The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-04-15

NNtNSo tHSkSaoSu COst, IuIOukh IS-
vamping and re-establishing existing
bureaus in new departments. In the
character Of the reorganization they
consolidate official functions, entirely
different in scope and application. We
cite as proof the merging of the
Building and Loan Commissioner with
the Banking Commissioner without
materially modifying the bureau Of
either, and the attempt to unite un
der a single head such activities al
the inspection of hotels, the inspec
tion of oils, the inspection of bev,
erages and the inspection Of food
and drugs. In this plan the purposes
Of the various bureaus and their fields
Of operation are ignored and wholly
dissimilar offices are brought under
one head.
Failing in reducing expenditures
but augmenting the cost TO the state
failing to promote efficiency, these
so-called cabinet bills accomplish but
one purpose--their real design, name
ly, to increase the powers of the Gov
ernor. The centraiization of autnori.
ty in the Governor, without proper
checks and balances, constitutes q
menace to the welfare of the state
Illustrative Of the power of one-mar
government, we call attention to the
fact that even to the purchase of q
lead pencil or cord of wood, the acts
Of the country school board must be
approved by the Governors budget
man, who renders an account of his
acts to no one. The amazing extent
Of this program presents an issue to
the people which none can ignore.
Not 0ne-Man Office
sit was never designed that the
Governor of Missouri should be one
man ruler, with powers reaching into
every field of the states life, and
touching every individual citizen in
the state. The plain intent of the
constitution was that the executive
authority Of the state should be dis
tributed among the various officials
named in that instrument, and we de-
nounce this cabinet system as an at
tempt to subvert the constitution by
centering essential powers in the Gov
ernor, through the pretext of consol-
dating bureaus and adding to their
"The judicial gerrymander is the
most impudently partisan measure ey-
er passed by a Missouri Legislature.
BY assuming to redistrict the state
and then making the measure imme-
diately effective, the Legislature has
virtually removed from office every
Circuit Judge in the state and un-
questionably has made it possible for
the Governor, exercising appointive
powers which the legislature had no
right to limit, to substitute persons of
his own selection for Judges chosen by
the people. By this invasion of the
courts and subjecting the states ju-
dietary to the sordid processes of par
tisan politics and by ruthlessly re-
moving from office Judges elected by
the voters for fixed term, the legis-
lature has set at naught every estab-
lished principle of political decency.
1t has undertaken to do indirectly
what it would not have dared attempt
by the constitutional method of i'm
peachment. The measure merits uni
versal condemnation.
"The Legislature also abolished the
Criminal Court of jackson col .nty, to-
gether with the County Mar shall and
Criminal Clerk, and providing that all
criminal cases should be tried by the
Circuit Court.
Docket Surpasses St Louis
"There are and have been for a
number of years more cases on the
civil docket in jackson county than in
the city Of st. Louis, when they now
have sixteen judges to ten in Jackson
county. Jackson county is now be-
hind about eighteen months in its civ
il docket and the abolishing of the Of
flee of Judge of Criminal Court will
put the docket about two years be-
hind, practically denial of justice to
parties litigant.
"Not content with an attack upon
the judiciary of this character and Of
his extent, the General Assembly,
Tor purely partisan purposes, has as
'umed to abolish minor judicial of
ices in jackson county, authorized by
he constitution, and then re-estab-
ishing them with New to facilitat-
ng the removal of officials chosen by |
he people. This measure is an insid- |
Gus and dangerous attack upon our
existing system of representative
government, and is altogether inde-
sga y,..sss