New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-06
THAT SEAT.SrEALING CONSPIRACY.

| Il is pretty well understood at Albany that
! the Democratic majority of the Assembly, IN
obedience to orders issued by Governor Hi,
has determined to steal number of seats from
duly elected Republicans of that body. But
why should the Governor desire his followers
in the Assembly 10 steal any seats seeing that
| they have sixty-eight already-eght more than
| the Republicans can muster? The eXpIana-
ton is simple. As the vote stands to-day the
| Democrats will have a majority OF only two on
| the Joint ballot for United States senator.
Naturally the Governor views this slender mar
gin with anxiety. If Mr.. Cleveland friends
| organizing against him should succeed IN
alternating a few Democratic legislators from
his support his plans in relation to the senator
ship might fail compelling him to accept
Illuminating compromise. Or, even II no at
tempt was made by the Clevelandltes to inter-
fere with his Senatorial programme, the death
or serious illness of one or two OF the men Oh
whom he is now counting might conSign the
ScDatOrShip to deadlock.
Consequently the Governor with character
istic unScrupulOusneSs has resolved so 1t Is
understood, to strengthen his position at the
expense of fair play. Designating the will OF
the people as expressed at the baIlOt-box, he
expects the Democratic Assembly majority to
count ont Republicans who were honestly elect
cd and count in Democrats who have no more
right to a scat in the Assembly than they have
10 "A seat on the British throne. The Repub-
licans upon whom the Governor proposes to
commit this outrage are said to be Mr.. ASpinall,
Of Kings; Mr.. Dunlap, OF Montgomery; MIR.
shelter, of Saratoga; Mr.. Stranahan, Of OS-
wego. and possibly one or two others. All these
ASsemhlymen can read their title clear To their
seats and if it were not for the JOINT ballot
for the ~enatorShip neither the Governor nor
anybody else in the state would have thought
of ouStng them. Inc Democratic majority,
however. will be able, if it votes Sohdy, to
turn them all ont, and Hill wants them out,
and of course. will stick at nothing. The man
who backed the glaring fraud in his own home
district which places u man who was defeated
by the votes OF the people In the Lila Con
gre,s. man who ever since he has been toy
crnor has eyinccd hostility to measures de-
signed to conserve the purity of the balot-box,
would not hesitate to put up a job having for
its object the theft of as many Assembly seats
as he may wish.
But does it occur to Mr. Sheehan and his
fellow Democrats of the Assembly that they
can afford 70 put through this yllanouS scheme
Let them inaugurate Democracy return 10
power in one branch OF the Assembly by per-
pctrating naked fraud upon the minority and
upon the people Of the entire State, all of whom
are interested in fair elections, and they Will
make Shipwrcck of the entire session, since
after such 4 beginning reputable men Oh both
parties will necessarily distruSt all that they
do The deadlock Democratic Assembly Of
1883 was bad enough. But let the Democratic
Assembly Of 1891 only accomplish the raScallty
which the Governor asks at It's hands, and 1t
will pass into history with still worse reputa-
ton.