Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-08-31
President of New York State
Constitutional Convention
DenouacoS the .lQyiSibIe
Governments
BOSS RULE SUBJECTED
TO SCATHlNG INDICTMENT
Advantages Of Election Reform
in Eliminating Party Oes-
potiSm aud Placing Re-
spo0sIbiIity Are Urged

ay Neanlsq louRpAt artciAA ltAaeu wlari
Albany Aug S0.-From the floor
OF The constitutional convention today,
President Elihu Root condemned the
system OF "hosst.m and Invisible
government" which, ne said 20 his
knowledge has dominated New York
for forty years and pleaded chat the
people be armed with the short ballot
that they may establish their own
rule II Is AN wrong, he declared, that
any other rule should cXist
This domination Mr. Root declar-
ed In part "has caused deep and
sutton and long continued resentment
among the people al being governed
by men not OF thch choosing They
demand change The short ballot
plan is a solution or at lcnst Il may
bc the rlrss ttep that win work out
4 solution
Whcu / go back home as I am
labou to do. 10 spend my declining
lyears mean 60 go with the feeling
that / con say have not failed to
speak ana "a act in accordance with
1.-THE lessons that / learned there from
ithe God Of my fathers
Root Eavors short BALLOT.
Mr Root was speaking particularly
iu behalf of the short ballot and de-
lpartmcnnl reorganization proposals
Ilt has had the support Of the so-oaliod
''fedcril aowd 30 the convention but
I has been opposed hy members OF the
old guutd Among those who have
supported it are Mr. Root George W.
/ Wlckersham. Henry +. stlmson and
/ Frederick Lander, the republican
IMate chairman Lemuel ely Quigg,
IJay B Smith and Edgar l.. Bracket
who long have fought with the 'regu-
/ lars" In the state. opposed Il.
/ After discussing the proposal specif-
lically Mr. Root sald
I'VE talk about the government OF
lthe constitution What Ia the govern
Iment of this stato2 What has Il been
Iduring the forty years Of my acquaint-
lance with t9 The government of the
lconstitution on. no, not half the
thine. or half way When | asked what
idld the people find wrong IN our state
government my mind goes back TO
those periodic fits of public rage Ia
whic the people arose and tore down
the political leader first Of ono party
land then of the other party
Party Bosscs "Inyeible Government"
~ am talking about the system.
From the days of Fonton and Con
Iklng and Arthur and Cornell ANA
Plat. from the days Of David y Hill
tdeWu 10 the present time The gov
Iernmenl of the state has presented
two different lines of activity one Of
/ the constitutional and statutory Off
GERS of the state and the other OF the
Iparty leaders they call them party
bosses
"They arc called the systemth
invisible governments For don't
remember how many years Mr.. Con-
king was the supreme ruler in this
state. The governor dld not count, leg
lslaturcs did not count And Ia
great outburst Of public rage he was
pulled down
Then Nh Platl ruled The state for
Inlgh upon twenty years And the capt
tal wa snot here Ii was at ~ Broad
way. with MI Plat and his liouten
ants
"Aod there is today throughout this
state % deep and sullen resentment at
being governed Thus by men not OF
the peoploa choosing
Party Heads Responsible.
The party ieadcr Is selected by mo
one. accountable 10 uo ONE bound by
mo- oath Of office removable hy no
one.
W don't criticize the men of the In
visible governments How can !
have known thcm an and among
them % government not authorized by
the people should be continued SUI
perlor 10 the government that is nu-
thorlzcd by the people Both parties
ARE alike All parties are alike The
system extends through an.
"Whot the mcrrlng instinct Of the
democracy of our st0te has been in
this government d that a different
STANDARD of morality is applied 70 the
conduct of affairs of state than that
which Is applied n private affairs
.l deny hat we con not change ".
assert that This porversion Of de-
mocucy can be changed as truly as
mo atmosphere which made the cred
lt scandal possible ia the congress
of tha tuited states was blown away
by One force of public opinion
We can take this one step toward
not rohhing me people of their part
In government. but toward robblns
aH irresponsible auteoracy Of IFS in
dercnslbe and unjust and undemo-
crati. control of government and re-
storing t 60 Che people 70 be exer-
eisea bg the mon OF their choice and
their control