Oxford Democrat., 1921-08-16
The Governors Council.

In view of the deadlock now existing
between Governor Baxter and the Ex-
ecutive Council many letters have been
received at the governors Office asking
how the council is chosen and who the
councillors are. The governors council
consists of seven members, each MEM
Der elected from Q councillor district.
The State of Maine Is divided into seven
councillor districts. The first district Ia
com posed of Oxford and York Counties
and the councillor from this district is
Hon. Henry q Hastings Of Bethel; the
second district is composed of Cumber-
land County and the councillor 10 Hon.
Herbert A. Lombard, M. D., of Bridg-
ton; the third district is composed Of
AndroscoggIn, franklin and Sagadahoc
Counties and the councillor is Hon.
Ernest F. Clason OF Lisbon Falls; the
fourth district is composed OF Kennebec
and Somerset Counties and the councillor
is Hon. Willis e. Swift of Augusta; the
fifth is composed of Waldo, Hancock,
Knox and Lincoln Counties and the
councillor Is Hon. George A. Gregory Of
Boothbay Hsrbof; the sixth district is
com posed of Penobscot and Pircataquis
Counties and the councillor Is Hon.
George w. Stearns of Millinocket; the
seventh district is composed of Washing
ton and Aroostook Counties and the
councillor is Hon. Clarence A. Powers Of
Fort Fairfield.
Where district consists of more than
one county 1t Is provided by law that
the councillor shall be chosen In rotation
from the two or more counties In the
district, so that each county will be
represented during a period OF years.
The councillors are not elected by the
people but are elected by the legislature
when It meets for the first time In jan
usry of each alternate year. The whole
legislature elects the council, but for
many years the practice has been to
have the members of the majority party
of the House and Senate from the coun-
" entitled to the councilorship hold
caucus the night before and there nomi-
nate candidate for the council. Seven
councillors are thus selected at these
csuouses by the senators and representa-
tlves from the respective councillor dis.
tricts, and the next day the legislature
as q matter Of course elects without
question the seven men thus nominated.
II the legislature is Republican or II 1t
Is Democratic, all the councillors are
either Republican or Democratic as the
case may be, and 1t has happened that
where there has been Republican legis-
.lature and . Democratic governor the
councillors have not belonged to the
same party as the governor. The re-
verse has also happened.
Oftentimes the election of q councillor
depends upon o very few men or even
upon one man. As an example, there
are ~ senators and representatives from
Cumberland County. II twenty-six
Democrats and only one Republican are
elected from Cumberland County and II
the legislature has Republican major
ity, the single Repu blioan from Cumber-
land County nomInates the councillor
and the Republican legislature elects
him, because 1t always, of course, will
select member Of It's own party for this
important position. From this 1t will
be seen that the councillors are not elect
ed by the people and not being respon-
sible to the people may oftentimes not
represent the majority party in their
respective districts.
The Governors Council 10 an institu-
ton that has been abandoned In many
states, bu. It has served useful pur-
pose in Maine and can be Of great help
to the governor. The members Of the
council are presumed to understand
local conditions In their district, they
visit the state Institutions and keep 10
touch With the administration Of public
affairs.