New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-15
REPUBLICANS IN CONTEMPT,
OUTRAGEOUS ACTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC
MAJORITY IN THE STATE SENATE.
SENATORS sAxToN, ERWIN AND o'coNNoD
DROPPED FROM THE ROLL FOR REFUSING
TO VOTE FOR SUBSTITUTE ENUMERA.
TIoN BILL WHICH THEY HAD
NEVER sEEN-THE BILL PUT
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.1
THROUGIi

THROUGH.
,BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE1
Albany, Jan. l4.-The voters and taxpayers IN
three of the largest Senate districts in the State
to-day have no to speak for them in the upper
house Of the Legislature of the State of New-York.
Their Senators, Charles T. Saxton George Y.
Erwin and Edmund O'Connor, have been sienced;
their names have been erased from the roll of the
Senate and they are not permitted to take part
in the debates OF that body. Who has
thus robbed the voters of the counties Of
Broome, Chenango, Delaware, st. Lawrence, Frank
lin, Lewis, Wayne, Ontario, Yates and Schuyler
Of their right TO representation in the Senate, and
left them defenceless? 1t is the Democratic Sem
ate-the fraudulent body imposed upon this State
by Frank Rice, Secretary of State; John Bogart.
State Engineer; Charles +. Tabor, Attorney
General; Elliot Danforth, State Treasurer, and
Edward Wemple, Controller, acting State
Board of CanvasseS-whch has done this great
wrong. In these three Senate districts are ~
500 voters who now without any representa-
ton whatever in the Senate. Is the old doctrine
that taxation without representation is unjust
and not to be endured played OUT in the State
of New-York? Perhaps the voters OF New-iork
will have something decisive to say upon these
modern notions of the Democratic party. as eX-
pressed by its representatives in the Senate
The proceedings of to-day which led up to the
silencing in the Senate Of the voices Of George H.
Erwin. Charles T. Saxton and Edmund OConnor
were of highly interesting character. Iheir
crime was that they refused to vote upon Dill
appropriating from $3C0000 to $5O0,00O OF tho
Taxpayers money without knowing its contents
and without having a chance to inspect it, This
bill was whipped out of the pocket OF Senator
McCleTand, Democrat at the session today
and was rushed through the Senate. Senators
Saxton Erwin and OConnor refused to vote In
the dark; were declared to be " in contempt for
thus acting and the Clerk was directed not to
call their names again until they had purged
themselves of their contempt Furthermore they
were not permitted to speak upon any measure.
SENATOR CANToRs UNFAIRNEss.
This work of disfnnchising the voters Of three
Senate districts was done under the leadership
and at the suggestion Of Senator Jacob
A. Cantor, who is rapidly losing all the little
reputation that he had for fairness or justice
in the treatment of his opponents. Coming as
il did from men of the stamp of Cantor and
AIcC Iceland, who are veing with each other In
making Oyerbearng as possible the temporary
power that they have obtained through the theft
OF the Senate by David b. Hill, the Republican
Senators need not regard the passage Of that reso
luton declaring them to be in contempt as dis
grace. but they should consider it an honor. They
would not vote against "a bill which they might
have supported if they understood and knew Its
| provisions; nor would they vote for II bill pro-
posing a tax of several hundred thousand dollars
upon the farmers and propery-owners of the State
until they had some knowledge of what the bill
contained and for what purposes and in what
directions the money was to be expended
The bill was a substitute for the Enumeration
bill which was introduced by Mr.. McClelland on
the first day of the session, for the taking of an
enumeration in accordance with the plan pro-
posed by David B. Hill Not even Senator Cantor.
the Democratic leader of the Senate knew anything
regarding the provisions of the bill: for in dis
cussing it he was compelled repeatedly TO inquire
of McClelland regarding them. The debate on
the bill was made interesting from the fact that
the Democrats endeavored 10 rush it through
without even permitting the Republicans to argue
against the proposed form of taking the enumera-
ton, and from the high-handed manner in which
LieutenantLiovernor Sheehan carried the DEM
ocratic plot TO its consummatlon Another in-
teresting feature was the fact that it
was the Democratic leader who sent to the desk
the resolution putting in contempt the Senator'S
with whom he has served for several years. and
from whom he always received the fairest sort
of treatment Senator Cantor is always unfair
when it suits his purpose so to be.
Al the opening of the session to-day Senator
NcClelland was recognized by Lieutenant-Gov-
ernor Sheehan by pre-arrangement, and mado
a motion that the Judiciary Committee
Of the Senate be discharged from further con-
sideraton OF the bill which he lntroouce9
M the opening of the session, which measure pro-
vided for taking an enumeration OF the lnhanitanS
= tho State. Mr. Sheehan tried to rush the
resolution through in his old Assembly Chamber
manner. putting it and deciding 1t carried before
n vote could he taken; but he was stopped by the
agility of Senator CoggeShall, who SAID he desired
to hear the resolution read first. Senator Cosges-
hall further wished TO know why the Democrats
wanted to pass the bill in such great haste. It
is a measure of conceded importance, lie co1
tinued, "and no opportunity has been given to
the members of the Judiciary Committee or the
members of the Senate to read study 1t.
No one who may desire To be heard has been
allowed chance 10 appear before that committee
have never before known an instance where, ~
the beginning of a session. a committee IS us
charged from considering a bill before an OPP
portunty OF examining il has been allowed.
THE ENUMERATION BILL BEFORE THE SENATE
At this point a roll call ordered. on the
motion of Senator McCleland, 10 discharge the
committee from further consideration of the bill.
The Rev. DIR. Edwards voted with the Democrats
on this proposition, and the bill declared to he
before the Senate for it's final action. The COM
mitee was then discharged from further considera-
ton of the bill, by vote Of II TO o; and then
Mr. McClelland moved that it go to "a third read
ing.
Here Senator O'COnnor raised the point of order
that the Senate was not in the order of motions
and resolutions and that therefore McClellands
motion was out of order. Sheehan slid out Of
this easily by declaring that. inasmuch as the
rules so far adopted did not consider the order OF
business named, there was no way OF determining
whether or not the motion was in or out OF order.
Sbeehan ordered the bill to a third reading, and
:. u,s sunposed that this measure would he passed.
prt 70 the surprise of every Republican and Of