New-York tribune., 1922-09-28
A Great Governor

conventions. Inc Wnole state Is
aware of the rare character and
service Of Governor Miller. 1t is
enough praise to say Of Mr.. Roots
speech that it was worthy Of its SUBJ
ject.
Governor Miller has done some
thing more than achieve admirable
specific reforms. He has, as Mr..
Root well said, changed the tone of
government" He found govern
ment recklessly increasing its ex-
penditures year after year, yet deliv-
ering less and less of service to the
public. He succeeded an administra-
ton that was squandering millions to
little purpose, easygoing, undirected
save as it was organized to make
comfortable political favorites. In
two years he has halted the increase
in appropriations and actually re-
duced the budget. He has reached
this result while achieving large con-
structive improvements of perma-
nent value to the whole state. The
rehabilitation Of the canals, the COM
mencement of the tunnel under the
Hudson, placing the united Port
Authority upon a permanent basis,
come to mind among these major
achievements. He has done all this
quietly, steadily, simply, with no
hlare of trumpets, without spectacu-
lar clashes with the Legislature, but
with, to the contrary, it's hearty CO.
operation and good will. He has
grown slowly but surely in public
esteem until he ranks to-day by
common consent among the great
governors.
How has he accomplished these
results? Mr.. Root we'll says that at
The bottom of his success was the
Tact that he knew the business of
the state as few men have known it.
To this knowledge must be added
the capacity of the Governor to
labor-"a trained faculty for thor
ough and systematic study of diff
cult questions and a cheerful willing.
ness to do hard work" These gifts
of intellect are the tools of q char.
acter which Mr.. Root portrays with
felicity:
HE has perfect courage: not the
KIND OF courage to which a man has
to be keyed up by excitement; no,
the kind of courage by which a man
succeeds in overcoming fear: but the
|. habitual and instructive courage
n which leads man to do his duty
without thinking at all of what is
gong to happen to him. He has tht
irankness and truth natural to cour.
age. He is simple and direct ;r
speech without duplicity. He neve,
talks for the galleries. And he com,
mands belief. lie has perfect indif
ference to his own political future
He is thinking about his job-not
about himself"
Mr.. Root was equally penetrating
IN his analysis of Mr.. Harding ane
his Administration. In the funda
mentals of character, of will to dc
right, Of openmindednes to tn,
ablest advice, of fairness and kind
illness to all men and, equally. cour
age to do the right, there is a GER
tain resemblance between the tu,
executives despite the obvious con
trast between them in trainins
and personality. Mr.. Root right,
stressed the courageous words O
Mr.. Harding upon the shopmen'
strike and himself went to the roo
of the philosophy Of the problem i,
distinguishing between two kinds O
strikes. As soon as a strike, by cut
ting off the supply of food or servic
necessary to the life of the com
Inunity, becomes an effort to coerc
the public into taking action it can
not command public sympathy. t,
the contrary:
II think that in this country W,
arc gradually approaching the poin
where the law of the land will pro
vide for Distinguishing between tn,
two kinds of strikes, and protecting
the public against compuision By
threat of peril to life or of destruc
tion to the machinery Of civilization
and at the same time protect the
workman's liberty to refuse to work
and the workman's liberty to work
If we cannot come to that point then
the American government of all the
people, by all the people, for all the
people, will fail, and a few will rule
the many"
This problem is unquestionably
the most difficult and dangerous fac
ing the American people to-day. 1t
cannot be solved hastily or by any