Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-27

fore the people. He certainly ought
not to try to influence the choice by
promises Of special favors of any sort
after the desired Office has been Sc.
cured. Personally l feel that a man
ought not to exact pledges Of support
from his friends. All such support
should be conditional. upon it's repre-
senting the judgment Of the voter at
the time of the primaries.
Governor States Business Manager.
The State Of Maine may be regard
ed as a great business corporation
The people are the stockholders, the
Legislature the board of directors, ana
the Governor the business manager.
This is only one part of the duties of
the Governor it is true, but a very vital
and important part. AS business man
ager, responsible to the whole people,
he should apply the rules Of good
business rigidly to the management of
the States affairs. Business princi-
pleS,- and not political expediency,
should guide in all business matters
Governors Whole Time Needed.
From the time when Names bust
ness affairs were less extensive and
! complicated than now, we have in
herited the custom OF expecting the
Governor to attend @ the States busI-
ness in the intervals of his own. The
time has come to change this custom.
Maine is spending about $5,000,00O a
Year. Purely from a business stand
point this enterprise needs all the
Governors time. If nominated and
elected l plan to lay aside my own
business for the time being, move my
family to Augusta. and devote my
time during my term Of Office to the
management of the business Of the
State Of Maine.
Budget System.
you have. no doubt, noted the So
called budget system which was a par:
of the proposed state constitution re-
Gently defeated in New York. This
provided that the Governor should
recommend definitely the sum of
money which should be appropriated
by the Legislature for each specific
purpose. The Legislature could re.
duce the amount or fail to make the
appropriation, but could not exceed the
amount recommended. We are not
ready for any such drastic measure in
Maine, but we have the machinery for
an approximation Of this budget sys-
tenn, which would, no doubt, accom-
piish some Of the results sought by this
proposed amendment in New York A
statute recently passed requires State
departments and private institutions
intending to ask appropriations from
the Legislature to file by Nov. LIST pre-
ceding the opening of the session, a
statement Of the amount be asked,
together with certain relevant informa-
ton about their affairs, We also have
a board of Charities and Corrections
competent to advise the Governor ana
Legislature about the relative merits
and needs Of private charitable institu-
tons. believe that the statute re-
curing the fling of these notices
should be more rigidly insisted upon
as preliminary to appropriations by
the State, and that with this informa-
ton available and the advice of the
Board Of Charities anil Corrections, the
Governor at the opening of the Legis-
lative session should make more def
mite recommendations about expendi-
lures than has heretofore been the GUS
tom.
i, Appointing Power.
THE Governors greatest RESPONSE
bility to the people OF Maine is his ex-
ercise Of the appointing power. He
must make hundreds Of appointments
during his term of office. His sole
motive in exercising this power should
be to serve the whole people of the
State. He is beaten before he begins
if he has forclosed his freedom of
judgment by making special promises
to friends. His appointments should
be absolutely his own in the sense that
no man should be IN position to die
tate to him, but he should welcome adj
vice from every source and should use
painstaking care in determining the
relative qualifications Of applicants
gust as he would in his own private
business. Government must be by
parties and some appointments must
be Of 4 partisan nature in order to Sc
cure harmonious fulfillment of the
pledges Of the party in power. But
not even partisan advantage should be
allowed to Intervene with efficiency.
And in cases like the appointment Of
judges. party allegiance should never
Re deciding factor. Party allegiance
should no more be determining infiu-
cnceein the appointment Of a Judge
than the shape of his nose or the
|color Of his hair.