New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-18
THE FALL ELECTIONS.
DEMOCRATIC SUCCESS WOULD MEAN
DANGER TO THE CONSTITUTION.
A PLAN TO DELIVER THE GOVERNMENT OF THE
STATE PERMANENTLY INTO THE HANDS

AIbonv limo 17-The state election OF New-forH
in 1901 Is one ~ exceptional importance !" -
WAYS than are at first sight appareit' ever 10 pm
clans who as a class naturally have Keen eye 10
the probable effects Of election 10 tie poi"0i"'
os we'll a. 10 the citizen who reads the hoN n.
ana listens to political speeches. II appears tna' N
are at stake IN The election the great ONCE OF governor
Of New-York companion state olnces u.u 80
branches OF the Legislature. Both the poh'''an a.u
the coter also perceive that the sta1e Seoa'oe So
are elected this fall ai1 vote for Uhlted o'cS CO.
stor In 1893 to take the place OF Frank hlscoch "nps'
.o.r, ni,s IN Marsh chat year. and that therefore,
,,s olactioh will have an important bearing upon e
soeton as 20 which one Of the two great political par
lies shan hive majority In the upper mouse OF C'
GROSS And doubtless also both voters ana pohtcias
gee the great influence that the result OF inc eeo"o
T., this state this fall viii have upon the election OF
ur.sidant ~ the United States the coming year.
1ut n Is 70 be doubted II many politicians or many
o.e-a think o. the fact TINT IL the Democratic ar'y
| ehan1d eloct Democratic Governor ana malonues
IN toth branches Of the Legislature there wooio ior
| INV snSh q remodelnng Of the Constitution OF inc
state that legislative and executive power In this
slate would be transferred from the rural VOsf to the
populations OF the cities and consequently TIE char-
acer Of the LEGISLATION md Of the policy Of govern
mont as expressed through the Governor aud Legea-
ture would be changed In tho leading State OF the
| Union tho profound nature 6 the change In
the character of the government of the stAe winch
Is Threatened naas the matter worthy OF the atten'
| ton OF every citizen.
IL Will be remembered that in 1886 the voters OF
the State cast their ballots in the Affirmative upon tho
question OF holding constitutional convention TO
revise the constitution OF the state. The succeeding
wear the LEGISLATURE passed act for the holding OF
this convention providing for the election OF delegates
10 IT, and That n should moot within certain tune
Governor Hi vetoed this act and the grounds Oh hs
VetD should DO considered carefully this fail wheh
lie
brief that the delegates to the constitutional conven
on shond not be elected proposed, one from each
~ thh 1os Assembly districts aud thrtytw0 at large
60 be divided equally between the tco great political
paries--snee in the Goverpors opinion, the basis OF
| representation proposed for tho convention was
grossly par.san and unjust" The Governor further
declared that the Assembly districts IN the great
| counties Of KINGS and New-Yorl show an average OF
ahont 900 population more than the average Of an
canal number of districts In the interior Of the state
The entire drift Of tie Governors Argument IN fact III
his 1eto message was THAT to the cities sonld be &C
corded representation IN the constitutional cOhVeu
| ton which would give them preponderancc OF To-
nuence Ia the framing of the constitution III necu
| not be said that the Governors argument in sob
stance was that to the cities should BIO given the con-
troll Of LEGISLATION In the state Of NewYork for the
| future as any constitutional convention controlled py
CITY members would Of course so arrange those sec
tons Of tho Constitution providing for the election OF
| members OF The LEGISLATURE az 10 give Iio OliSo 4"
majority in both branches of that body.
What executive power IN the hands OF representa-
tive of The cities means the people Of the State can
understand as they look back at the record Of David
B. HILL of Elmra, since he assumed ONCE In January
1885 He has steadily vetoed all feformstOry meas
ures such es high license bits and bills t. create
genuine Australian balotreGrln system. lie mas Deeh
| a demacogue IL matters Of taxation and Of prison
discipline lie has been the defender of the Corrupt
| CITY governments ID New-York ard Brooklyn. But
bad As has been Mr.. HIPS influence, every one In
| Albany rec0gri76s that II the Legislature had been
| Democratic in both branches that deinoranz-
| iny and lowering political inflnonce Of MS
w,onld have bcch fvefon worse He vas
held IN check By the Republican Legislatures, which
wero controlled by the Republican representatives Of
The rural counties Of the State. Bad as some OF the
| Assemblymcn ana senators wgre from the country
nciehborhbods and illnfor1ed as some OF them WERE
As class they wete far superior IN moral character
and in legislative ability to the members from The
cities II the state has low taxes today, II II has
wellframJl laws, If It has good judicial system
il due TO the fact that the Republican farmers or their
representatives hive controlled the NewIOrk Legis-
lature for many years Il has been the man edncated
I'm the country boards Of supervisors, educated there
in economical and practical government, who, elected
an Assemblyman or Senator. has passed the laws
which haze been in the interest Of the people OF the
STATE. And not alone this. He has defended tho
| cities from themselves. II mas DcCH inc IdSh4OlR vi
Democrats and Of Mugwrmps of late yenrs to crticsc
the Legislature as body constantly interfering IN
| iurlonslv with the dGairs Of cities bnt upon the
contrary the Legislature has rarely done co. and when
il has It his almost Invariably boon msled by The
| representatives Of the cities affected. New Yorks
charter has not been seriously modified since 1879 and
the moro important amendments to II since that year
have h4n sustained by The best public Sentiment in
that city, Whom the Police Department Of New.iorh
showed It's utter incompetehcy 10 direct the opera
lions OF the Street Cleaning Department of that city
Who was it that Sustained the leading citizens OF that
city IN their demand that better system should be
established and the Board Of Police deprived OF thc
care OF street cleanngl 1t was the "Repubncan hay
seed Members OF the Legislature. It was they &ho
against the protest Of majority OF the alleged rep
resentiloes Of New-York IN the Legislature, created
the present Street Cleaning Department which failurC
as It is in many respects, is vast Improvement over
It's predecessor. 1t was the "hayseeds" 10 the Legs
lature who also Deprived the County Clerk. the Register
and the Sheriff OF New York of their big fees And al
Of these reforms 1t neal scarcely be said were ac
compnshed in the face of the bitter opposition of the
pretended representatives Of the city.
senator Hendricks the chairmap Of the Senate Com
mitee Oh Cites lately said sometimes almost feel
Ike letting 90 my sip upon the multitude Of bills
that come 10 US from New York members to eypend
the money Of that city, and feel Hike permitting the
voters of that city 90 appreciate for once what would
happen 10 them under canine homo rule, with rural
members OF the Legislature to protect them from the
/ raids upon their purses"
/ The last Assembly with It's Democratic majority
II fair prophecy of Legislature governed by city
constituencies. would tcrify every thoughtful citizen
when thinking Of the future and the possibility that
Legislature with majority Of city members should bI
established. 1t an Assembly the lowest in poin
Of education and ability that has been hero In manl
years. Never have Assembly committees shown mort
recklessness in reporting bills making most radica
changes in important laws. Never was there an As
sefbly more ignorant Of the previous history Of th
legislation Of the state ore careless in degardnt
that history when made aware OF It. The oniy eXcus
: that could be made for the incOmpetency shown BY
most Of the members Of the majority u
, legislating was that the members of that ma
! jority were born without much Sense ans
never had been trained for legislation. 81
most Of the city members had been selected ly 10
from crowd Of lOafers upon some street corner ant