New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-17
THE rrcorD or THE SESSION AT ALBANY

THE RECORD or THE ShociON "a N
Ii is now in order for the Democratic and the
Mugwump press TO apply large quantity ol
opprobrious epithets to the Legislature lheS
will proceed to assert that it was awlully oaa
that it left undone the things which it ought 60
have done, and did the things which it ought
not 20 have done; that 1t was corrupt, inefh-
oient incompetent. The chorus of denuncla-
tion has already begun, and before the week
ends the entire pack will be in full cry. On the
minds of the great mass of the people, how
ever this annual storm Of partisan obloquy will
make little impression. For the people realize
these two things about the Legislature of 1889;
first, that the Republican majority, whatever its
shortcomings, passed. man, excellent bills OF
the first public importance and declined to pass
any Of the notorious jobs Of the session second
that the Democratic minority arrayed ITSELF
against nearly every measure whose passage
was chiefly demanded by the reputable portion
of the voters Of the State
That is the record which tle two parties
made at Albany in the Legislature OF 1889 ana
all efforts of the Hill organs and their deputies
to make it read differently will fail. When the
session opened in January the Republican ma
jority was confronted by general demand Tor
temperance reform legislation, for ballot-reform
legislation, for Compulsory Education Aco
whose provisions could be enforced for Prison
bill which would set the convictS at work and
keep them at work without prejudice to free
labor, and for a reasonable appropriation to con-
tinue the policy Of canal improvement upon
which the State entered several years ago. These
were the really important pieces OF business
with the discharge Of which the Republican ma
iority was intrusted And every item of the
list has been well and faithfully performed. No
one of the exigent matters referred to was neg
lected; all Of them received the consld ration
which was their due. And what did the minor
ity do to promote this vitality necessary legisla-
ton? 1t tried to beat temperance reform; 1t
tried to beat ballot reform; it tired TO beat the
Compulsory Education Act OF course, it was
aware that the influences in the State which
make for genuine progress were enlisted in be-
half of these measures. but it disregarded that
fact. The Democratic bosses were opposed to
the reforms, and Democratic lawmakers pro
ferred to do the bosses bidding rather than re-
spect public sentiment. No-the statement
cannot be successfully challenged that on the
leading bills of the session the Republican ma
jority was all right and the Democratic minority
all wrong
In rejecting the Fish report on the ceiling and
adopting the alternative one, the Republicans
of the Assembly, as we remarked yesterday,
committed serious blunder. But one swallow
does not make summer, neither does one such
vote determine the character OF a session
Voters in making up their verdict upon their
representatives have regard TO the general tenor
of their official acts, and not to the character
Of an exception to the rule. No Legislature
ever left Albany which was not the subject Of
drastic criticism This latest one is no exCep-
ton, and there is room for legitimate fault
finding But most on its sins were those Of
omission and not of commission. 1t failed to
pass several billS-nOtably those providing for
State care Of the insane and the exclusion Of
railroads from the Adirondacks-which ought
to have been passed. But the desperate at
tempt now making to backen its character will
not succeed. The Legislature OF 1883 obeyed
the beheSts of the people in regard to tho sub
jects for legislation in which the people were
most interested; and the taxpayers will find that
it handled their money economically.