New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-02
THE pyCJSn C0Nl5ISSToN BIZ.

the Excise Commission bill before such High
License bill as was passed last session. There
is some confusion of counsel which, we trust
and believe, will only be temporary. A ma
jority Of the Republicans favor apparently the
prompt passage of a High-License bill similar
in it's essentials to that of last year. Some
point to the certainty of a veto from Governor
Hill, and favor the Commission bill as the only
measure which has any chance of becoming a
law. Some believing that neither bill will be
signed by the Governor, doubt the wisdom of
SPENDING time over legislation which they are
confident will be struck dead in the Executive
Chamber. 1t is unfortunate that any division
of opinion should have arisen, but it is made.
inevitable by the strange laundering to SPEAK
frankly, of the Joint High-Lcense Committee.
1t may render the situation clearer, not only
to the public at large but to the excellent men
composing that organization, if we remind
them briefly of the relations that have existed
up to this time between the High-License
Committee and the Republican majority at AL
bany. Up to the opening Of this session the
cooperation between them was constant and
friendly. The committee devoted itself to the
preparation Of bill, and took measures 10
evoke public sentiment in its support. The
Republican majority, approving the legislation
thus offered, accepted the bill and carried IT
through both houses by strenuous and unselfsh
effort, Drawing the hostility Of the saloon
keepers which fell upon the party with fatal
effect in November. The Commission bill is
reported, and the Joint High-License Com
n1ittee, without endeavoring, so far as we know.
to ascertain the feeling of the leading Repub-
licans of the State, from whom alone they could
expect to get High-License votes in the Legis-
lature, committed themselves publicly to the
immediate passage of the Commission bill. The
committee numbers exactly nine men-men Of
high character, sincerity and ability but still
only nine The Republican party cast last
November 631,293 votes for Higb-Lcense
candidate for Governor. Does 1t not seem al
most incredible that these nine gentlemen,
earnestly DESTROYS to bring about High License,
should have made little or no effort to discover
the sentiment Of the Republican party on this
subject-without whose support they were az
pOwerless as dried leaf in March wind-be-
fore taking IL upon themselves to decide what
the course Of legislation should be- and pub
licly assuming an attitude which said to these
63l 293 voters that unless they followed the
lead of these nine, they would be convicted Of
" insincerityD2
No doubt they acted from the best Of mo- |
tives, but it must be clear now that their course
was a mistaken one. 1t was contrary TO all |
the logic both Of legislation and Of politics. |
1t would be reversing the natural order to pass
first moderate License bill, and then, when
that was vetoed-as it would be il Governor
HilPs annual message meant anything-to at |
tempt to pass much stronger High-License
bill. The natural order would be to pass first
the bill (which actually represents the senti-
ment Of the majority and then in case Of a
veto from tho Governor, to offer him less
radical measure, thus putting directly upon him
the responsibility for the failure TO secure the
law first passed. The natural order In politics |
also would be for the Republican party, having |
taken certain stand, both in legislation and by |
its attitude during heated canvass, to re-
iterate that position; and, having demonstrated |
to the people of the State that the presence Of !
saloon-made Governor In the Executive |
Chamber alone prevented the party from re- |
deeming its pledges, to bring forward the Com |
mission bill as an unavoidable concession to tho |
Governor, and give him the chance to say |
whether he will sign that. In short, they would |
first ask for the whole loaf, and, failing that, |
for the half, instead of asking first for the half
and then for the whole. The plan of campaign |
proposed by the committee is that the High |
License ermy should begin by retreating to the |
inmost intrenchment, and that when 1t was
beaten there it should try to regain the outer
most fntrenchment The like Of this was never |
seen in war, legislation or politics
1t is true that there is no probability that |
Governor Hill viii sign a strong High-License |
bill, but the very men who are SO clear now |
that this is good reason for not attempting |
to pass such a bill, and who were equally clear |
last year. as we were, that it was fact TO be |
ignored, seem to overlook entirely the neces- |
sity that the Republican party shall preserve |
a consistent record upon this question. Words
are things. The enunciation of a firm and UNI |
yielding policy through the medium of strong |
High-License bill, whether signed or not will |
hold public sentiment at point where il will be |
easier to secure such legislation in the future.
Pretended newspaper advocates of High Lii |
cense who are far more anxious to stab the
Republican party than they are to secure any
reform are already accusing 1t of " insincerity'
because its representatives at Albany are
anxiously considering the attitude in which
the passage Of the Commission bill. without
a previous attempt to secure higher license,
would place it. But IL is inevitable that they
should do so. The one question is bound up
in the other. The Republican party is quite
as much under obligation to consider its reputa-
tion for consistency as a merchant is to watch
over his credit or a Judge his reputation for
impartiality.
TiSIre is an easy way out Of the embarass
ment occasioned by the action Of the High
License Committee. Let bill be prepared on
the lines Of that of last session. avoiding any
errors which the Governor may have ferreted
out. IL ought to be possible to do this in TWEEN
ty-four hours. Let 1t then be put upon its pas.