New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-20
FARQUHAR BILL PASSED.
ALL THE DEMOCRATIC SENATORS VOTE
YEA ON THE INSPECTORS MEASURE
DEBATB sTIFLBD BY TRICK OF sHEEHAN1:
AIDED BY MCLELLAND-NoT DEMOCRAT
DEFENDS THE BILL-DENoUNCED By
THE REPUBLICANS, IN EXPLAINING
THEIR VOTES" ED" MURPHY
FORCES THROUGH THE
LANSINGBURG BILL.


FORCES THROUGH THE
LANsINGBURG BILL.
(TRox STAFF CORRESPONDENT THE TRrBUyR.l
Albany. April l9.-If the people of New-York
do not scourge the Democratic party this fall. an
argument will be supplied against manhood suf-
frage and popular government at which serious
people will pause. Later / shall endeavor to
make a complete catalogue of the personal and
political jobbery which has actually passed this
Legislature and received the approval OF the
feeble person who serves Mr.. Hill as Governor
The crowning. II not the fnal infamy was
achieved to-day, when, by arbitrary ruling Of
Sheehan and technical objection Of McClelland,
the debate upon the Farquhar bill to steal cleo
tions for Tammany Hall was stfied. amendments
were declared ont Of order and, without one single
statement Of fact reason TO justify the bill.
or even to deny the atrocious purpose imputed
to it, seventeen Democratic Senators voted AYE"
when their names were called and the bill was
sent on to the Governor
II the scenes which occurred here to-day had
been enacted within the physical sight and hear
ing of all the qualified electors of the State, 1t
is impossible to believe that the balOtboxes next
November, from Sag IIarbor to Buffalo, would
contain as many as 200, 900 Democratic votes.
The spectacle presented was that of men demand
ing the passage of a bill TO alter an electoral
system in the densely crowded city of New-iork,
where all kinds Of crimes against the suffrage
may most easily be perpetrated. Admitting tnas
that system is fair one, that 1t was adopted
by the great leaders Of their own party In the
DAYS when the might of Tflden :" "downed' the
might of Tweed, for the very purpose OF pre-
venting a fraudulent count; admitting that u
had accomplished its purpose, but insisting tnas
it should now be changed to give their party COM
plete control of ballot-boxes and returns. not
one man Of the seventeen who voted Tor this on'
gave single reason for his vote
Time and again the Republican Senators de-
,nandod 10 know for what the bill was wanted.
Was there any pretence that the boards OF IN
snoctors AZ now constituted, with their numbers
divided equally between the two great parties,
failed TO do their duty fairly in every respectF
Was there any pretence that they returned otheE
than honest and proper certificates? Was there
any pretence that they failed to give the DEMO
cratic candidates in the returns as many votes a.
there were Democratic ballots In the boxes IL
no such claims were made what concelvaDle motlVe
could there be for change? Inc chahge PRIV
posed confessedly gave 10 the Democratic party tns
advantage. From every one OF the ooo OF ~"
election districts contained within the city OF new"
York one Republican inspector was taken away
that Is. one safeguard Of an honest vote anu an
honest count was removed one pledge OF faar eieo-
tio,s DESTROYED. Could there be an honest mouvs
for this? Why were all the seventeen senators
who voted for it as dumb as the chairs .hey oa'
on when these questions were put 10 tnem
Last night after the Senate adjourned, Dem
o,ro,ic caucus was held Every member of the
majority except Senator Brown was present.
That Senator no longer attends caucuses. he wA
tho chairman Of the caucus committee but ne
sourd himself so often overruled by Sheeean ana
Cantor that he GOT tired of the JOB ana threw IL
I'M He told them at last that either ne was char-
man or he was not. If he was he would 40 MS
own deciding; if he wasn't, he would keep away.
II appeared that he wasn't; SO away he mas kep'
and now the caucuses 90 on without MIN. lhS'
however, means little.
When the caucus decides Senator Brown falls
in line and dutifuly votes as the bosses direct
lie and Mr. Walker occasionally have Attie hH
of INDEPENDENCE and during such seasons they
shutter around rather savaeely, Use Dig worus'
make violent gestures and resolutey declare thas
they will be this-cd and be thated IL they VIII
take orders from any blankety blank pianke"
boss But that is about all it amounts TO- Be-
fore the time comes to vote they have cooieo
down: and when Sheehan cracks the whip out
comes their ave- or no just as he would have
IT, In one or two unimportant matters they
have resisted; but even these were matters IN
which finally the bosses had their way. Eacn
of these Senator's with several Others on the Demo-
cratic side. openly acknowledged Yesterday thao
the Farduhar bill was bad in principle. ana aS
n matter of politics | doubt II there Is Demo-
cratic Senator on the floor who has not made
that admission The maority certainly have, ana
last nights caucus was held for the purpose Oh
giving each OF these fine gentlemen 70 un1erstani
that he must stop talking and be III his seat
with the right kind of a vote ready when his name
was called.
Nearly an hour was consumed in considering
to-day's procedure; but, when the caucus adj
journed, it had been decided that the political
work OF the session should he substantially cou-
peted and every of the sixteen members
present pledged to put through the whole
infamous programme and TO vote down every
motion or amendment offered by the Republi-
cans, no matter with how much favor individual
Democrats might view it. The Excise bill and the
Inspectors bill were special orders for this morn
ing; but Cantor had given notice that he would
move to suspend the rules SO as to bring forward
all the other partisan bills ont OF their order.
Upon the Excise act the caucus programme was
carried out completely score OF amendments
were offered. by the Republicans. but seventeen
Democratic votes disposed OF each az soon az
they could get at it, Then the bill itself was
rassed, and immediately the Inspectors bill was
called up.
Senator Erwin insisted that it be read
in full: but, after the vital part
had been reached, where it provides
that the Ncw-lork City Police Commissioners
shall appoint inspectors of election three per-
sons, two Of whom shall belong 10 the majority
party and to the highest minority party,
Mr.. Erwin interrupted the reading 10 inquire
bluntly: Now, what have you done that for y
ITO make the election laws in New-iork City
conform to those Of the county of st. Lawrence
Cantor retorted, laughing, as if he thought the
joke of it immensely funny.
But YOU know they won't do that Mr.