The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-07-29
THE ALABAMA CONSTITUTION


conditions and learned what reforms are
needed, there is no legislature to whom
he can make recommendations, except the
legislature elected and commissioned just
on the eve of his retirement. Indicted
into office during the turmoil of legis-
lative session, beseged by hosts of APP
plcants for office and pardons, overflow
ing his anteroom and demanding all his
time, the incoming governor is neverthe-
less required by the constitutional man
date to know in advance of actual ex-
perience the condition of the state and
TO submit for his entire term his COM
pleted programme of legislation. In no
other state of the union can a consti-
tuition be found imposing upon the In
coming governor duties SO contradictory,
confusing and senseless.
The legislature should be assembled only
after the incoming governor has had some
months of experience in office some OPP
portunity to give careful study to the
wants of the state and sufficient time to
prepare such legislation as he may as
certain is requisite for a wise, economi-
cal and efficient administration. The
people look to the governor elected by
the votes of the entire state and not to
the legislature for leadership and yet with
the handicap of the present constitution,
a governor however wise and popular, is
denied the opportunity of having policies
have Endorsed by his election, translated
into legislation.
LEARNS BY EXPERIENCE
During his four years terms gov
ernor comes into contact with many
unwise laws and learns by actual ex-
perience defects in the machinery of
government yet all this valuable in
formation and experience goes for
naught. for there is no legislature to
whom he can appeal until his term is
practically closed, his influence either
gone or waning and public attention
directed to the rising instead of the
setting SUM-" All students of state
governments agree that the most val
liable reform legislation comes from
the governors mansion instead OF
from the legislative halls. Under the
unwise provisions of the constitution
the governor is merely an executive
agent, stripped of his powers of lead
ership, denied the opportunity of civ
ing to the people the benefit of his
experience or making any impress On
the policies of the state or leading to
fruition any movement for legislative
reform.
The constitution enlarges the term
of the governor from two to four years
and makes him ineligible to succeed
himself. The trainers of the consti-
tuition seemed to have been impressed
with the conviction that the governor,
by reason of his great position, his
influence and patronage, could estab-
lish SO strong a following to as
sure his reelection. Yet the fallacy
of this reasoning is manifest when
we remember that patronage, The
power of appointment, is a source of
weakness instead OF strength. A gov
ernor is popular when he enters Of
flee, popularity based on a lively
sense of favors to come, but every
time he makes appointment he
makes one indifferent friend and many
active enemies and by the time he
retires from office he has accumulated
a very large and disagreeable assort-
ment of hate and open hostility.
No very sound reason then exists
for this restriction. The constitution
should not deny to the people the
right of availing themselves even for
eight years of the services of a gov