New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-03
MAYOR GRANT 4 PROVED FOE OF
RAPID TRANSIT.

If Hugh J. Grant had honestly desired to
conserve the greatest good of the greatest num-
her Of his ow-citizens he would have used his
great official influence last winter for the pas
SAGE by the Legislature of a sound and practi-
cal bill securing rapid transit for this metrOpo-
lie Such bill was introduced by Senator Fas-
sett : il received the earnest support OF all the
other Republican Senators and was passed by
that body. II the Assembly had conquered i'll
the action of the Senate, the bill might have
been a law to-day and the problem OF rapid
transit might have been as good as solved. But
the Rapid Transit bill failed in the Assembly
WHY? Because Tammany Hall, under The
leadership Of Mayor Grant instructed its rep
resentatlyes in the Assembly to fight it. That
is why it failed. These Tammany Assembly
men did fight it; and since they were aided and
abetted not only by the rest of the Democratic
Assemblymen, but by few Assemblymen like
Fish and Gibbs who, although elected by Re
publican votes, promptly went over TO the
enemy. the fight was successful. Rapid tran
sit for New-Yorll City-the boon of all others
which the great mass of our people asked at the
hands OF our Albany lawmakers-was killed
last winter, and Mayor Grant more than any
Those who are familiar with the history of the
Rapid- Transit bill of 1890 are aware that these
statements cannot be denied. The efforts Of
the ReJAbcans TO meet the demands of the
public sentiment of Newlor City were con-
slant from the day the bill was first introduced
until the end of the session. In the first place
the Republican Senate passed an act 50 wise
and iudicious in all its features that the As
scmb!y. in spite Of the ish-Gibbs-Tammany
combination. adopted II entire with the eA-
cepton Of the section providing for commits
siOners " hen the Senate found that the AS
sembly would not concur in the passage Of the
bill. it appointed committee OF conference,
which submitted several propositions looking To
compromise. All these propositions were
reasonable; all attested that the Republican
legislators were bent at any sacrifice o. in
diyidual or party preferences upon placing the
necessary rapidtransi legislation upon the
statute books. We call the attention Of any
voter who may be iab0ring under the impression
that Mayor Grant was not a stumb ling block in
the path OF rapid transit 10 two Of these propo-
sitions One of them was that the Assembly
should name AZ Rapid Iranst Commissioners
four Of the five men who had been selected by
Mayor Grant tHo Republicans and two DemU-
Gratis. and that the Senate should name as Com
missionefs four OF the seven men named in the
original Rapid-Transit bill, two Republicans
and two Democrats. The other proposition
was that the Commission should consist of the
Mayors five Apprentices and two Republicans
and one Democrat, to be chosen by him, all the
Commissioners to be named in the BILL Every
nd
admit that these propositions were free from
partisan bias. that they were conceived III "a
spirit of tolerance that they conceded TO the
opponents OF the Senate bill all that they could
rightly claim.
In view of these facts, Mayor Grant is guilty
of brazen assurance in posing he does az a