The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1913-08-28
Legislative
/. REFORMS ARE
ADVOCATED
Governor 0'Neal Advocates
Many Changes
Governors VIII Convene in
Madison Next Year
Executive Committee Was
Reelected

y Colorado Springs, Aug. 28.-Madi-
son, Wis., was chosen as the next con-
vention city fer the conference Of gov
ernors of the United States. The time
Of the meeting was left to the execu-
tive committee.
The entire executive committee, con-
Isisting Of Cover nor lfccs so1ern Of Wis
loonsfns Neal OF "a Alahanla and Ann
mons OF Colorado, was reelected. M.
c. Riley was reelected secretary and
u. Il. Fort, treasurer for the coming
year.
The chief speakers on today's pro-
gramme were Governor O'Neal and
Governor Hunt Of Arizona and Hodges
Of Kansas. A Colorado products din
ner, rendered by Governor Ammons
and the business men here was the
entertainment. feature today.
Far-reaching, REFORMS in the makeup
and methods of state legislatures, in
cluding more frequent sessions, small
er membership, better salaries for
members, and greater percentage Of
Legislators -at-large," were advocated
by Gov. Emmett O'Neal, of Alabama,
in an address before the Conference
O'Neai, whose subject was Distrust
of State Legislatures, The Cause, The
Remedy, also urged a nextension 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
revision of many of the present
methods of legislative procedure, the
Alabama governor cited constantly
growing distrust of state legislatures
on the part of the people. In some
states" he declared, "this distrust has
grown into open contempt. In many,
a session of the legislature looked up
on as something in the nature of an
unavoidable calamity. Business be-,
comes alarmed, Industrial development
is checked and there is general appre-
hension."
the tone and efficiency of legislative
bodies have, said the speaker, failed to
improve the legislative output ct will
be found, = he said, that the legisla-
lures have been more corrupt and
more incompetent in exactly the pro-
portion that they have been increas-
ingly deprived of power and their re-
sponsibility restricted /"
Supporting his contention that fre-
quent legislative sessions would aid in
increasing the efficiency of legislatures,
Governor O'Neal cited his own state,
where but one legislative session is
held every four years. Their quad
rennial system he declared, "has
proven to be the most prolific source
a ,. =
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:
9The present salary in almost every
Legislature is utterly inadequate 1t
would be better for the state to invite
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
at large. 1t would unquestionably
elevate the tone of. a. state legislature
bers were elected from the state at
large. The membership of our legis-l
latures should also be decreased.
Another defect In our methods of
legislation is that there is no central
responsible authority which can he
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 rnen
bers of the legislature for such.
measures as conditions may require,
The Initiative and referendum was
characterized by the speaker AS:
4 merely d palliative temp net
a permanent rerned 'sE8
The theory that every citizen
should be allowed to becoyae d law
maker, said Governor 0,NeaI as
mere plausible than practical :