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Show Csse'ntial Defects in Present Constitution of toM State Tho striking fact about tho present i 1 Btate constitution of New York Is i I that. In drafting It, every one of tho accepted principles of management ' havo been v dated. Wo ore told by j way of Justification that delegates i wero afraid to give to citizens the I light to seleit some ono who will I bo hold to account for getting things done that they are afraid ho would abuso his power. Wo aro also told I that they were afraid to glvo tho rep-I rep-I rcsentatlve body tho usunl power of control? Instead of making tho Governor Gov-ernor responsible for do'ng things I and tho legislature responsible for rovlewlng what he has done mi J what ho proposed to do for approving approv-ing or .disapproving wo have taken away from the Governor nearly all tho initiative and set him up as n check oh the leglslnturo. While tho i governing princ pies wero discussed j in convention as If they wero vital, j In bo far as expression Is given In i tho constitution Itself they aro meru ' platitudes; such words as exccutlvo ate used In the draft In only a llgur-atlvo llgur-atlvo sense. The constitution In 1891 when can fully read discloses theso facts: 1. While tho Governor Is said to bo vested with the executive power in ono paragraph of tho constltut'on, ho Is specifically deprived of every direct means of exorcising this power pow-er in another. 2. While the representative body is given power to decide what is to bo dono and what funds nro to bo provided, such cond tlons nnd llmlta-tlons llmlta-tlons aro attached to tho exercise of theso powers as to mako them Ineffective Inef-fective as ngrnts for locating and enforcing en-forcing responsibility, Instead of representatives being mado tho watch dog.i of tho treasury they have beep constituted Irresponsible dlspens'ng agents who arrlvo at decisions thru methods of logrolling and what has como to., bo known as invisible government. gov-ernment. 3. The Governor is directed annually annu-ally to tell the legislature what Is tho condition of tho State, but Is not provided with the means for knowing 'tlio facts or keeping representatives repre-sentatives and tho people advised about what Is going on. 4. Thero Is not only no provision for official leadership In the management, manage-ment, but tlio constltut'on has been carefully framed so that tho only leadership possible is that of an un official, Irresponsible boss. 5. No provision Is mado In tho constitution con-stitution for having issues raised between be-tween tho oxcciitlvo and members of tho legslatuio In such manner that thoy may bo voted on ns executive measures, and If not supported by n majority, submitted to tho people nt n regular or special election .called for tho purposo. C. No provision la mado for tho prompt dismissal of persons who aro found to be out of harmony with tho majority or for unfaithful pro-election Pledges; no provision Is mado for tho prompt retirement of nn oxcciitlvo oxccii-tlvo who does not rotaln the support of tho majority of tho representative body. 7. Citizens voto, but they must voto In such geographical units nnd under such conditions ns to make it lmpossiblo for them to express op n-ion n-ion of a stato wldo constitution, on quostions of policy, or In the choice of officers, the result being the gerrymander ger-rymander for tho defeat of the popu-liar popu-liar will. From Tho Short Ballot and itho Now York Constitution, by Fred-crick Fred-crick A. Clcvolnnd in tlio American 'Rov'ew of Reviews for August. |