New-York tribune., 1896-01-25

| shin to assume that by it's vote for Consolidation
ard her resurreet5n lie to Tammany Hall? Shall
he hand be stayed in framing the splendid strIci iure
You strike BrooKlyns se:-respect full in ;he face
YOU shatter the principle OF home ruit at single
10 this. and thenceforh there win bo no more
consolidatonists nor anti-consoidaiionsts Areaty
the government of great cities Is OUr cOnSplcu
ous failure Under Brook.yn's benign charter, she
has set the pace In good government for the entire
trolling voice in its substitute? AS compared with
ookn nS onS Of The 6Sst aronnd cucae H c
In America her teachers are better paid by u
assured that improvements viii 20 forward that
morals will be conserved: that education vii. be
promoted; that uniformity OF taxation and Of vau-
seGs er? Will Dc secured unless We ca" see ''e '"'
THE RETORT COURTEOUS
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Woodhouse's speech.
Senator Lexow asked the speaker If he meant
that Brooklyn's charter alone made it the best
governed city in the land.
Mr.. Woodhouse-No: the personnel Of its citi-
zens.
Mr. Grady-I want to say officially In refer
ence to the remarks made by speakers in regard
to Tammany Hall, that Tammany has meyer
shown any particular desire for this consoda-
tion to increase their polidcal power. have
always been led to believe that Brooklyn poll
ticians could hold their own pretty well.
Mr.. Woodhouse-Brooklyn has passed It's judg
ment or Tammany. sir, and we don't TO
reopen the question
Ex-Corporation Counsel Mcdonald followed
with speech referring to the potentlality Of the
vote of 1894. 1t had. he said none Of the elc
ments Of contract. 1t was simply the taking Of
q sentiment Of the various localities on this qucs
tion OF resubmssion. He said
II am in favor of resubmissiOn or referendum
If it be necessary. The experience OF the last
two years has shown me the change OF senti-
in niTtt, oil 10. -hl of fh.
Kings County delegation are opposed t. this
project without at least a reference to the out
lines Of the charter"
Mr. Mcdonald proceeded 20 say that such
the Importance Of the question. such were the
great interests involved. such were the posi-
bilities Of serious entangements. financially and
with regard to legal issues which would doubtless
arise. that he forced 10 remind the commit
tee of the necessity Of going slow.
Mr. Mcdonald cited the West Farms IN
relation TO the annexation If portions of West
chester to New-York. and said the constitution
| ality Of the law as administered in that case
was not questioned ana similarly. II would not
be in reference to Brooklyn.
In a brief controversy with Senators Brush and
Grady. Mr.. Mcdonald in closing said that the
people Of Brooklyn. and not the Legislature.
should decide Their findings of fact" he de-
clarcd "are sure II be better than those Of legs-
lators from other parts, Of the state The people
Of this locality either by resubmssion or refer
endum. should be heard"
PEDFIELD's ARGUMENTS
Mr. Redheld taking up Mr.. Abraham's re-
marks. criticised the representative character OF
the mercantile petition presented by him. Not
only many OF the leading houses Of the city
not represented In the petition,' said the speak
er "but by careful inquiry in the 1896 edition
OF r. G. Dun e. Co.'S mercantile agency book
l have found that twenty-f0ur out OF the eighty
four names do not appear. 1t Is furthermore
apparent that one concern doing business under
three different names had signed all three. and
a. least two OF the concerns given are owned
in NewYork.'
Mr. Redfield did not doubt that all the parties
named were in business here, but in view OF the
above facts doubted the representative character
Of the petition. He pointed out that Mr. Abra-
ham said: "Brooklyn is near its debt limit" but
omitted to mention that it twice far
away as in 1894 To the statement that Brook
lyn's taxable resources were exhausted. he OBJ
posed the full statement Of Alfred r. White on
the same subject, quoting Mr. Whites own
words:
81 have come to the conclusion a citizen
and as a taxpayer, tina. the necessary improve
ments on this side OF tie river viii progress
more rapidly than if We are joined 10 New
York"
THERE ARE VOTES AND VOTES.
When Mr.. RedGcld WIS discussing the vote Of
1894 with Senator Grady he asked where In this
government he ever found that 277 votes de-
cided anything.
Senator Grady replied: in my opinion, the
first vote taken accomplishes the object; the
second has no fnality. II you say that the vote
Of 1894 was not the expression of the people,
could you say it any more OF the vote of 1896;
would it have any more effect than the previous
vote?'
Mr. RedGeld replied: Il believe if 200 votes
were taken and the decision was made by
narrow margin to consolidate neither law nor
morals would sanction the change. TWO hun
dred and seveny-seven votes mean very little.
II it were 10000 ono way or the other, that
would settle it, What Is right and fair should
be had 1t would be righ. and fair TO prove the
righteousness Of another vote"
Senator Grady said he believed in the prin-
ciple Of representation as ii was stated by Mr..
Woodhouse. Il would give the same weight
said he, ito a majority Of one as to a majority
of a million votes.
YOU DON'T SHOW YOURSELF GENTLE
MAN"
Senator Brush said: "Mr. Redfed. your idea
is that the wishes of the Brooklyn OF to-day
would be better ascertained by vote In the
near future, than by relying On the vote OF
1894"
Mr. Redfeld: 1T would. And ] want TO add
that we openly pledge ourselves TO ABIDE py 'he
vo,o - we are granted another chance ana we
sunnoee our opponents Will do the same. MT
Redfeld went on to say that they expected u
have n vote II the sentiment at Albany was
not too strong against It. ANA Se"a'o'