New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-13
TiMU4NY AND CONSOLIDATION.

The most striking feature of the memorandum
which Governor Morton filed with his signature
of the Greater NewYork bill undoubtedly Is, as
we said yesterday its appropriateness. 1t
would have been a first-rate justification OF
Veto but Is a statement of reasons for APPROX
ing the measure ii is conspicuous failure. And
vet perhaps il comes nearer to signifyng the
Governors state Of mind than WAS at first sup
posed Mayor Wurster of Brooklyn, Is quoted
as saving that when he was in Albany last week
the Governor told him that the bill would DE
signed, and added. apparently by way OF ex-
PLANTATION. that after all the only real effect of
the bill was TO create commission, and that
if a charter should be framed it might not be
TOO late even then to refer the matter TO the
people Possibly therefore, il may not be I'M
fair 10 assume that the Governor would not have
signed the bill if ii had not been the deformed,
hindsde-before, whats-it piece of legislation
which he describes.
However, this is merely speculative by
pothesis, and of no particular importance, now
that the business has been settled. A more in
terestng matter is the view enunciatcd in behalf
of Tammany Hall by John G. Sheehan who has
this to say concerning consolidation: The local
organization Of the Democratic party has moth
"naught but strengthen our power here. AT the
first election after it goes into effect we viii
gain at least 10000 votes over the Repub-
''lcans They have simply cut off their own
moses to spite their faces Why they should
advocate the passage Of this bill do not know.
I'VE wanted it all the time knowing that 1t
would be sure to benefit us. Our opposition TO
lit was a game of politics. pure and simple"
m; lol,, afto tba
and will probably open the eyes of some persons
who will take no pleasure in discovering how
blind they have been. We recollect that reader
Of The Tribune reproached us for being too s,s-
picous when, months ago. we explained that
Tammany was eagerly hoping not only that the
consolidation bill would be passed but also that
the Republican majority at Albany would fur
nish the necessary votes. so that Democrats
might get the benefit and escape the odium.
To the very last our prediction that Tammany
would come to the rescue in every emergency
confronting the Republican machine was veri-
fed. There was not single stage in the prog
ress of the measure when Tammany would not
have supplied more votes In It's favor If more
had been needed. 1t was, as Sheehan says,
game of politics, pure and simple. and Tammany
as usual played its hand skilfully. Why he
should now think 1t good policy to confirm our
explanation of the case we have no means OF
knowing; for if it was worth while to try to fool
the people, it was worth while to keep on try
ing 1t is not impossible that Croker will have
something to say to Sheehan on the subject in
the near future.
At all events, citizens Of NewYork who think
that superb project Of municipal union has
been botched and discredited. and the still more
resentful citizens of Brooklyn, will do well TO
refrain from euoglzing Tammanys conduct in
this affair." remembering that the honest Opposi-
ton in the Legislature came from Republicans
whom the machine could not deceive or coerce,
and that every Republican vote for the bill mis-
represented the Republican party. The thing to
do is to accept Sheehan's confession and upset
his calculations