New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-13
The Republicans and the Consut'l'
tional Convention.

10 provide new machinery OF SoNei"A -.
Will work better than the present macn'ne'! W"
no The task of the state at the coming conS'i'"
iional convention. The Democratic psr'! VIII P'0'
ably propose the whole Western mecnans" "
direct legislation the initiative. referendum a"u 'o
call The Procressives will probably oner 4" ..
these plus The recall Of judicial decisions lW' OF
lis moro progressive leaders Mr. ogden J." NI"9
md MIR Henry l.. StimSou outlined their conceP
lion of what the Republican partys programme
should be at Utica last night
Tho recent tendency has been 10 magnify 'ne
Office Of the Executive. President Wilson initiates
legislation and has the influence to put 1t through
Congress He followed the same course as Governor
of New Jersey Governor Hughes attempted the
same thing in New York. Governor Gynn has
recently been unusually successful upon similar
line II the plan of Messrs Mills and Stimson
should be accepted constitutional provision Wouu
no made for greatly increased power of the Gov
ernor to shape the course OF legislation. Inc "o'
crnor's office would I've vastly masnfed State
officers now elective would he made appolntVe' anu
thus responsible TO the Governor The Governor ana
his cabinet made up Of three appon,eeS "ouu SIT
in the legislature And tho Governor Vouiu nave
club over the Legislature in the shape OF the rSn'
10 appeal from il TO the people 10y means of
nosals went against him. The Governors term OF
Office would be heightened, though he might oe SUD
ject to recall in the middle Of it,
In all Of this there is slight use of the recall
the only use that seems 10 US at all permissible
being its application 10 lensthen terms OIL oince
and 70 lessen frequency Of elections while prcServ'
ing the right Of the public TO rid itself oil onc'as
IN whom it has lost confidence The present use a
,1.aI ard
Governor feasible means for effective appeal
10 the people" And the initiative is rejected en-
tirclv.
The inclination Of this programme IS not toward
direct legislation as the way out OF the existing dis
content with present institutions but toward
strengthening those institutions which the democ-
racy is using best and with most confidence.
There will be general support of the idea thai the
Governors functions and authority should be in
creased Members of his cabinet should have seats
and voice in the Legislature. Perhaps they should
have votes also though this requires study and con
sideration But it is doubtful whether the Cover
nor himself should either sit or vote in the Legis-
lature One serious objection is that the Governor
has his hands full as it is The analogy of business
fails Boards OF directors meet infreQuently and
the president Of a company may attend their meet
ings without negecting his administrative duties
Legislature is in session One-third to one-hsf of
the time We see no reason why the seating of the
Governors cabinet without the Governor. in the
Legislature would not serve all the purposes Of
giving the state at large the representation and its
administration the influence in the Legislature
which Mr. Mills and Mr.. Stnson have'in mind
With the short ballot we are in hearty sympathy.
II is Indispensable if the government is to be made
D., h. clio la ole
.iou contained nothing but the organic law of the
state government and not miscellaneous provisions
that ought to he embodied only in the statute books
much Of the current discomfort with courts would
not exist. a short and simple constitution would
have To be neither necessarily amended nor inces-
sanity interpreted.