New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-11
TIE FACTS ABOUT CONSOLIDATION.

THE FACTS ABOUT CONSOLIDATION.
Let lis consider the chief occurrences which
have led up to the present status OF the cohsoN-
dalton project In 1890 a commission was ere
ated to inquire into the whole subject oil course
without authority to bind anybody or settle any
thing. In 1893 that commission after careful
and dslnterested investigation, proposed TO the
Legislature a bill providing for test OF puDnc
opinion in the communities concerned, ana n"'h-
ing more. The bill was defeated. In 1919 IL
was reintroduced and enacted The erection III
that wear related to an unusual number OK I'M
portant affairs Governor was 10 he chosch'
there was intense interest In the struggle l'r
rounicipal reform a new Constution was put
up for acceptance or rejection ana there were
other matters of moment asking for attention.
Of which the consolidation test was one Ger
tanly It deserved earnest consideration but as
certainly failed to get It, Apparently there was
not enough public interest in the question to
cause much discussion. nor enough discuSSioh
TO cause much interest, and when Election DAY
came there was an extraordinary multiplicity
Of ballots to weary and confuse voters In TINS
city. which In any case was sure 70 retain IL
name and identity, there was majority oil
about 37.OOO In favor Of the proposition In
Kings County there WAS majority ot 80 III HS
favor; but in Brooklyn. as 1t WAS constituted
when the submission bill was passed. the proI'o-
sition was defeated and about 1900 persons
who voted for Governor did not vote NJ all on
the consolidation question.
However 1t seemed to be generally assumed
at that time that the expression OF opinion was
decisive enough TO warrant legislation OF some
ips r.-
duced and barely defeated at the end Of the
session But meantime opposition 10 union
without resubmission developed rapidly IN
Brooklyn. as the evidence seems TO us - prove
1t was not only more strenuous, hut numerically
stronger when the session ended than when II
began. and it has been increasing ever since
1t is now claimed by some persons That the
death Of the bill was legally the death Of the
project, inasmuch rs that was the last Legis-
lature under the old Constitution. We do not
think much Of this argument. we are frank 10
saw But 1t Is not one-haf so absurd as the
contention that the expression Of opinion IN
1894 was Just like the election OF public ON
cial or any other act Of government by ma
jority Of voters, or even that 1t was equivalent
to a mandate to the Legislature TO enact con-
sodaton. BY the terms Of the act and all the
utterances Of the campaign the vote on consoli-
dation was test Of existing sentiment. ana
nothing more. In Kings County GAIA voters
said that they liked the idea OF union; i,46I
voters said that they disliked It, and %3'9 said
nothing But whatever they said or left unsaid.
they had all been assured over and over again.
and with especial emphasis by the Commission
Of Inquiry, commonly called the Consolidation
Commission, that It was nothing more than
"a simple expression OF opinion on the general
Subject" merely advisory having mo final
ity about It," We do not believe that ! per
cent Of the people had the slightest suspicion
that they were irrevocaby committing them
selves to the acceptance Of any sort OF a scheme
Of union which any sort OF n Legislature under
any sort OF boss might decree.
Yet precisely such n bcstowal OF authority Is
the Interpretation which the machine leaders
have been putting upon that minute preponder-
ance OF feeble sentiment In favor OF mere
idea ever since the present session began, ana
they are now apparently almost ready to exc
cute their purpose. The Tribune thinks, and
always has thought, that consolidation would
/ be a good thing for both New-iork and Brook
| lyn, and wo have no doubt that 1t ought TO come
and would come through natural forces In the
near future II tyrannical pressure were
| brought TO bear But we do not think that New
4 York has either the right or the wish to compel
an unconditional surrender OF Brooklyn's munic-
ipal existence. AS for the bill now pending
which DEGREES consolidation on January ], 1898
and creates commission OF residents to frame
a charter withip twelve months and then cX
pre- 1t Is in some important respects less open
10 objection than the bill which II n0mlnaly
replaced, though strong points are made against
II on general and on special grounds. That Is
to say, It denies outright the urgent claim TO
resubmssion Of the main proposition, or at least
10 n referendum on the details Of the union, and
It leaves the door wide open TO dangerous acts,
alike of omission and commission, during an In
terval Of incertitude.
But that Is not the only element In the stua-
ton which creates distrust. In spite OF contra
dictions the suspicion spreads that the purpose
OF the machine TO upset the established order
and govern this municipality by commissions
has not been abandoned. The conviction is gen
eral that neither credulous and dOcile members
Of the Legislature, who are not allowed TO know
all that is In contemplation. nor the people In
general have any substantial guarantee against
monumental breach Of faith. II the leaders
are able TO dispel that doubt in an honorable
manner they will do well to dispel 1t at once.
II they dispel 1t by an act Of perfidy. they may
have the Governor to reckon with. and II the