New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-03
4 MACHINE REBORN.

issue of that paper calls attention to one behch-
cent effect of Democratic control OF the state
Offices and both branches OF the Legislature i'll
the piact cal disappearance OF the "lobby'
which for :, many years lurkcd in all the APP
proachcs to the Capitol, striking and taking
foil of all corners. The theory of the writer Is
that the abuse grew up under Republican add
ministration as the legitimate result OF the or
ganization and mcthcdS of the party, and that
in like manner it has been put down by the
natural operation of the methods and the pollcy
Of the Democratic organization. BREEZY stated
the growth of the lobby is attributed - The
fact that the Republican members OF the Legs
laturc, being chiefly from the farming districts
and nv the loose constitution of the Rcpub-
Iican organization without discipline or syS-
ten or recognized heal have been. II not more
vcnal than the Democrats, who represent the
cite, and large towns, ut least more exposed
TO corrupt approaches and frccr from restraint
in entertaining them than the representatives
of tho Democratic machine, VINO, under me
rlle of selection, are ambitious young men,
whose hopes Of profit and prcicrment are based
not on the chances of single legislative SEES
sion. but on retaining the confidence and good
will of the machine leaders. Much credit Tor
This is given TO Governors Hill and Flower, and
70 Mfr. Croker. who has set up standard for
honesty in Newly orl up to which the Tammany
Hall representatives with an exception or two
have tried TO hvc.'
We shall not fake issue with the writer a 10
the cause and origin Of the lobby. or lis reason
for being II is not impossible that it Is all
due to the looScneSs of organization OF the Ke-
publican party, the absence Of discipline or re-
strain'. and the lack of - bOSSc>' or " boss
And il NAV be, too, that the disappearance Of
the lobby for wc believe it was generally Ic-
marked in Albany last winter that II 1t had not
entirely disappeared il was there only IN greatly
diminished prop )rtions-is due To the fact that
the Democratic party is more perfectly organ
lied, better disciplined and more readily con-
troc1 At any rate, we believe ii Is true that
tho large corporations and moncyed Interests
in this city and State have not felt compelled
IN keen retained attorneys in the lobby from
hepinning 10 end Of the session 10 ScrutInlzc
every bill, keep a constant eye on the com
mittecs and watch every movement in and ont
Of both houses. Ii is not TO be denied that this
is in some respects, apparently II not actual
". an Improvement on the old conditions. IL
exposes The rural lcgislator-for whose moral
and spiritual welfare the Tammany men are -
solcitous-to fewer temptations; and 1t saves
the corporations from the bother and vcNltlon
of maintaining Hobbies and the uncertainties
attending legislation where hundred men have
70 be dealt with each on his own ndividul ac-
count instead of being disposed Of in a bunch
on n contract with the boss
That the "boss' system has advantages is
true enough. so has the contract labor SyS-
TEN. But they are such advantages as are not
received with favor by the general public.
Sooner or later the public rises up and protests
against the concentration Of power in single
hands and if its protest is not regarded revolt
follows. The more smoothly the machine works
the more swift and certain It's overthrow. In
the present instance it may be granted that the
machine so well perfected by Governor Hill and
50 smoothly run by Mr.. Croker and his coad-
tutors has to considerable extent diminished
the power and the numbers Of the lobby. IL
will not be pretended, though that the Lcgs-
aturc whose odor still fingers at Albany was
| more moral, was frccr from the faint Of cor
rlption and vcnaiiy, than any Of lis prcdeccS
| Sors or that less money used 10 carry
| through or stavc off legislation by the great
| corporations. The difference was simply that
under the machine rule the trading was all done
| with one man. Nothing is more notorious than
| that the late Legislature belonged completely
and absolutely in It's disposition, It's acts, its
| Offices and all its functions to Mr.. Richard
| Croker. Not, perhaps To him in an individual
and personal sense but to him as the manager,
ovcrsccr, dictator, on behalf Of the great po-
| litiral machine of which he is the head The
great coIp1ralionS have had no Hobbies ut Al
bany perhaps, but only because Mr.. Croker
has taken the place of the lobby, and even il
lust as expensive it is much easier TO deal with
one man than with hundred. What is in
their view vastly more important, there is no
uncertainty in their dealing with him. With
such a Legislature at Albany as the last deal
with Mr. Croker for against any proposed
legi.lation was final the bargain. whatever il
was, was sure to be clrricd out. For whatever
else may be said of Mr.. Croker, he fufls his
contracts. The significant fact about the late
Legislature is that it did not pass single bill
or resolution that Mr. Croker opposed nor re-
fuse f. pass anything :hat he desired.
And this is the precise measure, the full
scope Of the reform which has been effected
1t is MT our purpose to discuss the question
whether, upon the whole, it is a genuine and
wholesome reform We only call attention To
the facts and their precise meaning. TO be
I'D of the lobby is undoubtedly a good thing.
The question is whether il is a good thing 10
establish a contract or boss s,stem in place
of it to SGT up dictatorship, and turn over to
one man, a private citizen, holding no public
Office and having no responsibility to the pub
| tlo of .I.t;, nd oil tbo