New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-02
THE MACHINE ROUTED.
AFRAID OF A VOTE on PERSONAL REGIS
TRATION
IN TINE TO ESCAPE DEFEAT

that they would be In contempt vi NV '''"''
that they supported ii al all A. l. was. when ',c
crucial test came this morning the "r"S'hcy VI"
no, have enough to pass the bill. aHd III 'h'
face OF the taunt; and jccrS OF the opponents III '
measure the majority was comp'iieo 10 cut on"
run." deserving the hil after II RAJ o''h ,o'-''
through third reading, and adJolrains inc 'io"'
lust when Il roll call on final passage was Ill "'''''
Al the opening Of the session there was hl"oh ""''
counting by the Democratic managers VINO lo"n' ''''
n, best thcy would have only sixty three woes ~!
the bill II decided to call NAN. N''o"''
Webster assumed his most dignifod ana ro"r'''"'
manner and suggested that the DILL ""'o" ~
spcc,, order for tho morning he laid aside until Inc
reports Of committees could be handed IN, M''
M,lbv the Republican leader. raised the point Of or1ef
that nothing was I'm order but III" Personal Kegs
tratlon bill The speaker was iorcd 10 rune '"'' ~"
pcint was well taken, but he tipped the WIN I"
sub Leader" Roche TO make motion i"r 'hc ro''P'o'
~ the reports As this required twOthruN VOC J."
be successful. the plan Of the Democrats 10 ''" '"e
.cssi?p t, death over committee reports did not carry
TN. hill WAS announced, and the speaker rcc'Gn1ca
tho introduccr Mr. Ransom. Of Erie who offered some
ameutmcnts Increasing the number OF DAYS oi r'''S'
;ration in the country districts from two To iour'
They adopted.
Mr. Ainsworlh made the first attack lie declared
tho, the sole purpose OF the measure vas TO make IL
NJ difficult as possible for the rural voter To perform
the right Of suffrage. II was evident ne add'u' 'i"
th, man who drew the bill not at all iaiIlnai
with the country, for he had considered Only WV
political divisions the city and the Town. No pro
visions had been made for the village election or
for a special election in village. The bill, he &C
clared was full Of just such glazing inaccuracies a.
that. II was drawn in the interest OF IhnInaN
Hall and the present Democratic state machine ana
there were strings which ran from the City lai1 u
Ncw- York TO the home of Edward Murphy IT, III Troy
into the Assembly chamber pulling up Democratic
members TO vote for II.
Mr. Prescott Of II"rkimcr, followed Mr.. Answorth
There is TO demand for the passage Of this bill
from the people OF ,hc state who will be affected by
Il most" lie said. There is no necessity FOR the
passage OF the bill. The idea Of personal registration
is 10 prevent fraud upon the ballotbox. That !,
needed In the city where people do not know on"
another but in country where every is known.
there IS absolutely necessity for the bl. There
Is utt,c change in the population OF the district, IN
the country and every voter knows uhc name 81
every other in the district and knows, further.
whether or not he has right 10 vote. The bill l.
uncacd for. unnecessary and unjust"
Mr. RANSOM the man who induced TO pre-
sent the BILL made lame defence of his position.
In the course OF his speech he said I'm snccrin.
tone. that all the opposition that there had been
10 the bill cane from few f9rmcrs. lie read
a table OF figures showing that the vote In tn
country in accordance with the population was
.omcp hat larger than 1t was In the city. This
his main argument.
TO the position OF leader OF the majority, now felt
called upon say something. He declared, Win
all the postivcncss OF man who actually believed
that what he said WAS true, that II was an unheard
OF thing for bribery 10 be practi,"d In New >"rh
City ard brooklyn. The Tammany Hall members
and the Kings County members, who are assessed
| all the way from 81 900 $4,000 for campaign cx-
penscs could not help Laughing at the audaci,y oi
| the assertion.
Mr.. Fish said that he would leave The u'siion
Of bribery and corruption IN Brooklyn TO Governor
| Flower. veto message that he wrot" Few DAY,
ago sufficient answer 10 the declaration al
| MIR. Quglcy that there nothing hu, honesty
| and purity In that city "1he gentleman from
Niagara OR. R.lnsoml is the only member from the
| country who would have tn" ccurag" 10 introduce
| Il bill Of this naturc,n continued Mr.. Fish. g. would
| really like to know II he drew the bill himself.
or II II came from Forrtccntla'. In Newiork City :
| l will walt for IN answer
Mr.. Ransom did answer the question, lut
| Colonel Webster got up and said angrily: "What
| difference does IT make where the hl from
| II /, IS good bill ~
ooh! il Colonel Webster Is sensitive over The qucs
| non. will withdraw it, replied Mr.. Fish THIN be
| dcfed Mr. Rams m 10 give the names Of ten men in
| his county who were in favor OF the passage OF the
| bill. Mr. Ransom could not do 1t. but he did have
| a number Letters from the Chaifilcn Of the Demo
| cratic Committees Of number of Counties, all Of
whom naturally favored the bill. Daniel q. Griffin.
| OF Watcrown, who ran Mr. Flower campaign In
| 1891. and a number Of the employees OF the S"nat"
and Assembly who election officers In their h IN"
| districts also wrote in favor Of The BILL. In a lit
| Of about twenty men who favored the measure There
were only three who really lived In the c)intTy, and
| they are Democratic OfhcciOldcr'. Mr. Fish com
mcnted sarcasiically upn the nature Of the letters.
especially Of those written by the employees Of the
| Senate and the Assembly. why, Of course. every
| oniccboldcr in the state under the pres
ent State machine will favor the pass
| age OF This bi" he declared "If they did not
| they would lose t'oir places. Another reason that
| you give for the passage Of the bill is that In the
| country the Republicans have majority Of the mem
| bcrs Of tie election boards Why don't you pass
| general bill making the number equal al over III.
| stalel This bill may hurt the Republicans some.
| but it will hurt the Democrats. too In my see
| ton Of the State know Of two or three counties
where the Democratic Is In the country districts
| and the Republican vote Is In the towns. Why do YOU
take up the time Of tits House trying TO pass this bill
here. and putting on record men who really do not
want to vote for The measure rs being IN favor OF
You know that the bill never Will get through Tie
Senate and that your attempts 10 pass 1t here are
merely futile Look The list Of the members Of
the Assembly OF last year aud YOU will not fad one
Of the Democratic members who favored that bill last
year here now. Why do you immediate these men on
your party altar!'
Colonel Webster told how much be loved the
country. and the people who from there but he
did not offer any reason why the bill ought 10 b.
passed. His speech was In the main dcenrc oil
Tammany Hall and Richard Croker.
Mr.. Woodbury., OF Chautauqua County, explained
in clear and lucid way the difference that exists
between the conditions In The city ana the country and
showed why II that Personal Registration bill
was not needed In localities whcr" wei
known to ono another. He said that the bill was 4
dsmnablc plot against the rural voter TO prvc hin
II possible OF his vote
Mr.. Malb, then attacked the BILL lie said d" il
IS easy to where this bill from. II comes
from Fourtcenth-s. IN New YORK. 4 year ago th'
same powc. that is behind the passage q this BIZ
forced through the Legislature bill that became
law by which IL posSil" for Tammany