New-York tribune., 1882-03-01


they will start the discussion regardless of con-
sequences. If they wish to show political WIS.,
dom, they will keep STILL
THE ANTT-MONOPOLIS7 AND TIE RAIL
ROAD COMMISSION BILLS
1t Is announced that tomorrow the Railroad
Committees of the Legislature will give hear
ing on the four bills providing for railroad
commission which have already bon intro
duced. One of these is an exact rcnsOduction
of the Railroad Commission bill " he Hep
burn Committee Of 1879 submitted ~ part oi
the appendix of their report. lt was presented
by Assemblyman Baker, OF Monroe, N'ho, 1t
will be remembered was member of the b'p-
burn Committee. The three other btlls ar not
essentially different from this one.
We are curious to learn how the self-styied
ant-monopolists of the Legislature will
treat these measures. The general impression
seems to be that they will give one OF them
most likely the one which Senator Boyd has in
troduced-their earnest and unanimous sup
port. But there is one serious difficulty in the
way of their doing so. Senator Grady, who Is
commonly regarded, and with good reason, as
the leader of the anti-monopolists, il ON record
as absolutely opposed to the formation of a
railroad commission He also was member
of the Hepburn Committee. He declined,
however, to sign the majority report, and pre-
scnted minority report to which his (thc COM
mittee consisted of nine membcrs) was the only
name appended. In this minority report he
expresses the opinion that "wherever such
a(railrOadD commissions have been tried they
"have accomplished no practical services for
the States, communities or railroads they
represent" Ill the same connection he says:
al object to q commission that, while its pow
ers for good are negative, those of mischief
are positive. .. object that the commits
sion burdens the railroad companies with an
expenditure which should not be created.
IL object to the commission for minor reasons
with which | will not burden this report"
The report from which we have made the
above extracts was presented to the Assembly
February II, 1880. IL the current Grady has
not changed his views so decidedly expressed
two years ago, then, of course, he will antago-
nize all the Commission bills now pending i'll
the Legislature. But how is he going to do
that without separating himself from the rest
of the anti-monopOlists who insist upon the
passage of some one of the bills Will Scna-
tor Boyd allow Senator Grady to labor for the
defeat of his Commission bill without retaliat-
ing by reading the little giant out of the anti
monopolist branch of Democracy And if
Grady-their acknowledged leader--is expelle
from the ranks of the antimonopolists. will
not the organization fall to pieces and disap-
pearl The dilemma which is brought to light
by these questions may be got around, alter
- hn onfi
mOnOpOlists can repudiate the commission
scheme, or else Senator Grady can repudiate
his reputation of the scheme To adopt the
former alternative will cause the anti-monopo-
lists to suffer loss of a considerable portion
of their stock in trade; to adopt the latter will
not vitality improve Senator Grady's reputation
as q consistent statesman.
We may add that there are other points in
this Grady minority report of the special Com
mittee on Railroads which, equally with the one
we have called attention to, are well calculated
to secure Senator Grady's expulsion from the
anti-mOnOpolist faction for rank heterOdoxy.
He sharply criticises the New-York Chamber
of Commerce and the NewYork Board of
Trade and Transportation, alluding to the
@wrongs which these trade organizations were
doing to public corporations by unfounded or
adlsprOven public charges" i" he dissents from
the conclusion reached by the majority of the
committee in their criticism upon special local
rates; he deprecates the unfortunate ten
dency of the times to interfere with vested as
well as public rights without adequate cause"
We would not be understood as holding that
Senator Grady because he entertains these con-
victions is not just as radical and enthusiastic
an anti-monopolist as-well, as Senator Boyd
for instance. But it is doubtful if he can insist
upon such convictions without mourning the
hostility of Boyd, Haggerty and the rest of those
with whom he is now acting. A split in the anti
monopolist party would seem to be one OF the
probabilities of the near future.