New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-27

The DUTY OF REPUBLICAN SENATORS.
This will be the decisive week at Albany
The Legislature is to adjourn sine die on Thurs
day. A number of important bills are pending,
but unless the Democrats of the Senate speedily
abandon their shameless flibustering in behalf
of a corrupt canal ring there will be no more
law-making this session. For more than week
the majority members of the Senate have been
tying to obtain vote on the Laughlln resolu-
ton. The minority, under the avowed leader
ship of Governor Hill, have fought this resolu-
ton so iercely as to convince every unprecedented
citizen that if the canals are investigated so
much rottenness will be exposed that the Demo
cratic party is sure to suffer an overwhelming
defeat in the fall campaign. If the resolution
is finally to fail, the people will hold the
Democracy responsible for the obstruction, which
results not only in shetering public plunderers
but in defeating much needed legislation. Since
the days when Tweed ran things at the Capital
no lawmakers have been engaged in promoting
any Job so thoroughly disreputable as the one
which these Democratic Senators have backed
during the past ten days. The opposition to
the resolution has been absolutely indefenslble.
1t has meant nothing except determination to
serve a political party at the expense OF the
people; TO serve corrupt and inefficient Demo
cratic canal officials at the expense of the tax
payers.
In the circumstances, the one plain duty OF
the Republican Senators is to insist upon the
passage of the resolution. To accept any sort
of a compromise would be a serious mistake
The fact that Hill procured the introduction on
Friday of a bill providing for a canal inveStl-
eating commission proves cOncluslvely that he
and his party friends in the Senate are badly
frightened. Well may they be frightened.
They have discovered that the public sentiment
of the State is against them. They have dis
covered that the leading Democratic journal OF
the leading canal county in the State is against
them. They have discovered that they have
rendered their party an object of well-grounded
suspicion on the eve OF a canvass OF the first
importance They have discovered that they
have placed in the hands Of the Republicans a
powerful campaign document. The Commission
bill is a bungling attempt to turn the tide and
in view q what went before is to he regarded
as drol a measure as ever was presented to
deliberative body. 1t is impossible to take it
seriously, since it proposes to allow the Gov
enor--the head and front of the opposition to
the lnVeSuGau0n-tO name III llNeSuSduIS
commission! Regarded as joke, the bill is
frst-rate; regarded as legislation it is beneath
contempt. Let the Republican Senators, then,
firmly maintain their present position. Let
their ultmatum be a vote on the Laughlin reSo-
luton or no more legislation this session. 1t is
a position which will command the approval OF
all fair-minded men, of all men who believe
that the will Of the majority ought to prevail.
The Senate contains nineteen Republicans to
thirteen Democrats yet it is Hills proposition
that the thirteen ought to be allowed to dictate
to the nineteen, and that failing to be allowed
to do so they are justified in blocking the
wheels of legislation. Such proposition neces-
sary excites the indignation Of voters, ire
spective of party lines, since it is blow at
popular government.
The Republicans of NewYork from one end
of the State to the other are deeply interested
in this contest They heartily approve of the
position which their representatives in the Sen
ate have taken. They hope and believe that
they will stand firm in their battle for the in
vestgaton of the canal ring, in spite Of all
the attempts Of the Governor to bulldOze them
with vetOeS or bambooze them with his Com
mission bill