New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-07
MASSACHUSETTS POLITICS.
THE WORK OF THE LEGISLATURE.

FUL OF RETAINING THE PRESENT LIQUOR Law
on THE sTATIyTE-BOOKs-rHE LABOR QUESTION
ND THE SUMNER RESOLUTIONS IN
BOSTON.
IRON AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or TIE rRIBuSsI
BosToN, Jan. 2S.-That poDderous body called
the Massae Gsature has finally got its wornns
machinery wound up and started. IT. opening long
fortnight since was accomplished In the course OF a
week with something less than the usual amount o.
formality but still enough 20 sustain the dgny
the Commonwea IN and disgust everybody who had 70
through The second week was naturally Geso'eo
10 referring petitions aud orders and ad0drnag early
The committees, however, have got TO work mneh
quicker than did those OF the Last General Court ADd are
beginning TO report.
To decide Who the Hoosac Tunnel and what
shall be done with IL 70 say whether the
state shall continue prohibition, try sIlct
license, have free rum soothe the labor
party please the capitalists aud settle the LABOR dues
honthese the three great problems for this Legs
ature TO solve. Among the minor problems are the
questions: Do the present State Railroad Directors
amount anything, and what change, any, shall be
madei What nights has our Boston street railway com
pany another bound to respect and what rights
have the public that any OF them can De made 10 re-
spectf and finally, shall the property Of churches and
benevolent and charitable corporations be taHedi To
these six problems resembling OF the resolutions
censurng Charles Sumner passed by the last Leg1sa
ture might be added seventh, II such action were
plain duty that the question cannot DC called
problem.
THE GENERAL COURT AND The BoosAc TUNNEL
The Hoosac Tunnel question certainly an elephant
and it is by no means whether the General Court
will conquer It, it them The Developments OF the
opening contests have adcrous aspect TO outsiders
who are not footing the bills In accordance with the
recommendation OF the Governor JOINT spec i t9n,
mittee the HOOsac Tunnel llne OF rahroeIs WI
created for the sole purpose OF wrestling with the
great bore" For unaecountabe reason-ios.loy
three score OF who elected solely ON me
tunnel issue and naturally expected 20 se on ,se
the Hoosac Tunnel and Troy and GreenLed hAlL
road" was continued The result has been great
deal OF Misunderstanding For a time OF the
bers OF the old Committee deluded themselves int
believing Il at they the giants designated TO hght
ferred TO them heightened the delusion. and they s
began TO talk and act a. though every pealiSn
bill. aud order relating the tunnel wac their. by
right Since then the gnt has begun " dawn up, an
Increasing knowledge OF the actual condluoh OF ungs
does improve their tempers Then there are Ae-S
VINO da no eS tban those who so on 10 the wrong
one Chief in this list they say, IS senator carpenter
OF Norfolk who appointed on the regular iltlrOA1
Committee, but resigned u u aegeu, s,.hpS 1913
he chosen to help decide the question: of "hch
! purpose he was elected by hrs constituents
A matter OF serious import n the recent deFei-
opmen regarding the rights Of the od Troy ana Green
field corporation In the ownership OF the tunnel foi
wears the state has pouring ts money into that
hole the Berkshire mountain; for years every D90g
ever does finish IT, and for years the Troy and Green
field corporation has kept silent while me state pad
and the people talked. Now t comes ont mat when ths
state ss'u sIad e a. aS COO and mar COMPANY had
failed 70 Keep the right reserved 20 tue
Troy and Greenfield Company OF redeenng III ooatIset
and reObtaining OF the tunnel No one deps
That it has this fight will have 1t FOR years "
come vet 10 il by no means clear "hetuer
Inc US State H'' simply the 100000, with interest
originally lent instead OF tne s' =, ~ own
accord. The Joint Special Committee on the runner 4.
understood be divided IN opinion on the subject and
the Judiciary Committee has the question under consa
Grafton IN il shall be decided that the state does own
IT, there promises to DO grand scramble SI lhe Is
roads the lions share OF the dement's me opluSn
prevails however that the state Will hold last 10 the
whistle which has cost 90 dear The lease OF me yer
mont and Massachusetts, Road by the Boston ano
burg Company considered az the hrst step OF tnss
swU Now he Troy aud Greenfield Company has
shown that it laOonng for the same tnihs, anu 'se
Massachusetts, Central would Ike very Wen "a Ge! "
Knowing that II has no cnahce, ~ lsso VT. 49,
management Of the Junne allowing all the r0ahs 70 hso
" ana GnsrSE ee and dsnterested members do not
hesitate declare that they believe TINS Wodo Oe Ds
The complexion Of the Tunnel Committee can hardly
be told yet for the members OF It have met pa, 1hos
and only conclusion arrived az was that Ar tby
knew about the tunnel was that the stae had PAID I
In the composition OF the COMMITTEES due CONSIDER
lines interested though objection has been rsed mat
the Boston and Albany element too arge-fouf OF the
II members being considered friends Of hat corpora
tionand naturally that account not predspoSedto
favor the tunnel or any Of the tunnel routes
TEMPER, OF The LEGISLATURE ON TIE LIQUOR AID
LABOR QUESTIONS.
The condition OF the Legislature on the liquor ques-
ton IS singular. majority in both branches sener-
ally considered 10 opposed to prohibition and yet
the friends OF prohibition feel confident and with con
siderable reason being able keep the present law
on the books Their strength Zee ia the WEAK
ness Of the liquor men through lack OF unity portion
drew the prohbitoniss are themselves ana favor
strict license because they believe thai the n.
forcement OF STRINGENT License law y possls,s AUG
vastly better than the present farce OF pro
aioGn license that Is, they would prefer FREQ
run and only favor license for decency s4Ae' Ihess
bev DO NOT the ProhibiIionists likely 10 defest
them especially the Governor 10 80 pronounced In
GaeT iS1 oil t sna oa tSe LIQUOR law Is very decidedly IN
favor OF prohibition much so that the license men 90
not exDec ANYTHING OF It, and already saying that
the best policy is 10 take no notice OF me COmntte.
aud do all their lighting ~ the Leglsis.GIe' III D ona
victory IN getting the appointment OF JOINT speelsi
Committee consider the subject OF s9oshlns tne ~
Ice CommissiOners The members OF TINS special Com
mittee arr oil members OF the larger Liquor committee
| but she complexion 10 dnsEent' majority Deins
The Labor Committee is understood 20 he quite
ronolv I'm yor OF leu Hour Ia w. likely report
bill 10 that effect very some members OF The Com
mttee also feel strongly on the subec OF very young
children working In the mills and ne Committee wiz
probably report a bill reform this and or sSe
other prevalent abuses in the mills
the feeling in favor Of rescinding the dlsgraeefsl
Sumner resolutions socalled passed 4y the last Lss.
feet have come In daily from All parts OF the STATE ~
from all classes OF people The only one VINO na- yer
dared 10 breathe opposition 10 the unGuestoned sent
mant Of the stae IN favor resembling resolutions
IA senator Bailey OF Mddlesex and even he qdsnhtd
S aS SSnmner Mr. sswin OF Gardner member OF
the Committee Federal Relations, TO which all the
70 he opposed 70 resembling them.
Locally Boston most interested In the struggle be-
tween three Of s street railway companesthe Metro
Doltan Mddlesex, and Highland-for the possession OF
rights in certain streets For years sae aetr.pehlsa
aimed monopoly. But the other companies have
been growing and fearing that would get whipped IN
alliance with the Mddesex 10 run the city bstxees
andf ha A fha Rzilr