New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-26
STATE SENATORS AT WORK.
AN ILLUSTRATION OF HOW MONOPOLIES
FARE AT ALBANY.
WITH THE HON BLUE.EYED BILLY IN THE
CHAIR AND THE HON. JAKE ON TIE
FLOOR. THE INTEGRITY OF THE
SENATE And THE MONOPOLY
SAVED
ARE BOTH SAVED

Tho Senate OF the safe OF New York Is In session.
The senate Is composed Of thr'ytwo persons chosen
10y slow and car.:I! process Of selection from
among the $3.50 600 .ahat,,anis OF the state. 10
mention this fact Is enough justify the expectation
that ia" thirty two famous for their inelli-
gcnce their Independence. their experience In public
affairs and their high integrity. But If II were not
enough certainly the millions OF money expended
during the years OF two generations 10 supply cham
beers sufficiently grand TO he in harmony with their
superior endowmens. is added testimony OF great
value. The senators sit In heavy armchars. richly
carved and OF vast proportions. They walk about on
velvet carpets and heavy Persian rugs Magnificent
marble pillars their eloquence In sustaining the
vaultcd roof above them. High In pulpit sits the
President OF the senate. strangely enough, ne Is
not elderly gentleman, with the snowy locks oil
experience His countenancc does not resemble That
Cicero. or Bacon. Franklin or Gladstone ON
the contrary. II IS distinctly Bowcry type ana II he
were not sitting where he IS, one would expect
TO find him running saloon In the TenderOln DIS
tric or "A pOoioom In Park Row. The name ana
style by which h. 1, called not AT all suggestive
OF the moral and intellectual qualities which. Of
course, being I'm such place. the elect of 6,oooooo
free and intelligent American citizens, he must
possess. A stranger, asking who he Is would receive
the quick reply. what don't you know him why,
that Is Buc-cycd Billy Of BuiTao!" With Blue-eyed
Eilly then. rnhroned In majesty eighteen feet above
the floor with the senators sitting below him In two
mring citizen, Watching the spectacle, the senate Oh
the state OF Ncw-lork Is In session.
The President has announced the order Of reports
from committees, and Immediately a dozen Senators
are their feet making extraordinary SOUNDS
and still extraordinary signs, wh'ci
appear TO be Ineligible TO the Chair. but impress
the spectator with Il sort OF confused wonder. Al
last however, senator arises who makes niue more
noise the others and keeps 1t up little longer
and finally a the rest gradually sub'lde, II begins
To appear this most enduring senator Is tnhlh4
about telephones. He has made 1t appear That III Ills
judgment the telephone monopoly IS oppressive ana
iniqutous, and that H. charge should be- r'Iuh'h
by law: whcrcnpon there Is ~ once dense Silence
in the senate Chamber and by sharp crack Of his
gavcl the Chair demands order. The order had been
absolute before he demanded IT. aud 1t was quickly
plain that what he wanted was not 30 muoh the
attention Of the senators in general ~ OF an 'sp''
senator the leader OF the majority, III PARTICULAR
The eyes OF that senator and of IN" 'halr Sihn'a
ncoii,ly meeting the Chair gently coughs That soma
tor leaves hi, sat and he ana he 'Hair ARE Pc''S
in serious consultation.
Meanwhile the senator upon the floor who has oh
,oinod all This senatorial sobricty 10y his remarks
about the telephone monopoly continues MS arraeh-
mcnt I'm plain and chectiv" speech. lie says 'h"'
,bere 1, no combination which holds the public In such
complete and abjcct -ervude as the telephone people
their Instruments have become commercial necessity
nobody can get along withon, them and d" business ;
tho man who objects 10 his gas bill can 60 10 ah"ther
company procure electric lights return t" candles
| and he sacrifices no convenience" unless MS own =
Int ~ he take, his telephone he inerier"s Win the
eony.nencc Of hundreds AZ his customers The charge
for telephone Is higher than the that the av"rng"
man pays hi, house rent II l. %-'o year. '" VIM"
=, least ,i- is clear profit. These charge, are no'hnS
loss ,han robbery and IN behalf Of 80" petitioners
| Including m, New York cnainhNr OF Commerce. ana
many other commercial and public bodies inc senate"
ak, ina, the hill heretofore introduced ana referred
IA ih, Committee Miscellaneous Corporations NAY
p. now withdrawn from its consideration ana Pa'"d
before the senate for action. The senator takes MS
s.at and look, around upon the faces OF MS col
leagues, some ar. smiling rather erinly some are
Lacking >ou.ly In the direction Of the chairman q"
| IN. Committee on MISCELLANEOUS Corporations SOME
are looking AT the chair. and almost all. whatever De
the direction Of their slances. are looking IL WI
comfortable. a, II seated on a cushion full Of tacks.
Tho consultation between the chair ana the "Ao'r
q, tho ma nrity ha, ended. The Chair has resumed
~. dignity and the leader his place on the moor. ~
tho senator who di,ikes grinding monopols coh'"deS
| nj. motion the leader of the majority "hi>I''s J."
IA, ear Of the chairman of the Committee oil N'S'''
| lsn.ou, Corporations and then IN" chairman Uses
thrust, his hands In hi, trousers pockets LOOKS 'N
trcm.y vrtuous and says h" Is sorry to be c"hpe'u
IN onposo the motion OF his friend and col"ag" The
| chairman of the Committee Miscellaneous Corpora
lions 4. an eminent senator OF III" name oi iiuUl't
he ms represented u West side IhnmhhI uiS''p' w
many terms. 1t was in the la, session "f the senate
that Mr. Erwin. the leader OF the minority occurred
! from n, ,dacr Oh the floor that Mr.. i1unki't ma"
| ryr ls,en connected with an honest measure III IN"
| ,,r.. M his legislative career. Mr.. runktt had
Md. the apparently harmless Inquiry, reh'ihS 10 Z"
matter of memory. Am not rghtF
.nlrht,- exclaimed the Republican leader. spring
| ing from, hi, seat. Right NO. never! fou ar.
| vrong from the top OF your head to the sole OF
/ ri
| q, only necessary To see your name aniAed 10 Dill
a. n. iutroduccr to know that there IS JOB III IL
somewhere. Right Bah'
| Mr. Erwin When aroused, has voice Ike n Dull
expressing his sentiment In the base ci''' All" "h'"
| he said BAH" Mr.. Pnnkitt turned WHITE siht7' Il
| feeble aud sickly si'iie' anu o''e'' '' "
dear me- now. DON'T
If Is thi, MIR. Plundtt WHO. as chairman Oh the
committee on Miscellaneous Corporations rose 10 op
! MISE senator Ne ahon's motion to discharge the
committee from the further consideration ol 'he zen"
! h,. hul The distinguishing features OF Mr.
I1unkltt's public oratory are the painful Smiles VII"
which II Is accompanied and the dreadful grammar III
,,ch n i pressed smiling, then, at every change
If ,on. and crudying the language he sald mat tiS
WAS a great country, undoubtedly inc er'""'' Oh
.,rth that New York the greatest city Oh 'drh
aud that there nothing III whloh th' p'"pi' 'ooN
,,. rr,dc AMI comfort than the telephone lie saiu
tho t,l,phon,, were wonderful Instruments mhr'er
| , -, d.,,.d T., the needs OF man, and, In rif'ct,
| OuslN auHp'N I" wv
| ,,,,h moi n, words he argued TINT 1t ought 10 De
4, downright pleasure to ANY weHccnsttu'n ci'i"'h
| >, nay $40 for a telephone. lie said that Ills com
m,,.r had every disposition to deal fairly with 'he
Tlcuhon, bl that 1T would hold needing To morrow
| and u,u,. then a day when hearing would be- gwen
| 49, .n,i,. tho,. who enacted and forced Tia" bill TO
state their respective eases. lie hopcu 'S "o"'' w
| satisfactory to senator McAlahon.
Hut that senator said 1t Was not satisfactory
,o, have, had this bill now IN your possession Tor
.,re months Ia, said, addressing Munhitt III Is
| ,r.,..y the same bill which passed the senate last
yenr with scarcely dissenting vote EVerNpouS 'lo's"'
| !, v.s 4 good bill Nor Is there any ether objection
=, non, ,l,, that the telephone company desires
| >. r,,, A. The chairman Of the committee mas
| ~ ....,..- ,,i.., tn tho bill and has -aid