New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-10
HILLS RUM BILL ADVANCED.
FORCED TO THIRD READING BY THE
DEMOCRATS In THE ASSEMBLY,.
THE RULES SUSPENDED BY PARTY VOTE
THE RAscALLY NATURE OF THE NEW TX
else MEASURE EFFECTIVELY SHOWN
BY GEN. Hustled, MR.. FISH AND
OTHER REPUBLICANS-MCLEL. j
LANDS WEAK DEFENCE.
Try TELEGRAPH TO TIE TKrBUSE.l

Albany Apni o-The senator Governor, spurred
and goaded on by the threats aud taunts OF the liquor
men, has snapped his whip over the heads OF inc cfs
ing Democrats In the Assembly, and they have forced
to a third reading the new liquor bin which was
prepared In secret In the Executive Chamber by Hi
and the representatives of the liquor men ana the
brewers. Probably for the first time In the history
OF this State the man occupying the Executive char
has forced his legislative tools TO put through meas
OF such vital Importance tls AT east Wldout
giving the representatives of law and order an oppor
tunity to be heard. His action Is OF piece Win
the work which Speaker Sheehan, In the Chair has
been doing In refusing to allow to be read pctitions
from the Catholic clergy well as from the Proestant
clergy and laymen throughout the State
This BILL In brief, grants all that the liquor men
asked for in the Schaaf BILL but those vicious pro-
visions are surrounded by legal phraseology and
technicates which show the deft pen and cunning
hand Of David b. Hill. The measure opens the doors
of the dives and dancehalls: allows Sunday liquor
selling repeals the Civil Damage act; makes II possible
for rum to be sold to children; gives license Tor the
sale of all sorts of liquors until almost daylight and,
IN short IS perfect dream, poem In the eyes Oh the
| rum interests and their friends.
Just before the afternoon recess OF the AS
| sembly, Mr. McClelland give notice that he would
move call of the House this evening. speaker
sheehan added that he hoped every Democrat would
be present. as a subject Of great moment was to be
acted upon. 1t Immediately understood that The
Democrats would make q hght 70 adVance, III hoV 10
| pass tho Hill-Schaaff Excise bin.
Mr. Acker brought the fight by moving again
to send the bill back to the Excise Committee for
a hearing. He read for second time the Telegram
! from John Jay Chapman, representing the Church
Temperance Society, the City Reform Club ana otner
societies asking for a hearing on the new Dill. The
Democratic leader objected to the granting OF the re-
quest, but Mr. Acker insisted on DIS mouoh' anu ue-
manded a roll call.
Then 70 see II there were Democrats enough In the
chamber TO force the bill along, McClelland asked
| that the roll be called The roll call showed tha'
several Democrats were absent, but that there
was majority Of them present MI Ackers
motion to send the bill back for
hearing was lost by vote of GO to Ga strict party
| vote with the exception of Mr.. Brodsky, who sided
with the Democrats
| On the announcement that the motion to recommit
the bill had been defeated Mr. Earl, the chairman OF
the Excise Committee moved the suspension OF rules
| 8 and %, which would allow the Dill 70
be read out Of its order Speaker Sheehan declared
| the motion carried almost before 1t had been mace,
and then ordered the clerk to read the bill.
| Mr. Acker here got the floor He said that IL the
leader of the majority (McClelland) wanted to keep
his word, and decline to vote for measure winch
let down the bars to liquor-selhng on Sunday, he
should let the blu go back to the committee and ne
would learn soon enough that 1t dd aio" INC uihhlued
sale OF liquor ON that day.
|
| the bill and its trainers. He said-what every one
knows to be fslse-that eight ten hearings had been
held on the bill The fact Is that not one hearing has
been given on 1t, save by the senatorGovernor and
the liquor men with him, in secret session. The bill,
McCleand declared, the work of tho Excise Com
mttee and the result Of the hearings which had been
| held on the Schaaf bill. Here, again, he was far
from the truth for not member of that committee
saw the blu until Senator Hill and his two assistants,
Professor Collin and Recorder Hessberg, had got
through with 1t.
The clerk in reading the bill, tried to skip some
Of the worst and most glazing passages but Hamilton
Fish, IT, made the Speaker order the reading OF every
section General Hustled waited until most OF the bill
| had been read when he arose to speak. He said:
"This bill is very shrewdly and cunningly drawn.
The gentleman from Westchester, my colleague (Mc
Cleland) says that this bill drawn by the Com
mittee on Excise l have no doubt that 1t was, but
the voice is the voice OF David and the hand the hand
of E,sau and the hairs stick out all over 1t. In the
first place it allows the sale Of liquor on Sunday
Next 1t repeats absolutely the Civil Damage act II
man goes into saloon and gets drunk so that when
| he goes out he falls from bridge and breaks his
neck, his widow cannot bring any action for damages
because she didn't give written notice to the saloon
keeper not to sell TO her husband before he entered
there Then it allows the sale Of liquor to children
That law is repealed. In Section 30 it says that II
Is mlsdemeanor to sell 10 any child, knowingly under
sixteen years old. Knowingly is a good word
Under it man sell to anybody and escape punish
ment would rather have voted for the stadler bill
hundred times over would rather have voted for the
schaaf BILL even for that a plain statement Of
what they want, than for this bill"
Again McClelland was forced to como to the front
and make lame defence OF the bill. He wanted to
know wherein the bill allowed the sale of liquor on
Sunday.
| Hamilton Fish, tr., followed and his speech
| made both Sheehan and McClelland cringe.
He wanted to know from whom came the demand for
this bill. "Does it from the liquor interests
solely?" he asked. The BILL he continued, contained
all the vicious features OF the schaaf BILL He was
not surprised TO read in the Journal representing the
liquor interests Of the state that the schaaf bill had
been banded TO the Governor for his inspection, and
that Hill had consented to its introduction. Every
effort was made TO pass this BILL The heavy hand
OF the Executive had been put on the Democrats to
| pass It. Democratic members of the Assembly had
been sent Tor by the Governor and forced into voting
| for the Stadier bill.
aI make that statement knowingly, and with full
knowledge of the facts Mr. Fish replied, in answer
70 q denial from McCelland, 81 make the statement
on the word Of a gentleman who was sent Tor by the
| Governor l always knew" he continued, "that Hill
was a good politician. He has succeeded In getting
the gentleman from Erie Speaker Sheehan) and the
gentleman from Westchester CfcCleand) together to
stand on a common ground in the defence o. the
liquor interests OF the state. heard the gentleman
from Westchester say that he would not vote for a
bill in which there a Sunday clause. Why, Mr.
speaker is not the Executive under obligations to the
liquor men, who want this BILL for the money which
got him his seat and which got the seats OF many OF
those in this chamberl They Will have the OH dun
nIaved upon them; no excise bill will be passed.
Here Dr. Bush raised point of order that
Mr.. Fish was attacking the Chief Executive Of
| the State. sheehan, too, took 1t up, and,
with great preence Of anger declared that Mr. Fish
was out Of order.
at don't wonder at the senstveness OF the gentle
man in the chair this subject" was Mr. Fishs re-
tori II was odd. indeed be added, to hear the Dem
ocrats favoring high license
Again the Democratic leader arose and declared that
the I'LL was a pure and holy one. -, ,r
MI Acker tladc the last speech against the bill
which he said repealed the Sunday Closing law Of
! 1873, makes 1t mlsdemeanor for police omcers 70
enforce that law, and In many respects Is worsS ns
the Schaah bill. - A., ,ouooro,,,
TIC dlscnsslon ended here. and the Democraut