The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-06-03
RITCHIE STARTS
 SOMETHING FOR
 THE GOVERNORS
Governor of Maryland Ob- jected to Cutting Out Dee bate on All Controversial Subjects

| French Lick, Ind, June 3.-CUP) "A suggestion that next year the annual conference of governors do an about face and discuss nothing but controversial subjects was be- fore the executives who to-day at- tended the closing sessions of their 1880 meeting.
 l Governor Floyd B. Olson of Min nesota made the suggestion as the climax of "revolution' which Gov ernor Albert c. Ritchie of Maryland led against the program committed s rules that discussion of controversial subjects be barred.
 Ritchies protest assumed added Importance because of the considera- tion he was given as a possible presi- dential candidate for 1892.
 Presiding at yesterday afternoons round table" discussion, Governor Fsitchie interjected his personal views on prohibition and invited other ex- ecutives to discuss subjects which the committee had banned as likely to turn the conference into a debating society,""
 Ritchie was presiding at discussion of morning addresses on such non- controversial topics as duties and powers" administrative reorganiza- tion," and veto and extradition." l The program rules provided that presiding officers were not to allow any divergence from the selected subjects. Ritchie, however. not only allowed the divergence, but invited 1t. As a result the talk turned to such matters as prohibition, power problems, unemployment. insurance and government ownership. | If I were to offer any criticism of these annual conferences it would be that we strive too hard to keep Controversial subjects out of our dis cussions," said Ritchie.
 "The states are the governmental Laboratories of the nation," he con- tinued. "They are the agencies for political trial and experiment. Yet, we, the representatives of the states. refrain from debating these questions which are the realities of our na- ltional life.'
 Ritchie declared the union was be- coming tired of the old conjure words of American politics such as l"inalienable rights" and "the found- ing fathers. He said these were only words whereas the fact that I s, 100000 people were out of work was "a reality" He added that al- though he believed government ordi- lnarily should keep it's hands out of business he felt that during hard times, business was such an impor- tant subject the governors should discuss 1t.
 "The effort to change American law from its age-old purpose of pro- tecting life. liberty and prosperity and the fast vanishing right of the sovereign states are other modern tendencies of government which vitally affect everybody" he said. Perhaps the outstanding illustra- tion is prohibition. If this question has dynamite in 1t, it is not this be- cause the country endeavors to en- force temperance by a standard and uniform rule instead of by consid- ering the diversified conditions of our diversified different states?'
 Thus encouraged, several execu- tives spoke briefly on banned topics depressing their personal opinions without asking that any action be taken.
 | About half the governors in the lcountry attended the conference (which ended to-day with a visit to |the Beford and Bloomington Quar- ries and a carnival dance.