The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1914-05-23

| ABUSE, SlanQer and VllllfCatlOn will not
avail anything and that such methods
| will be condemned most alphabetically
by every fair-minded voter of the
state.
ONE OF BEST GOVERNORS
| MINNESOTA HAS EVER HAD
Continued from reverse side.)
most important work of the legisla-
ture, the adoption Of the appropria-
| lions bill is usually the most careless
ly performed. After making these ap-
preparations, it is naturally customary
for the house organization to throw
the responsibility upon the governor,
Notwithstanding the fact that he has
little or practically no time to examine
the multifarious ramifcations of the
dlferent appropriation bills, and nei-
Their has he the power to reduce the
appropriations. It is accordingly Gus
tomary for clever chairmen of appro-
prlatlon committees to so frame their
bills that the Governor cannot veto
| them entirely without subjecting him
| self to criticism, because of the result
of that absolute veto, and under the
constitutional provision which makes
1t impossible for him to reduce or cut
down an appropriation, his hands are
tied.
Voters Study Appropriations.
1t was wise craftsmanship which
prompted Governor Eberhart to rec.
onmend the budget system of appro.
priations so that the preliminary items
of appropriations should be published
and the voters of the state themselves
could have the opportunity to study
them and instruct their representa-
tives. Such course will not only be
helpful to the taxpayers, but helpful
to the member of the legislature him
self. Under the present system he
has no opportunity to exercise his own
prerogative in the matter as a legis-
! lator. He is compelled to vote as he
| is told to vote on all questions or is
| threatened with a loss of the appro-
priation which he may need for his
own community. This is especially
true of men representing institutional
| cities, where an appropriation or fail
ure to secure one represents the diff
ference between political life and po-
litical extinction. His constituents
will ask him why he has not obtained
his share of the money that seems to
| be floating around in the air, and his
effectiveness is measured accordingly.
The budget system seems to be the
answer, and if Governor Eberhart had
done nothing else but urge this impor-
tant reform for the people of the state,
| he would be entitled to thanks and the
earnest gratitude of every taxpayer of
Minnesota.
Throughout all his career Governor
Eberhart has lost none of his natural
ness and the almost boyish enthusiasm
which is the characteristic of a perfect
physical equipment. He belongs to
| the modern school of executives. The
| old school which was wont to con-
stantly attire the executive in frock
! coat and owlish dignity has never ap-
pealed to him. He is the most access
sible governor who ever sat in the
| executive offices at St. Paul. RealiZ-
ing that comparatively few of the peo-
pie could reach the chief executive at
the capitol, he has felt it his duty to
take the governorship to the people,
and today there is scarcely a man in
Minnesota who has not had the oppor-
| tunity to shake his hand or secure
| his attention for anything in which
that man might be interested. Those
opposed to him and seeking an oppor.
tunity to criticise have questioned this
on the ground that he should hold
himself more aloof. To this the Gov
ernOr has always returned the smiling
response that in his opinion the PEG
pie of Minnesota want man in the
governors Office who could be reached
by them when they want to see him
and not one who was inaccessible
through an assumption of artificial
dignity. He has realized that the
highest form of dignity is that which
comes from naturalness and genuine
ness.
Minnesota's Advance Agent.
At the very beginning of his ad
ministration Governor Eberhart ex
pressed the opinion that the office he
held involved an obligation of serv
ice on behalf Of the state. He realized
that this is essentially an agricultural
state and that it's prosperity depend
ed to very large degree upon the
development of our agricultural in
dustry. He Immediately constituted
himself the advance agent of Mime
sofa development. From one end of
| the state to the other, he preached
intensified farming, better agricultural
methods, vocational and agricultural
training, and higher development of
agricultural communities and farm
homes. He places special stress on
the matter of education and consoli.
dated rural schools became his hobby
Even today there will be found skep.
teal ones who little realize the value
of the work the Governor has done
along these lines. They sometimes
scott at the consolidated rural school
but those who are familiar with the
problem of education know the value
of the schools and their accomplish
rent of the purpose of bringing about
higher ideal of education throughout
the state. Many of those not so fa