New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-09
HOME RULE ONCE MORE.

"Do not the men at Albany recognize the
right of popular self-govcInment? DO they
MT believe in home rule for citios? "The
New-York World is prompted to put these
copent questions. in view Of the fact that Il
bearing has been asked on the Greater New
| York bill by a number of those interested, ana
that it is not certain the request VIII be ac-
coded t.. On general principles it would be
well nigh beyond belief that any lawmakers ut
| Albany would refuse a hearing upon any meas
NE OF large general interest. But IN answer
inc "The Worlds questions two significant
| facts are to be borne in mind. One Is that the
bosses who arc debating the policy OF the
| Legislature OF 1898 arc the very men VINO
controlled the Legislature of 1892, which was
nothing if not an anti-h)me-Iulo body. us
reputation in this respect could hardly nave
| been worse When the bosses found city
whose charter could be amended so a> to in
crease the power of the Democratic party
within its boIdeIs they did not hesitate to make
a raid upon that municipality in pllpable dis
| T., gard of Justice and home rule. The treat
mcnt which the Buffalo charter received was
50 clarng an outrage upon the rights OF the
people of that great city that its leading local
nounccd the Governor for signing the chalt'r
amendments. Half dozen other cities in the
State Jared about as badly as Buffalo. In the
interest # $ fish partisan politics, pure and
simple, their charters without excuse were in
terfcied with.
This is q fac; which obviously is not to be
lest sight of in considering the probable action
of the present Legislature On any measure in
voving the hcme-rulc principle. The ether
fact referred to is OF rlit'd significance. One
of the igning Dem lcl attic bosses i Licuienart-
Governor Shcchan. While Sheehan was Sp ak
cr of the Assembly in 1S9l he used the power
of his great Office against the sacred right OF
retition. A body Of ccIgymcn sent ID the
Assembly a petition against the passage OF 4
prnding ant-r foim measure. IL was moved
that the petition be read. The Speaker re-
fused 10 entertain the motion. In commenting
upon this incident from his place on the floor
of the House, Hamilton Fish. ir. declared that
during the eight years that | have been
member Of the Legislature d, not real an
other instance where a petition uron any moral
question coming from a reputable source has
been denied u rea ling whom demanded" lhat,
in brief. is The rcooid which Boss Shcchan has
made on the right If petition. II view OF IT, II
is moi UNITS. t. him t. hold that home rule Is
not principle whi.h he would be apt Il re-
pet. He ard his fellows who run the Legs
lature care nothing for the rights and wishes
of the people. They care only for politics OF
tie nari ow, Il sort. the politics whose bc-all
and end all i, the advancement OF the machine.
In view Of thes' considerations The
Worlds" question: " DO not the men at Al
bany recognize TIE right of popular seIf-goy-
really answers itself. They recog-
n1c nothing of the sort they recognize simply
tho rule If the anii-homc rule ring. y hear
ing may be granted upon the Greater New
York bill. but that will not alter the facts
4 hearing might be given. and public scnil-
ment III. ght show itself overwhelmingly in |
favor Of a union of the two great cities and OF
their contiguous Territory But the uprising |
would not have the slightest effect upon the |
Legislature unless il occurred b the bosses that |
il was good politics 10 pandcr 10 the peoples |
wishes DO they (thc Democrats who con
.ti;ut, the majority at Albany not believe in |
home rule for cites?' No. if The World |
please. they don't. They believe what Croker,
>hcchan. Hill aud Murphy tell them 70 believe.
And those bosses lo,, with dcrison up n home
rule for cities.