The New York herald., 1876-03-21
"No Seat No Fare"

The death of the killian bill on the floor
of the Assembly last evening was the culmi-
nation of burlesque on legislation in which
the introducer of the measure played the
part of mock hero to the satisfaction of o
select audience of privileged plunderers
and to the disgust of the people of
New York. From Mr.. ''Nic." Muller, with
his limping explanation OF his alb
sence from the committee and his
nopoies, to Mr. Whitson, with his brazen eff
frontery in making shameless defence of
the most UNANIMOUSLY oppressive of the mo-
nopolies, we see what wretched human
stuff represents the Empire City at AL
bany Here is measure which the
entire city in common honesty and
justice demands, but which the few
interested monopolies are able to slaughter
through the aid of a few Legislative samples
like Muller and Whitson. These men pro-
fess great Indignation at the remarks of the
HERALD upon their course. We are not
sorry they feel the force of them, but we
would remind these Assemblymen that those
public trusts should provide themselves with
hides thicker than rhinoceros, lest they
should feel the sting of popular rebuke.
coat padded an inch deep with greenbacks
will not keep out the arrows of popular
scorn. The shape which the arguments
took that were used to defeat this measure
in the Committee on Railroads is GER
tainly a matter for investigations but
whether they were merely an appeal to
the instructive love of rich monopolies
that burns in the bosoms of all cheap patri-
OTIS or something more tangible the offence
of bolstering up an outrage upon public
health, decency and comfort remains the
character, his legislative ignorance and his
engagements" and try to soften his
unpardonable neglect into ''unavoid-
able ABSENCE" but his absence at
the right time was worth thousands
of dollars to those who fatten by
robbing the tired working girl and the
weary workingman of what they pay for, and
worth thousands to the pickpockets who are
the allies of the grasping railroad companies.
Hence if MIR. Killian was to rise to questions
of privilege until doomsday he will find his
absence from the House as difficult of salts
factory explanation as Grouchy's from Water
loo. so with the members of the committee
their readiness to wrong the people is capable
of hundred explanations, but cannot be ac-
counted for on single honest reason.
The vote by which the motion to recon-
slider the Railroad Committees adverse
report on the bill was lost stood 4S to A,
with 80 absent. Our Albany correspondent
gives a reason why some of the Assemblymen
voted with the majority but, however such
q fiimsy pretext-the Dragging of lobby
ist-may weigh at Albany, we cannot
see how any man who was honest and
fearless could avail himself of it. If fear of
one public corrupter and dislike to another
furnish the motives for Assemblymen's votes,
we think corruption is firmly seated at
Albany. Dropping Killian and his bill
from sight we think it is plainly
demcnstrable that properly balanced
"No seat no fare" bill can be passed
if properly urged. It is possible that
among the forty-eight who ranged them
selves on the side of the monopolists num-
Der will repent the act and that Of the thirty
two absentees more than two-thirds will
take the side of honesty Mr.. Bergh's bill is
immensely superior TO tho crude measure
which Mr.. Killian abandoned to its enemies.
Let it be taken mp by some legislator who
can attend to it, and she travelling public,
! iammed like hogs into the fetid cars need
not despair of its passage.