New-York tribune., 1915-03-28


tant matters which the forthcoming Constitu-
tional Convention should consider. The first Is
what Is known as the short ballot and the second
is the relation of the Governor to the Legislature
Tho short ballot is a highly democratic and ef-
fective method OF giving unity, coherence ana
harmony TO the executive branch Of the govern
ment We have tho short ballot In the nation
and Il exists In somo states, as, for instance, In
Now jersey, TO the great advantage OF the people
Of those states II tho people OF tho United
States selected directly not only the President,
but also the Secretary Of State, the Secretary OF
the Treasury, the Attorney General and the Sec
retary OF War, and II each one of those officials
felt himself independently responsible to the
electorate and free to pursue his own sweet Will
in the Office to which he had been chosen, abso-
Lutte chaos would rule at Washington. On the
other hand when the heads of the great e1ecu-
tive and spending departments are named by the
President, they become responsible to him and 10
the people through him. They are organized Into
body OF advisers, and together they form
single and cooperating company OF high admin
istrative officers When any ono Of the number
finds himself out of harmony with the admins
tration he resigns his Office. In my judgment, the
Constitutional Convention should provide for the
introduction Of this short ballot system into the
tenant Governor would be elected by the people,
and the Governor should have the power to ap-
point, for a term not longer than his own, the
heads Of all the important state departments, in
cludn9 those that are now elective The effect
of this change would, think, be to increase the
effectiveness, the economy and the responsibility
Of the state government and give quicker response
and better service to the people.
THE RELATION OF THE GOVERNOR TO THE
LEGISLATURE.
In the second place, the relation Of the Governor
TO the Legislature should be carefully studied.
We have been living for long time under the
spell of q formula as 10 the division OF powers
between the executive and the legislative depart
ments Of the government The historical origin
of this formula is we'll known and the formula it.
self fitted in very well to the old English Whig
theory of checks and balances. 1t has long since
been outgrown as a study Of English and French
parliamentary history will readily reveal Some
method should be devised to bring the executive
branch Of the state government into closer touch
with the Legislature, and 70 give the Legislature
the right 70 hear from and question tho heads OF
those executive departments for which egisa-
ton and appropriations are proposed. Many
long speech and much public misapprehension
would be saved II legislative debates we're based
less upon rumors in the lobbes and paragraphs In
the newspapers and more upon official informa-
tion publicly given on the floor Of either house
Of the Legislature Gy the heads Of executive de-
partments.
The introduction Of the short ballot and the
establishment Of closer relations between the
executive and legislative departments OF the state
government would 90 long way toward remov-
ing the ground for much Of the criticism that
is now mistakenly directed against the constitu-
tional guarantees OF individual rights and civil
liberty In this respect most critics shooting
at the wrong mark
Another matter of highest concern is the bet
ter organization and control of the states inan-