New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-26

Mr. Root went on, 1--WE found our
Legislature like the legislatures OF
most of the American states, IN dis
repute All. is il not so. my friends
Can any one Of US be proud Of the
esteem in which the great legislative
branch Of our government Is held IN
this state? Ought we 20 submit 20
have q Legislature which is commented
upon and weighed and measured, as
our Legislature is IN the public press
Of the state? Can representative gov
eminent be a success unless that -
stopped Isn't there vital need, II
our Institutions are 20 continue, N o--
representative government is 90 I'VE
that our Legislature shall be raised up
above thc low esteem IN which the
public holds it and has held II for
years past? Well, the convention tired
20 accomplish that by series OF pro
visions, based upon an estimate OF the
causes for the low esteem IN when
the Legislature was held and IN ex-
aiming the causes.
1--WE found this 10 be the case: As
government has become more compll-
Gated che Legislature has been over
whelmed with a vast mass or detail
Now, development Of ou business con
Germs, Of all government, is that as
affairs grow complicated, more ana
more has 10 be delegated by the ehlel
10 subOrdinates And the true method
Of development is that the chief shall
delegate matters OF minor importance
70 subordiratcs, and himself retain ana
act upon the matters Of major I'M
portance. That is as true Of leglsla-
ton as il is of administration. But we
found that in the Legislature the mat
tiers Of minor detail were retained and
the matters Of major Importance were
receiving scant attention"
The members Of the Legislature
have been going TO Albany. each with
his local bill, his private bill, his
special bill, for some interest in his
district. upon the success of which
has often depended his reelection.
The Legislature is overwhelmed with
q mass Of detail local legislation which
ought never to be there az all The
result has been that the Legislature
has not been adequately discharginr
it's own proper function.
Owe undertook 70 cure that. We
found that the Legislature was max
Ing up the appropriation bills in com
! mittee, practically in the dark, sug-
gest.ons coming from all quarters for
what was 20 90 into them, each mem
Der Of the Legislature having some
thing he wanted 10 get in. The bills
were reported and ran along on the
calendar to be rushed through in the
closing days OF the session.
Process Reversed.
after the Legislature adjourned the
Governor had thirty days 10 veto the
work of the Legislature. The Legis-
lature had abdicated its function or
holding the pursestrings. That had
been passed over TO the Governor. The
Legislature was composed OF men try
ing 10 get mo-ey out OF the state
Treasury instead Of trying TO protect
Il.
1--WE undertook 70 set that right and
we turned the proceeding upside down.
II had been standing on It's head, ana
we put IL on its feet. We require lhal
the. heads Of these new departments
furnish the Governor in adequate time
a statement Of all the money required
BY their departments. ana that the
Governor shall then take them all, PAT
them together, revise them, pruhe lhen
and bring the amounts down 10 "ha'
he is willing 20 be responsible lot 70
The people That he is 20 lay mat ne
fore the Legislature carr! i" 80
sion. with a statement OF the revenues
Of the state. so that the Legislature
may have before it at once state
ment Of the-cloth from which the coat
is 20 be cut. and Of the pattern OF the
coat that Is needed.
No big business corporation the
former Senator said, could conduct ita
business for year II II were run on
the same lines as the state govern
ment. NJ. Root then said:
"No public officer can atord 20 oe
without the feeling that his work J;
going TO be inspected and criticised
No body, corporate or polite, any more
than "A body money making ana ma is
trial. can 0fford 20 have is agents free
So IL seemed perfectly plain TO US tha'
we must apply In oil the executive and
administrative branches OF the state
government the rule Of adding power
10 responsibility and responsibility TO
power"
The convention. Mr.. Root said. lad
eudeavored to take from the Legisla..
tire the odium under which 1t restea
and restore il 10 position where Adj