New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-30
THE DEMOCRACY AND LiQUOR LkGS-
IiJTON

Has Governor Hill seen a light? Has he at
last determined that he Will no longer outrage
tho nublic sentiment OF this State III Its demand
for tomoerancc reform legislation? Has he
;,St,ucted his Iicutenants i'll the Assembly
Sroo,,or ohcehan and the rest, not TO pass any
If the pendng measures in the interest OF the
saloons? After making long ana sturdy hgh.
against ballot reform he turned aro'ho anu
signed 4 Balot-Eeform bill. Does he purpose
TO end his tieh. against temperance REFORM ny
. similar surrender The course which the
democrats in the Assembly have pursued JuStl1y
these questions Hills friends have an ample
majority in that body They number 6S' while
the ReDubiicans number only 90. When the
,csult of the November elections was announced
the saloons hailed these figures with delight
They felt sure-and they had right TO feel sure
that these 6S Democratic Assembly men would
pa,s rs many pro-whiskcy bills as they desired
Accordingly. the State LiQuor-Dealers AsSocla-
tion went TO work upon bill having for IT'S
object to increase the power and prosperity OF
the saloons and to cripple the Excise laws.
That bill, the llill-Schaaf BILL was int1o-
duced some weeks ago, hut 1t has not been
passed Indeed, it is rumored upon good a'i-
thorty that the attempt to pass 1t has already
been abandoned. Nor have the other hqu0l
measures of the session Jared any better at the
hands Of these Is Democrats. The notorious
"all-ni.ht'' bI which passed the senate by
an ineAcusablc inadvcItcnce encountered dc1cat
| in the Assembly, as did also the llIldleth
bill. which was favored by the saloons, bu,
was much less Objectionable. The consequence
| is that. although resolution 10 adjourn in Apnl
has passed the Assembly. the 6S Democrats who
control its action have as yet done absolutely
| othing to reward the saloons which contributed
| so handsomely to the Democratic campaign fund
last fall except to delay the taking OF popular
vote on the Prohibition Amendment. Inc
saloons may we'll protest that they nave been
badly treated by the representatives OF the
party for which they have done so much. They
NAV we'll demand of Governor Hill if they arc
to oct nothing substantial and Affirmative from
an Assembly which would never have gone
Democratic but for their votes and their money
II would not be altogether strange II the
| Governor had resolved to give the saloons q
cold shoulder. lie has already got all he can
ever expect 10 get out of New-iolk politics
He is anxious for success on the broader field
of the Nation. But a reputation which ha:
earned him the title OF Whiskey's Governor may
serve him as the leader of the Democracy OF
this State but prove fatal to his ambition in 8
Democratic National Convention. Why then
should he not. with characteristic cunning ant
unscrllpulousne,s, assume virtue" and Trick
his faithful allies, the saloons? Of course, if il
could be made TO appear that he had sincerely
reformed and had resolved to attest the courage
I Of his repentance by inducing the Democratic
majority in the Assembly TO kill all the bills
that ale backed by the liquor lobby. then tho
rcformcrs of the state would applaud and en-
courage him by every means in their power