The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-09

The Erie Bills In the Senate and As
sembiy-The Responsibilities of Mem
bcrs.
The two houses of the State Legislature
appear to have resolved to set to work in
earnest on the Erie Railroad bills. which have
been made special orders for Wednesday morn
ing in the Senate and for Thursday morning in
the Assembly. The reports from Albany inform
us that the efforts of the lobby to influence
members of both houses in favor of the Ring
are bold and unceasing, and it is anticipated
that the Capital will be flooded with the
agents and friends of the doomed directors
next week. We do not believe that this
impudent and undisguised attempt to bride
and corrupt the present Legislature as the
VIGOROUSLY venal Legislatures Of 1869 and
1871 were bribed and corrupted, will succeed.
Since those years the terrible exposure of the
Tammany frauds and the fate of the unfaithful
public officers who were implicated in them,
stand forth as a warning to the legislators
whose fingers are itching for the
money of the Erie Ring. They may
go the way of their predecessors If they
will, it is true; but in the road now stands
signpost with fettered hand pointing in the
direction of Sing Sing. They have seen how
mighty combination can be broken to pieces,
despite it's influence and wealth, and how
readily, when the exposure comes, the fellow
conspirator turns into the informer and the
accuser. Let them sell themselves to the
Erie lobby to-day, and q quarrel among
thieves-an accidental change of the power
and patronage of the Ring from one set Of
hands to another-may explode the whole
secret history of fraud and criminalisy, and
involve all the creatures and tools of the prin-
cipal actors in common ruin.
The progress of the bills will be carefully
watched, and the action of each individual
legislator will be thoroughly scrutinized.
Senators and Assemblymen may rest assured
that determined and persevering men are
on their track, and that the most
secret and the most cunning agents
of the Erie Ring are under q strict
surveillance. They may have faith in this or
that lobbyists discretion, and may believe
trust to bis familiarity with perjury to shield
them from punishment in case of an inquiry;
but they must remember that if called to
account for venality now 1t will not be before
a Legislative committee, but before Grand
Jury and at criminal bar. The members
who will vote with the Erie Ring from other
than motives directly corrupt can be counted
on the fingers of mans hand. They are
known; and every Senator and Assemblyman
who votes with them for a money considera-
ton will be known, too, and called to strict
account. The efforts that will be made in
the secret interest of the Ring, to cripple the
provisions of the bills and to leave loop
hole open for the escape of the doomed
directors, will be easily detected and
exposed. The members who may
originate or support such tricks will be
regarded by the people as the paid agents of
the Erie Ring. There is no room for any mid
die ground on this question. The republican
reform Legislature was elected on the distinct
pledge that the Erie corruptionists should
meet the fate that had already overtaken the
Tammany corruptionists, and the Legislature
might as safely undertake to reinstate Tweed
at the head Of the Department of Public
Works as to retain Gould and his associates
in the Erie direction by means of insufficient
legislation. The republican members at
Albany should vote as one man in favor of
bill plain in its provisions and satisfactory to
those who are resolved upon melting out full
this and their party will suffer the conse-
quences. At all events no recusant shall es-
cape under cover of mask if the Black List
of the HERALD can present him in his true
colors to the eyes of the people of the State.