New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-22
no OCCASION FOR COMPROMISE.

Talk about compromise concession and settle
mcnt at Trenton seems chiefly vain and profit
less There Is nothing to compromise. except
the reputation Of some men once deemed re-
spcctable There are no concessions to be
made except such as would be extra-legal ana
extra constitutional, for which extreme process
no necessity exists. There is no settlement 10
be made Everything has already been set
tied. Both branches Of the Legislature are III
session. Each house is fully organized. has Il
quorum ut its meetings. and is competent to
transact business. What more is TO be desired!
1t is true that some members Of the Senate per
sistentlv absent themselves from the meetings
of that body: but what of that? They are
minority The Senate has n quorum without
them If ut any time any of these recalcirant
members are actually needed TO make up
ouorum-and they could be needed for nothing
else-the Senate can send its sergeantatarms
TO arrest them and compel their attendance.
Until such an emergency arises, why not let
them 20? Many members of both houses Of the
Congress at Washington are almost every day
absent. Yet we hear no talk there. on that ac-
count Of compromise. concession or settlement
Last November the people OF the state or
New,Jersey elected new General Assembly
49,
time fixed by the Constitution those bodies met
at the Capitol, and in a constitutional manner
perfected their organization by election Of off
GERS and appointment Of committees. ana pro-
ceeded to the work of legislation. Not all the
members OF either house were present but
clear ma ority Of each was We have heard Of
no talk about compromises or settlements IN
the Assembly from the absent members or their
49,, Il, 10
case of the Senate? The Senate Of the State
of New-Jerscy, as elected by the people OF that
State met In its appointed place on the date
fixed by the Constitution for such meeting.
Some members were absent, for reasons best
known to themselves. But eleven members, a
constitutional quorum. were present, all hon
estly elected, their election unchallenged. all
regularly qualified and installed. They chose
officers appointed committees and began at
tending to the business for which the people
had sent them there. Other members. minor
ity faction, stayed away, and have since been
| persistently staying away. amusing themselves.
according to their light, by holding secret eau
| cuses here and there, IN holes and corners. or
| course they are wasting time which they owe
| 10 the State and for which they will ask the
| State TO pay them But that Is a matter with
| which the people of the State will presently
| deal Moreover. it is an open question whether
| they are not about as useful to the State in
| their hoe-and-corner caucuses as they would
be in the Senate.
That is all there Is in the case. There Is
nothing to be compromised, nor any settlement
| to be made, except TO recognize the settlement
| already effected. The Senate of NewJcrscy Is
organized and established on the basis Of the
| Constitution From that basis it is not 10 be
| moved. 1t has gone to the fullest extent OF
| courtesy in offering to let the wlful abscntecs
! come in and take their seats without punish
ment for or inquiry into their misconduct. But
| talk about furthe: compromise Is sheer mid
summer-or rather. Observation-Disclosures. The
| Mountain will not 20 to Mahomet. MaEomet
| must go to the Mountain, or take the conse-
quences of staying away. If he prefers to stay
away and heap up n little molchill OF his
| own he may do so The mOlchil can never be
a mountain. 1t will always be n molehill, and
q contemplate one at that. until, next fall the
heel of the people shall stamp and crush both
| mole and molchill out Of sight.