New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-09
TIE SENATE IND HIGH LICENSE.

The Republican Senators meet in caucus to-
night in Albany to decide whether the High
License bill shall be made party measure.
There can be little doubt as TO the decision OF
the caucus, because an overwhelming majority
of the Republican Senators favor the bill on
its merits, only six of the twenty-one, in fact
being counted as against it or doubtful. These
six are Messp. Coggeshall, Laughlin, RUSSELL
Sweet, Van Colt and Worth. They are under
stood to favor a reduction of the beer license
fee but we have reason to believe that several
OF them, IL the caucus decides that the measure
should pass in the shape In which IT. comes
from the Assembly, will accept It's decision
and Loyalty support the bill.
ANY other course would, we are convinced
be suicidal, both for the individual senator
and his party. This Is time to speak PLAINLY.
The Republicans Of the Assembly have carried
through this bill, which is imperativy de-
manded by public sentiment. No measure
that has been before the Legislature in years
has aroused so much popular feeling In It's
favor. The question now Is whether the
Senate shall also pass it, and leave with Gov
ernor Hill the responsibility Of saying whether
il shall become law or not. If it should fall
short of passing, even by vote or two the
word failure would be written against tho
temperance record of this Legislature. The
enemies of the Republican party, especially the
apostates would seize the opportunity to
charge it with insincerity and tnckery. Tenn
perance men would be disheaTened and the
leaders of the Third Party Prohibitionists
who bitterly oppose Hgh-License bill would
double a corner quickly enough TO dcnounce
The party would 60 into the campaign harassed
and weighted with this failure, having gained
the bitter enmity of the liquor-dealers by the
attempt to pass the bill, and having lost the
support of many temperance men winch wouIo
have been ours if it had passed. The he
publican party has burned its bridges on this
question. If it falls back, 1T will be attacked
on both sides; if it presses forward, it Will
find reinforccments among the men who want
to see it take advanced ground. The man
who in opposition to the united Republican
press and an overwhelming majority of his
party in both houses, brings it to the plight
we have described, will take very heavy
responsibility upon himself.
The effect upon his personal fortunes will
be quite as serious as upon those OF his parry
If the bill fails, the issue will assume leading
place in the coming campaign. The senators
do not come up for reelection this year-a
fortunate circumstance for any Republicans
who may vote against it. But the question
will not disappear from our politics with the
beginning of the High-LiceDse experiment
The temperance question will occupy the Leg
islature for years to come, and every year he
publican voters will grow more exacting as to
tho record and position of their candidates.
The man who should defeat the Iligh-License
bill now will hardly find it a recommendation
with this class of voters, when he comes up
for reelection.
There are two good reasons for not reducing
tho beer license fee. One is that if it is re-
duced the bill will well-ngh cease to be a
High-License bill. The other is that The
session is so far advanced that if the bill is
sent back to the Assembly it will probably
never be seen again. The Republicans of the
Senate should stand or fall with the bill as it
is. The beer license is not too high; the dis
proportion, if there is any, is in the fact that
the liquor license is too low.
Of course as III every reform movement,
there are people going about wringing their
hands over the dire things that will happen to
the party But the Republican party has
always had the most votes when 1t planted
itself upon the highest moral ground and let
the consequences take care Of themselves.