OCR Text |
Show M WHY is it, one might ask oneself, M that so much interest is being taken M this year in tho gubernatorial candi- M dacy? That is to say, one might ask M oneself this if ono is ignorant of- con- H ditions in Utah, and or the kingly M powers which through law and pro- H cedent accompany this ofllce. But to H , tno student of political economy in H , utn'1 the reason for this concern is H all too apparent. It is our sad ex-H ex-H i perienco in Utah that the olllce of H ' governor is of vastly more importance M to the state of Utah than is both H branches of tho stato legislature. At H Us biennial sessions the stato legisla- H ture vcrttures to propose such legis- H latioras to it seoms necessary and H proper; but tho governor disposes of H it in tho way that seems to him M proper or in tho best interests of the M set of men or interests he takes tho M most kindly to. The legislature at H tho close of each session dumps into H tho gubernatorial baskot a budget of H appropriations representing nearly H twice the estimated revenue of the H stale. The governor must needs trim H tho bill down to a size warranted by H tho available rovonuo, so has the full H power to say which appropriations H shall stand and which shall bo trimmed H off. The people elect a few state of- H ficers to assist in tho running of tho H state machinery; the governor np- H points a round dozen officers of various H degrees of importance for every one m that tho people elect. The people are H restrained by law from electing the H same individual to certain state offices H for more than ono consecutive term, IH ' lest they should build up a political 9 machine; the governor has no such M embarrassing laws to contend with, and may appoint the same man to sue- H cecd himself as frequently as he holds M the appointive powor. Is it any won- H dor, therefore, that the ofllce of gov- H ernor is regarded as tho all-important j position in this state, to which all H others are of very minor- considera- H tion? |