The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-06-19
EXALTING THE EXECUTIVE.

When Mr.. Hughes was Governor Of
New York he introduced the custom OF
appealing from tho Legislature to the
people direct with regard to the en-
actment of measures which he greatly
desired. When a member of a New
York Legislature showed disposition
to resist Governor Hughes s programme
of legislation, the Governor would 60
into the district OF the legislator and
set back fire on him that would bring
him to time. Governor Hughes in doing
this held meetings in the different leg
islative districts and succeeded in get
ting the people aroused so that they
would besiege their representative in
such numbers to agree to the Governor s
proposition that failure to get what
he desired was very rare with Governor
Hughes.
Manifestly, however, this sort of
thing is liable TO great abuse, and Gov
ernor Sulzer, in carrying the method far
anu away beyond what was done by
Governor Hughes, is so pressing the idea
that it has become an abuse and an
exaltation of the executive to such an
extent that there might as we'll be no
Legislature at all if that sort of thing
is generally to prevail.
An example Of this abuse is reported
as when Governor Sulzer in his speech
at Stapleton on Long Island, publicly
denounced Senator Blauvelt and Repre-.
sentative Mckee for voting against his
direct primary bill. He threatened them
that if they did not change their atti-
tude and vote for his primary bill at
the extra session which he has called, he
do everything he could to prevent their
reelection to the Legislature The nat
ural result of this is to set back fire
upon Governor Sulzer. IT is Justly said
that never before in the history of the
State has a Governor Of New York as
sumed that he was sole Judge of what
legislation should or should not be
passed, or attempted to force members
to vote according to his orders on pain
Of having his influence used to defeat
OncLl IL 'uSJ ui'i hoJ ,Slclu.
1t is quite proper for a Governor to
bring pressure to bear upon the legisla-
tors in the manner that Governor Hughes
did, BY presenting his case fairly and
directly to the people and winning their
support for any given measure that he
has at heart. But to bring constraint
and threats to bear upon members of
the Legislature and to warn them that
they must submit to executive dicta-
ton, and vote for bills that the Gov
ernor wants, whether they think such
bus should be passed or not, is a gross
abuse of privilege, and direct invasion
of the legislative field by the execu-
tive. There is no warrant in the con
stitution of New York; there is no JUS
tihcation in the theory of our republican
government for such actions on the part
of the executive. The executive branch
of the government should keep it's hands
off the Legislature except in the way
of recommendations and official com
munications, or appeals directly to
the people. If the Governor can
get the support of the people for
a measure that he has in view, |
and get the people to sway their
representatives in the Legislature, that
is all well enough; but for the execu-
tive directly to trespass upon legislative
rights and to threaten legislators that
they must vote as he dictates or he Will |
go into their districts at the next cleo
tion and undertake to defeat them, is
not only. as stated, gross abuse of
privilege, but is in fact a subversion of
the very basic foundation Of our Gov
ernment.