New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-21
THE LEGISLATURE or 1895.

Governor Flower has attempted the impos-
sbe lie makes desperate effort to give a
good character to the Legislature which yes
terday relieved Albany of its presence. True
il passed few good acts ; but in the sum total
of its achievements they figure simply DIS OK
ceptions to the rule. The spirit which ruled the
Senate and Assembly was vile, and expressed
itself in rascally measures. The Democrats
who ruled those bodies evinced a profound con-
tempt for the peoples rights Look at Shee-
hans last performance, fer example. At his
solicitation the majority did not hesitate shortly
before the final adjournment to pass bill
deriving the Mayor of Buffalo of the right to
appoint Police Commissioners, and comforting
it upcn the Controller Of that city. The Mayor
is not a Shechan Democrat, the ContrCller-to
his disgrace be it said-is Hence the bill-ds
atrocious a political job as ever was rushed
through by greedy and unprincped spoilSmen.
The commander of the black horse cavalry
never fathered anything which in its way was
more disgraceful. The measure is an insult to
every citizen of Buffalo, since in an important
particular it deprives that great and growing
city Of the precious and unaenable right OF
home rule.
Now this was a representative bill. From the
beginning to the end of the session the ma
ority was engaged in the performance of dirty
woik of this SOFT. Who denies it? Certainly
not the leading Democratic journals Of the
state. 1t was only day or two ago that the
venerable and conservative Albany Argus
read the riot act upon the Governor because
he affixed his signature to the Shechan sneak
bill" 1t told him that the repeal OF the bill
was necessity. 1t sharply added: Gov
e,nor Flower should recommend it Che rcpoaD
unless the Democratic pledges Of home rule
are to be made a laughing stock of the State
so far as the legislative and executive branches
can make them" Governor Flower declined
TO heed this piece of sound friendly advice.
80 the Legislature Of 1898, to which the Gov
ernor generously applies the whitewash, goes
out of existence branded by prominent mem
Der Of its own political household. by 50 com
petent a Democratic authority is The Argus"
as a body which, by and with the advice and
consent Of the Executive, has made laughing
stock of Democratic pledges OF home rule 1t
needs no argument to establish the proposition
that Il Legislature against which so grave an
Indictment can truthfuly be framed is a subject
not for eulogy, but for execration. IL was not
did not respect the plain rights of municipal
tiles it steadily betrayed them. 1t might have
been a public blessing but it was-Democrats
themselve, being judges-a public nuisance.
1t will be seen from our Albany dispatches
that one of the legitimate fruits of Lesis-
lature thus unscrupulcis is large increase III
the tax-rate The sum total of taxation for
next year will be largely in excess of that for
the current year. A part of the big new bur-
den which is laid upon the peoples shoulders
is legitimate, the rest-no inconsiderable sum
is the outcome of recklessncss and eXtiava
gance in handling the public money. The
Legislature met last January with the undcii
standing that it would pass some measure re-
lievng the taxpayers by reforming the tax
laws. From all parts of the State. especially
from the farming districts there was an urgent
demand for such legislation. But thc' Demo-
cratic majority showed how little it cared for
the interest OF the taxpayers by allowing all
the tax reform bills to die and ncrc asing the
fay rate