New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-26
AS TO CONSOLIDATION.

On the consolidation question we have recently
printed several letters from readers who EVIL
IDENTIFY understand The Tribunes position with
reference TO that important undertaking ana
who do not agree with It. We have before us
several letters from other readers who deceive
themselves as 10 our position and whom we are
clad TO enlghten. We never have been and are
not now opposed to q union OF New-l0rK anu
the several communities adjacent to 1t within
the State Their relationship Of position and in
forest is close and must inevitably become
closer from wear to year. and their ultimate con-
soldaton seems to us as certain as any future
event can be. Though we had not thought there
was any need Of haste, circumstances ana sen'i-
ment led to vote upon the proposition in lo9i'
and we heartily approved It's submission TO the
neople The majority In its favor in Kings
County WAS much smaller than we had expected.
and on that account was disappointment; but
there seemed to be good reasons for believing
that the desire for municipal union was stronger
than the expression of It, that It's tendency was
to increase rather than diminish. and that pr'l-
dent and equitable plan Of consolidation would
elicit abundant evidence Of It's general accep'a-
billty. At that time political Influences had not
been at work either for or against the project;
or at least, had not been detected. The prospect
was. when the Legislature Of 1880 assembled,
that fair and free discussion would be followed
by discreet and dlsinterested action.
II soon became evident however. that there
was Il strong, earnest and active opposition in
BROOKLYN to every scheme Of union which did
not give the voters of that city chance TO ac-
cept or reject it. Partly in consequence OF this
development and partly because OF political COM
plications, the Senate being almost evenly d.
vdel, with an uncertain element In control on
many questions the consolidation bill was de-
feated at the last moment. From that time the
controversy has steadily grown warmer. until
now 1t is redhot. BY force Of circumstances 1t
has become to large extent political involving
in the general estimation. great party interests
though it is fair TO say that there Is wide dis
agreement as to the effects which its settlement
is likely TO produce. 1t Is not strange that there
should be such Il difference Of opinion, and we
certainly have no thought Of showing diSrcspect
to those citizens Of Brooklyn whose wish to be-
come citizens Of a Greater New-iork has grown
more earnest during the last year. But we do
not believe, as they DO, that they are majority
On the contrary, 1t seems to us that the oppos-
ton IS much stronger numerically and far more
intense than it was a year ago We have not
been anxious to find evidence Of such hostility;
1t has been forced on public attention from many
quarters; we could not have avoided 1t II we
had desired to do SO. and It compels us TO believe
that, If majority Of the people Of Brooklyn are
not at present opposed TO consolidation on any
terms. q large majority Of them insist on saying
what terms are satisfactory. Nor do we blame
them 1t is not q trivial thing to surrender the
municipal identity Of the third city Of the Union.
The argument Is not conclusive that there was
popular vote IN 1894 and that it was final, for
the simple reason that IT was not generally sup
pOsed TO be final The socalled Consolidation
Commission, which in reality by the act creating
It was a commission Of inquiry, officially de-
cared in a widely circulated pamphlet just be-
fore that election that there was mo finality
about IT,; that 1t would be nothing more than
"a simple expression Of opinion on the general
Subject Of consolidation"
But the validity Of BrOoklyn's claim to another
vote is not the only question before the Legs-
lature The bill which has been Ostensibly de-
yised to accomplish consolidation two years
hence is confidently believed to involve n scheme
for the government Of the united communities
| by State commissions during an indefinite period.
| 1t Is scarcely conceivable that such an assault
| upon the principle and policy OF Home Rule Will
| be made by Republican Legislature. 1t Is I'M
possible to doubt that the people would seize
| the first opportunity to punish such betrayal
of their rights The bill is now expected to come
formally before both branches Of the Legislature
next week AS long as possible we shall hope
that their action will be deliberate and ulu-
matey just