The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-07-28
A THIRD HOUSE"
OF GOVERNORS TO
FIGHT CONGRESS-
Proposal of Maryland's
Chief Magistrate

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich, July
PA proposal that the governors
of the 48 states organize into a per-
manent, cohesive body to combat the
increasing grasp of the federal gov
eminent in the affairs of the ordinary
citizen, was advanced today by Gov
ernor Albert c. Richie, of Maryland,
as the nineteenth annual conference
of state executives drew to a close
here.
I "We talk and talk of states rights,
but what do we do to preserve them?"
asked the Maryland governor. "We
do very little. We might as we'll ad-
nit it. Capitalization of power in
the hands Of the few in Washington
is one of the greatest issues before
the American people today, and it is
one that must sooner or later be met.
New Governing Body.
"Why can't we meet this situation
| by organizing ourselves into a real
house of governors-League Of Ma
tions, so to speak, which could function
so as to become in effect almost a
third house in the republic. Such an
organization, to be sure, could act
only in a voluntary cooperative man
ner, yet if organized properly it would
be in a position to deal with many
problems now seized upon by the fed
eral government simply because no
other agency of government appears
ready to deal with them. Half the
issues that now eventuate should be
handled by the states"
Wants Presidency.
Governor Richie, a strong advo-
cate of the rights of states and
potential Democratic presidential
candidate, pointed out that TWICE in
the last five years the governors have
been supmoned to Washington from
their annual conference, each time to
discuss enforcement of the Volstead
act.
"If the White House," said Gov
ernor Richie, "can summon us to
Washington, why cannot we, acting
as the representative of the 4S SOW
ereign states, tell Washington what
our rights are, and what are the pre-
negatives of the Federal government"
"Clean Elections"
The advice of the Maryland gov
ernor in his advocacy of the rights
of states struck a responsive chord
in the minds of his colleagues, for
nearly every address delivered by the
state executives here has contained
some indictment of the federal gov
eminent for it's increasing grasp of
power. A committee may be appoint
ed to work out the details of Gov
ernor Ritchie's suggestion.
Although it has concerned itself
nightly with the issue of "clean
elections" the conference will take no
definite action on this subject.
The final business session of the
conference today was devoted to a
round table discussion of the four
principal issues discussed at the pres
ent gathering-farm relief, flood con-
troll, merchant marine, and popular
elections After today's discussion,
the conference splits up, most of the
two dozen state executives returning
directly to their homes, and the others
making a trip to inspect the northern
Michigan waterways.
The dirty linen of the forty-eight
states threatened to flap in the faces
of their solemn governors met in SOL
emn conclave today, when ex-Gov-
ernor Pinchot of Pennsylvania, de-
nouncing Senator Reed for throttling
proper investigation of the Ware
case, launched into an attack on legis-
lative corruption and corrupt election
practices. The attack came while
! Governor Paulen of Kansas was re-
lating how his friends had paid the
elections expenses which the law pro-
hibited him from recognizing.
In the course Of his attack, Pinchot
handed William S. Ware, the man
who stole the 1926 Senatorial prim-
aries in Pennsylvania, and Secretary
! Mellon q severe verbal denunciation.
Later he launched an assault on the
Mississippi Valley flood control prof.
ects.
| Most Colossal Blunder in History.
"The most colossal blunder in en-
gineering history" Ex-Governor
Pinchot characterized the handling of
the Mississippi flood control work by
army engineers. Not only should the
federal government finance relief, but
should pay outright the costs neces-
sary for levee construction. He as
sailed the Mississippi river commits
sion for their failure to prepare plans
for combating the flood and the mis-
cry inflicted on hundreds of thousands
of people.
When Pinchot urged that the gov
ernors go on record in connection
with some of the problems before the
conference, Governor Brewster Of
Maine, the president of the confer