New-York tribune., 1890-04-14
THE FdSSETT RAPTD TRANSIT BILL.


THE FLSSETT RAPTD TRANSIT BILL.
Last week the Senate passed an excellent
bill providing for rapid transit here in New
York. In so doing it fifty responded to an
overwhelming public sentiment. Rapid transit
is generally admitted to be the crying need OF
the hour in this tccmlng metropolis. Every
day that need becomes more cAgcnt, and the
call for relief which is addressed to the Legis-
laturo sounds louder The systems of transit
at present in use for conveying the m'lttndes
IN and down and over the island have TO Il
great extent outlivcd their usefulness. They
are indeed vast Improvement upon those
which thcy s,perseded. hut at the same time
are entirely unequal to the great task which
s daily given them TO do. II will not be long
bcfore life in Ncw-Nork City will grow intol-
cradle unless the rapid-transit problem is
solved. As result the growth OF The city VIII
be checked and its prosperity will decline
Our readers are familiar with the provisions
of the Fassett Rapid-Tran hill 1t is the
outcome of much sound thinking on the part oi
those who have studied rapid transit IN all It's
phasos. In its perfected shape. as it was sent
10 the Assembly il is Just the sort OF measure
that the Real Estate Exchange and other
wechtv organizations OF business men nave
asked for-that is 10 say. it is "nractical and
efficient" Now what is the Assembly gong to
do? We address this question to the kepub-
lican majority which has il in It's power 10
unite with the Senate in comforting the IN
cstimahIe blessing OF rapid transit upon the
chief city of the continent. II is 20 he as
.umod that the Republican A>Scnlhlymcn will
take great pleasure in performing TINS duty
that not a man of them will fan 10 vote Tor
the Fassctt bill. Just here. however We may
notice a rnmor which is being carefully cir
culated over the state. II i given ont that
two leading Republicans OF tn" assembly are
Going 10 fight the bill In The New-l ork
Illness" account os what was talked ahon' AT
the Governor, recent reception TO the Legs
atn;. we find the following:
Won NAV put it down for certainty" declared
Hamilton FISH Jr and Fred Gibbs. the leader, Of the
anti platt cahal in the Assembly. mat no bill VIII
pa. the Assembly uulcs, the Mayors commission J.
named in H. The Tassctt bill ~ ii' present shape
will never get through our House. The Mayor h''
PLAYED a trump card was the way Hamilton fl7"
put IL.
We notice this rumor for tho purpose OF DIS
creditinc il. If either Mr.. Fish or Mr. Gibbs
could readily believe il. " men OF nielli-
ccncc they cannot fail to realize that the Re-
pullican party would have no further Use for
any Of its representatives who during tins Sos
| sion betrayed the cause OF rapid transit ana
plavcd into the hands Of Tamm1ny Eall. Oi
course. MAYOR Grant j, desperately anxious
these days 10 hii upon n scheme which VIII
opcraie to improve his spawned reputation a>
a public official. Inouc~tionahly he would he
| delighted beyond measure If he could get
NcS,rS. Fish and Gibbs 10 give him b . lift.
if he could get them TO back hi> Rapid Transit
Commission and give the Fa>sctt -! black
| eye
As we have said. we take no stock in "Ihc
Times" story. a, printed above. That jour
nal as is well known. j. never 80 happy ~ when
il j. misrcprcScn'ing Republicans. We feel
compcllcd ~ add. however. th"t the report
would not have attracted 80 much attention had
if not been for the fact that Hamilton Fish. Ir..
and Frcdcrch Gihb, have pursued a course on
some other measures this session which has
amazed and ericyod the great holy oi Re
pubicans The manner in which their vo'"
and influence were cast on Friday last Tor
example. was 10 the highest degree diScrcdt-
able. They entered into combination with
the representatives of Tammany for the pur-
lose of killing an excellent Republican reform
measure. and even went 80 far A. 10 hclp vote
| down a motion 10 reconsider so that Che meas
ure could not be called up again. No one
could read our Albany letter. descriptive ol
how Mc,,7S Fish and Gibbs and the few Other
Rcnublicans who followed their foolish lead
conducted themselves while this hil WAS under
consideration. without having the sispirloi
forced upon his mind that these TWO Eepuh
licans had gone into Tammany scrvirc ~ q
rcsul, Of some sort Of deal from whrh they
cXpectcd 10 profit. II is moi pleasant for TIL
TRIBrNE toaalll in this strain in regard to ke
uublicanS. one Of whom is the leader oi IN
party upon the floor. But fidelity to party in
tore,ts demand, that the inlidclity to Hepub
lic,nism and 10 the public veal of which the,
have been guilty should he plainly rohuked
Let us trust that there will be no more OF It
Rarid transit for Ncw-York is one Of th'
fcw subjects upon which the Legislature o
1s1o has vet TO make its record. II has com
mcndcd itself to the great mass OF the pcop
bv its action upon such great measures rs TN
Ballot-Rcfolm bill, the Appropriation lilll th
cunnlv bill. When the Assembly has pasSc'
,,non the Hendricks lgh-Liccnsc bill and tn
Fassctt Rapid- Transit bill it will he in order t
fall, about final adjournment. Now is tn
time for the Republican ASscmblymcn 10 stan
firm and united II their support of both o
,bosc measures. The defeat Of either wou
be = serious bundcr. 1t would invite the pop
ular distrllst and cost the party hundreds o
votes in all parts Of the State.