The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-02

and William Barnes led an attack In the
Constitutional Convention on an amend
ment favored by the Tanner committee
increasing the term OF the Governor
from two to four years after January l.
1918. and making him ineligible TO sue
coed himself. and the convention killed
the amendment after a long debate by
a vote Of IS to As.
Then, by a much larger vote. the
convention adopted the amendment In
creasing the salary OF h Governor
after January l next from $4,000 to
$4,000 a year. Mr.. ouigg protested
that giving the Governor a -four year
term would do more to install invisible
government NJ Albany than anything
that could be suggested. while Mr..
Barnes declared that responsible govern
msnt would be impossible to secure
through the Governor IL he was denied
reelection.
Mr.. Quigg declared that since the days
of the Clintons there have been only
eight Governors reelected. and II Ia only
in the cases " the greatest Governors
that the people are not perfectly willing
to get rid of them after their first two
or three years.
The test vote on the reorganization
amendment OF the Tanner committee"
Mr.. Qu!gg said, showed hat the bill
succeeded without a majority of the con-
vention being in favor OF 1t. 1t has
been widely published in the newspapers
that I know Invisible government when
! see IL.
II want to say I also know a deal
when ! see II. | know that the re-
organization bill was passed because the
con mittee in charge surrendered their
principle In regard to II In accommo-
dalton to the ambition of the Comp
troller Of this State.
THE public gets its knowledge OF such
matters from the newspapers INC they
have been supporting this short ballot
idea. But the newspapers have con.
cealed what 1t really means from the
people that they are going to have
more to pay and less TO say. BY that
proposal you are entrusting practically
all Of the power to the Governor. Can
you afford TO increase his term?'
Barnes Is shocked.
II am astonished.' william Barnes
declared, lat this amendment. ] had
no idea that this proposal was taken
seriously after the enormous increase
in power hat has been given the Gov
ernor. 1t seems incredible that this
committee would push another innova-
ton on the people.
II cannot believe that this convention
would think of extending the Governors
term to four years. and I did not believe
II possible that the ineligibility clause
would be even introduced. The Tanner
proposal approved the other night is
not overstrong itself, but IL you load IL
down with other things like this. l do
not believe it will pass. We cannot say
now how II will work out. II is said to
be the destruction Of invisible influence 4:
IL may be the resurrection. II il In
very grave danger II you pass this"
'If you deprive the people OF the right
Of calling their Governor to account at
least every two years" declared Jacob
Gould Schurman, they will insist Oh
the recall"
Among the delegates who voted to
keep the Governors term at two years
were Quigg. Morgan j. O'Brien, Schur-
II Bracket. Belts, Cullinan. Virgins
and the Republicans OF the State ma
chine persuasion generally. including the
Brooklyn Republicans along with the
Tammany Democrats.
Among those who supported the four
year term were Delegates Low. Stimson.
Wickersham, Hale. O'Brien. Wadsworth,
Nicoll, Dyckman. Stanchfield and Shee-
han.
A motion to leave the Governors SAL
AIRY at $4,000 was overwhelmingly de-
feated. The amendment was then adj
vanced to the order OF final passage.
accomplishing nothing but the increase
Of the Governors salary.