The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-31
CHAIRMAN OSBORN
FOR CONSTITUTION
Democratic Leader Calls It
Fundamental and Broadly
Democratic.
NOT BLOW AGAINST LABOR

Just issued William Church Osborn
with many of the leaders In his party In
the clairi that the proposed new Con-
stitution IL n Republican document.
He describes the general plans sought to
be enforced by the new Constitution
fundamental and broadly Democratic"
MIR. Osborn says in part
The framework of our state owes
too much to fear and too little to
courage. The division of responsibility
the hampering Of officials, the old
system OF checks and balances. clog the
machinery and confuse the public in
deed financially we are In danger Of
tuning from a government Of checks
AMI balances into a government with
checks but without balances.
Take the vcrnor-h can neither
appoint nor remove "a State officer with
the exception Of Superintendent OF Public
Works. except by and with the advice
and consent OF the Senate. He can
control the estimates and expenditures
OF no department except by veto. He
can and does hide behind these ~restric-
tons 10 bargain and deal with the
Legislators and ignore or bully the de-
partmcnts according to his disposition.
at ia proposed to keep him sguarcly
In the public eye. to allow the full light
Of day upon his every act. to take from
him the power of veto Of appropriations.
which is legislative. n give to him
the power of appointment. which Is
executive.
Trusts the People.
ssHis present position accurately re-
fleets the political views e~ngendcred by
the practices of King George III. Times
rave changed. and I. for one. am ready
to leave King George III. and trust the
people to give proper attention to their
elected Governor.
"Sirce 1885 we hav been consulting
$50 different commissions and depart
ments to prevent the people from control
ling their executive offices. The officers
terms overlap those OF the Governor.
No movement by the people can change
the men who actually conduct their BUSH
ness. When Gov. Hughes was elected
upon the insurance issue he made re-
peated efforts to remove otto Kelsey, the
Superintendent OF Insurance. He was
unable TO do SO q magnificent instance
of a system which stands for the perpet-
uation of bureaucracy and permancncc
Of ofiicialism.
1t is impossible TO elect $50 heads Of
departments and Ii would be impractical
bic Ia elect seventeen. The nearest the
people can come to securing control OF
their government is by placing the control
of tho department heads in the hands OF
the Governor. whom they elect. while IL
,s true that this executive reform takes
nom the elective class three minor OFF,
,rgs without discretionary powers and
spending some > per cent. of the State
moneys. It puts II within the power of
tho people To chang" their executive
government speedily and at will.
Ripper Bills to Go.
"Nthat IL now done cvilly by ripper
bills viii then he done openly at tho
public desire ard in ~. public eye. thus
substituting cardor for trickery and do
iug away wi:h a practice which is rap
id,y undermining the confidence OF our
people in their government.
'rhc principal of this proposal was
urged by two great Democratic Cover
rGrs Of this state. John i. Hoffman aud
,;rovcr Cleveland, and it was actually
adopted and made a part of the consti-
tuition with reference to the department
Of the Superintendent OF Puhlic Works
upon the iustigation and with the APP
proval of Samuel ]. Tilden when tie was
making his great fiGh: for the better
ment of our canal system.
This executive reform is intimately
connected with the budget proposal which
provides for "A general appropriation bill
based upon departmental estimates. re-
vised by the Governor after public hear
ing and submitted to the Legislature. to-
gether with estimates OF income u bal
ances. This must be acted on before the
Legislature passes other fnarcioi biils.
The restrictions in u present o.
stitution on the power of the cities to
manage their own affairs are a notable
instance of fear of the people. The new
proposals concedc that the people in the
localities can be trusted and give much
greater powers of home rule than now
exist. The controlling intent of the
HON rule provision appears In section 2:
Every city Il have exclusive power
TO manage, regulate and control its
property, affairs and municipal govern
ment.'
strikes q Middle Road.
Holding TO that principle az their
guide and acting In good faith the cities
and the State can work out their sep
arate interests as each question arises.
This article does no. satisfy the ad-
vanced home rulers. nor does II satisfy
the advanced State rights men. II may
be taken as one Of those via media
which lead away from old abuses but
avoid new dangers.
ITO begin with, "A spirit Of confidence
IN the people permcates the changes. u
gives to the people power of direct ac-
ton In their Government which must
be considered truly democratic. BY the
executive reform the people regain con
troll. through the election of their GOV
ernor. Of practically the entire executive
system of the State, which under the
commission system has been taken from
them by successive steps through the
last thirty years
18th statementxthat the judicial sys-
ten Is packed with new powers that
can be used against labor is mistaken.
No additional jurisdictional powers are
granted to the Judges Of the State. The
provision that each judicial district shall
have u conservation commissioner tends
70 spread control of this important de-
partment widely over the state. These
facts dispose Of the argument that the