New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-24
GRIPPING TIE COCN7RY TOTE.


CRTpPLING TIE COrN7RY TOTE.
Brute f,rc and downright dishonesty have
succeeded in driving the bill ID distrlnchlse
country Republicans through the Assembly at
Albany. The bill was put on the calendar out
Of its place. without having been reported from
the committee in charge of It. Speaker Sulzcr
saws he does not know how this happened. but
Of course he does not suppose that anybody
believes him or believes Otherwise than that II
happened in pursuance OF his direct orders.
At all events. it was Il lGw piece OF sharp prac-
lice done in ilagran, defiance OF the rules OF
the Assembly, and the Speakers refusal to III
ouiIe into il. or even to permit comment upon
if. added hugely to the proof he has diligently
piled up of his want of conscience and sell
respect. Of his subscrvicncy TO the bosses VINO
dict,t-d his election. and of his entire willing
ness to put the powers delegated to him as
speaker to any use. no matter now base u
illegal, that they may impose upon him. lie Is
lust the kind Of man 10 preside over Dodv
dominated by Tammany Hall.
The Ransom bill is an invention OF 1amnahy
Hall and Edward Murphy 10 reduce the Vo'c
above the Harlem River. It's hardshipS are
mos. glcyous inst where the Republican
strength is greatest 1t is expected and de-
yised to keep such percentage OF country hc-
publicans away from the polls as VIII snnice
to prevent return OF Republican supreme!
ut Albany in the Executive Chamber, the STATE
DEPARTMENTS or either branch oil the Legs
laturc. In 50 far as the claim is true that II
renders uniform the conditions undcr which
vote is cast in New-York State. the best reason
i su,plieI for rejecting it, They ought not II
be uniform. They should be such "a Will best
assure the casting OF full and fair vote
throughout the state IF made uniform by an
nulling the present law requiring personal regis
tla,ion i'm The cities. the doors will be thrown
wide open to admit all kinds OF mnncipaI
election frauds. If made uniform b! applying
that law 10 the country il will operate to pre-
vent the farming population in large numbers
from voting AT al. The conditions I, be fair
which should be the prime object oil their de-
yisement-must be ADAPTED to the situa'lon. ana
the situation is one thing in the cities and the
crnosiic in the country This is 50 obvious
that there ought to he NJ necessity for saying
il. and the fact that il has had no influence on
the Democratic members If the Assembly
proves that they intend a corrupt and grossly
partisan law.
Bur. unless we are greatly mistaken, their
intention is not shared by majority OF the
Scnaic. To pass that body the bill must re-
ceiye seventeen votes. There are only seven
teen Democratic votes there. and three Demo
cratic Senators, Nlessrs. Brown, McClelland and
Walker, have positively and openly declared
that they will not support the principle OF re-
ouiling personal registration in the country.
| III. D,.plyo apSlS al
Floyd-Jones have also manifested hostility to
the scheme, and their vOtes-especially that
of Senator Parker. who has the best OF good
reasons for refusing to lend himself 10 this
outrage--ought TO be impossible - Obtain. Oh
course. the bosses will say that this is not the
| bill these Senator'S have Been opposing. that
it is a substitute and that the particular thing
they forbade is out Of it now But this is only
a half-truth The thing the bosses aim at,
namely, the disiIanchiscment of country voters,
| is in it, and in it effectively, and nothing is
| sIrer than that il it passes some other things
will pass also
| If any one of these seventeen Democratic
| votes are lacking in the Senate, the bill VIII
| fail unless, indeed, the Rev. Dr. Edwards
comes TO its rescue At almost every critical
point in the history of this Senate the Demo
| cratic bosses have indecently declared that they
were always able to control DR.. Edwardss vote
when they wanted it. 1t is a matter OF noto-
rety how often this remark has been made,
and by whom Mr.. Sheehan and Mr. Cantor may
perhaps conjecture. So far as we know, it is
without other basis than that his vote enabled
them t. organize their fraudulent and lawless
| body. If it is true the rolcall on this dis
| fIanchising artifice is a !rst-rate occasion to
supply the proof Of it. But we do not hesitate
| to predict that the proof will be lacking.