also be decreased.
Another defect in our methods OF
legislation is that there is no central
responsible authority which can be
held accountable for the laws enacted
There is but one remedy for this, and
that is to increase the powers and
duties of the executive. AS President
Wilson has wisely stated, the people
demand leadership. They look to the
governor, and not to individual mem
bers Of the legislature for such meas
ures as conditions may require"
The initiative and referendum wa.
!, characterized by the speaker al
merely palliative-a temporary, no
! a permanent remedy"
: The theory that every citizel
: should be allowed to become a Law
maker" said Governor O'Neal, "a
more plausible than practical"