New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-06-30
them both and sharpen their wits, and test
their practical ability.
TILE GEE OF L. B. SESSIONS.


We have received inquiries from number OF
worthy Republicans IN the Chautauqua Senatorial
District respecting THE TRIBUNE's recent criticisms
upon Mr. L. b. Sessions, and respecting also Drei
and good-natured paragraph which subsequently
appeared in THE TRIBUNE. and has been Incorrectly
construed by some of the Republican papers IN his
District rs a withdrawal of those criticisms. Their
perplexity growing out of these statements OF the
local press has not been decreased by the appear
ance of the following letter from Mr.. Sessions;
There never was 30 unjust and tantabe an o.,
tack made. The truth was a job wac OeihR "a
i'm smashing IT, and tho disappointed ones used HE
TRIBUNE TO vent their spite on me.
Without pausing TO make any comment upon TINS
extraordinary card il may be stated, briefly, that
The TaIBUNE found il necessary for the pubic
good TO handle Mr.. Sessions without gloves during
the closing days of the Legislature; that In his hrst
anger at the public castigatlOn he had received, ne
made foolish speech abusing The TRIBUNE, which
did not scare The TRIBUNE into silence about MI.
Sessions; that then, becoming alarmed, he FASTENED
TO this city, and to this Office, TO beg for quarter.
The TRmUSE, feeling that a critical campaign was
nj hand that the loss of single District might be
National misfortune and that all Discussions that
conld possibly BE- avoided should De- was willing to
drop Mr. Sessions no. for his sake but for that otthe
party Mr. Sessions wrote letter acknowledging
his error and THE TRIBUNE, not wishing to SOW the
seeds OF discord IN any Republican District, added
a few good hundred words, letting Mr. Sessions
down easy. Whereupon Mr.. Sessions got up. busted
his knees and started for Chautauqua County with
the story that THE TRIBUNE hal been attacking
him because he-L. b. Sessions had been" smash
ing jobsw His course leaves TIE IR'BUNE no choice
but TO state just what was the Immediate occasion
of IFS structures Ii will then be seen that Mr. Ses-
ii, IisyiFt 70 ggiln an
which he thought might never reach New-York-
(tho note We print to have been private one
published by an over-zealous eiItor)-and would do
TO fool his constituents with.
Among the bills before the Legislature was one to
protect Nassau-st and lower Broadway from Occu-
patton by an elevated road. Tho whole business
community downtown was interested IN the pass
age of the bill. rhe chief public buildings the
great banks, almost all the great insurance compa-
nies life fire and marine, tbs principal newspaper
buildings, At least one great church, Trinity, and
vast numbers of professional and business offices.
would have been, practically almost ruined, If an
elevated road had been allowed to seize upon these
streets, as an elevated road plainly intended to do.
There was a unanimous Outcry Of protest. The
people of this city felt that sacrifices enough had
been made to secure rapid transit without giving
up to greedy corporation the great street on which
/ q
narrow and crowded street at its side
which is scarcely less important to the
free movement of traffic in the lower
part Of the city, when there absolutely no pub
lie need for it, and no end save private greed could
be served by doing il. Not man pretended then,
or has ever pretended, that there was would be
the least public demand for such a rold-since
those within easy reach. either side, abundantiy
supplied all wants. TIE TRIBUNE heartily sup
ported the bill doing in the interest Of the whole
of the business community, and Of the National
and local Governments, whose property was like
wise threatened.
But what "A chance was here for the "striker,"
the man who makes money, inside the Legislature
and outside, by pressing bills for whose sup
preston he suspects that men and corpora
tons may be willing to pay, OF by opposing
bills for whose passage they may be willing to
payl 1t was near the close of the session little
iudicious delay would put the bill where it might
be possible for man to defeat 1t many millions
of dollars worth of property was, In certain sense,
at stake Might not these great corporations and
property-owners come down with handsome brlbe
to the man who having it in his power to defeat the
bill or put il in real jeopardy should consent to get
out of the way for a consideration Every one who
Is at all familiar with the workings Of legislative
bodies knows that this is the logic of "strikers"
They devise and Introduce bills simply to extOrt
blackmal; they delay bills already introduced
with the same end Aud whether they are pressing
a bill or opposing one, they always have an osten-
sible purpose which is highly moral, and usually
leads sternly in the direction of reform Well there
is every reason 20 believe that Mr.. Sessions his
opportunity He said in the Senate little while
ago that he coud tell a steal as quick as any man
going" and this time he seems to have exercised his
,,s,,l a,o,ae,ty rho nriVata a1yicpS which THE
TRIBUNE received respecting the progress Of this
bill through the Senate cOncurrcd in representing
Mr. Sessions as the leader OF small band Of members
large enough, however, to be dangerOus-whO were,
most of them, notorious STRIKERS" and were
thought likely TO play the usual tactics followed
in such cases. They succeeded one day in carrying
out their plans by having the bill recOmmitted-Of
course on a highly plausible pretsXt the necessity
of protecting the Battery Park. "Strikers' always
have plausible pretext. Thereupon it seemed wise
for THE TRIBUNE to Mr. Sessions that in
hyng in the face Of the business community OF this
city with his odorous record Of many years in the
lobby, he was making himself unnecessarily often
siye The effect was most excellent. Mr. Sessions
saw that the prospect of money had vanished. Like
a wise coon. he came down. though he did little
snarling at first. Ho promptly wrote to The TRIB-
UNE that he had been in favor Of the bill all the
time and he voted for it on its final passage. But
this was not the only good effect. THE TRIBUNE
has since been assured that the droctnoss and
vigor of its comments upon Mr. Sessions frightened
the strikers and thieves all through the Legsla-
ture and did much to check hat carnival of bribery
and corruption which often disgaces the closing
days of a session.
This is only q single instance of Mr. SeSsiOns's
methods. Every one who recalls the history of the
last session will remember others-hls connection
II, l. 4
his attempt to scare the insurance companies with
a bill which might be called bill for the encour-