New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-20
"REGULARn DEMOCRATS And THE RAIL-
Rod COMMISSION BILL.


We should like to know what the regular
Democrats of this State think of the men whom
tbey elected to represent them in the State
Senate Certainly they cannot point with pride
to legislators so lost to all sense OF Official
property as to proceed on the principle that If
they, irregular Democratic Senators, are not
allowed to have their own dOgmatic way In
regard to any pending measure it Is becoming
in them wantunly to block the wheels of legis-
lation so that it may be defeated
Fol several weeks these "Iegular" Dem
ocratic Senators have zeaOusly labored to
amend the Railroad Commission bill so as to
make it conform to their own views. They
failed. The majority of the Senators were
opposed to the two propositions which the
minority. consisting of these Irregular Den
ocratic Senators, strove to have adopted. Find
ing themselves fairly and squarely beaten
on the amendment providing for the
election of the commissioners by the people
and also on the alternative amendment to
leave the naming Of the commissioners to the
Governor to be elected next fall, these "reg-
ularu Democratic Senators, under the lead OF
John C. Jacobs, resolved to turn obstruction
lists, to endeavor to accomplish by foul means
what they had not been able to accomplish by
fair ones-to beat the bill by disgraceful
trick by way of revenge upon those who had
had the temerity to disagree with them. Ac-
cordingly, when the vote was taken on the final
passage Of the bill, which in conformity with
the views of the majority of the Senate gave
the power of appointing the commissioners to
the present Governor, the "rcgular" Dem
ocratic Senators absolutely refused to vote at
ALL In order to appear in this cOwardly and
pitiful role these "regular" Democratic
Senators who were sent to Albany to MAKE
laws were forced to become petty lawbreak-
ers. Rule IA of the State Senate reads
Every Senator who shall be within the Senate
" Chamber when question is stated from the
| " Chair shall vote thereon unless he shall be
Excused by the Senate or unless he be directly
interested in the question" Every one of the
Irregular" Democratic Senators was in the
Senate Chamber when the question on the
final passage of the bill was stated from the
Chair. no one of them was excused no one of
them was directly interested in the bill
Therefore their refusal to vote meant OBJ
struction pure and simple, and is properly to
be regarded as a high-handed outrage upon
law and order. These "reguar" Democratic
Senators stand convicted i'll the sight of all
fair men, whatever their politics, of an attempt
to defeat an important bill by the employment
of tactics which would have dlsgraced a pro-
fessional repeater or ballot-box stu6er In
fortunately there is no punishment provided for
this class of offences. The Senate makes
rules for the government OF its members but
proceeding upon the reasonable assumption
that the members will have respect to them,
their observance is not enforced by any penal
ties. Aware OF this fact, these regular " Dem
| ocratic Senators can afford to glory in theiI
shame and in response TO the indignant pro-
tests of the majority can say, in the words of a
Irregular" Democrat who preceded them in
| the Senate, "What are you going to do about
it,"
That is to say. when minority in the