New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-14
M STEPS CKW4RD.

The friends of High License must have read
with establishment the report OF the agreement
by the Excise Law Commission upon license
fees to be recommended to the Legislature.
Governor Hill must have read it with unal-
loved delight when he saw the success his
special representative, ex-Attorney- General
O'Bren, had had in manipulating the Com
mission in accordance with his wishes. No
one has ever expected an agreement by the
entire Commission upon bill that would be
satisfactory to the friends Of High License.
This was, in the nature of things, impossible.
The liquor interest had its avOwed representa-
tives in the body, as it was right it should have,
and at least two reports were inevitable II the
friends Of High License stood firm. But it was
expected that majority would adopt stand
ard which should at least not fall below that
fixed by the Legislature. Instead of this, how
ever, we see the Commission agreeing, under
the lead Of MIR. OBnen upon license fees so
low that they will be received with derision
by the supporters of High License. The high
est fee for licenses to sell liquors of all kinds
Is placed at $500 or exactly one-half the max
imum fixed in the moderate High-License bill
passed by the Legislature, and only $500 more
than the minimum figure named in that bill.
The other fees are graded down on a CORE
spending scale until they become ridiculous.
Fortunately, this vote is not final, and the
action taken may yet be rescinded. Nor was
it a full vote. When the entire Commission
meet together, and public opinion has had an
opportunity to make itself heard, we may see
different result. There was some opposition,
we are glad to observe, to all of the fees agreed
upon, because they were believed to be too low
to satisfy temperance sentiment, but this view
does not seem to have weighed even with
members with whom it should, apparently,
have been all-powerful. 1t may be that these
men have been influenced more than they are
aware by the plausible arguments Of the liquor
representatives and especially of Mr.. OBrien,
who is working in this matter both for the
saloons and for their favoTte son.
1t must be apparent to every one that the
plan of a revision of the Excise laws by a Com
mission, which is entirely legitimate and rea-
sonable in itself, has been used by the Gov
crnor throughout the whole of this agitation
as part Of his political machinery, and is be-
ing 50 used still. His message suggesting the
creation Of such a Commission by the Legis-
latue was sent In to embarrass the passage of
a High License bill. The prospect Of such a
revision was used by him as one of the preteXts
for a veto. Now that he has been reelected, the
report of this Commission becomes an impor-
tant clement in his plans. If it is satisfactory
to the liquor interest-and certainly the figures
lust agreed upon should be-he will be able to
concentrate the vote of his party in the Legs-
lature upon the bill He could point TO the
fact that the friends of High License were
represented on the Commission, and that the
bill was therefore all that could in reason be
asked. There would be no Democratic votes
for real High-License bill if the Excise Com
mission report a sham bill like this. If the Re
publicanS should refuse to accept such a meas
ure as they would DO Of course, and should
send to the Governor a genuine High-License
! bill he would base his veto upon the report OF
the Commission, and would thus actually be able
to find strong moral support in carrying out
the bargain by which he sold his political soul
to the saloons.
II was to carry forward these political in
trfgues that his personal and political friend
Mr.. O'Bren, came down from Watert own to
take charge of the CommSsion-an enterprise
in which he has succeeded altogether too well
| The Commission has been wire-puled into a
false position, and the sooner the majority dis
cover it the better. The Republican party will
not take any steps backward in this matter of
High License, and it will not accept the figures
named by the Commission. The standard must
not he lowered though, of course, if in some
details the bill can be improved, such sug
gestions will always be welcome. We hope to
see the Commission revise it's action promptly
and if it becomes apparent that a majority can
not be counted for High License, those who
will stand up for it should make it plain that
they have no share in the travesty of fee
schedule inst adoptpd