Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-11

ton of municipal ownership 1.-THE question
Of municipal ownership of public fran
chises," he declares, must be carefully con-
sidered. In the present stage of our city
finances we will probably not be able to
do more than experiment with such fu-
ture franchises as do not involve any very
great outlay. 1t will be necessary, how
ever, in order to meet the pronounced pub
lie demand in this direction to equip our
municipal governments with the power
to enter upon the experiment as soon
as the conditions will permit
The gold bugs and the silver bugs in
the upper house have been at each others
throats without intermission ever since
the body was organized. and there is no
indication that during the coming winter
there will be a cessation of hostilities
On the outside, too, the democrats are
trying to settle the interesting problem
as to the shoulders on which the mantle
of state leadership shall fall. Mr. Muir
ply will be constructively at Washington,
can practice law and incidentally keep
an eye on the legislature. And Mr.. Croker
will not be in Europe unless he changes
his plans. The net result Is that If any
gram through the legislature and obtain
for 1t a solid vote he Is seriously in error,
because of the disturbed state Of political
conditions and adhesions. For example
well be disposed to ask Senator Grady by
what authority he presumes to speak
for them as members Of the minortty?
On what meat Doth this our Caesar feed
that ne has grown so great? The minori-
ty at Albany will have all 1t can attend to
In resisting republican aggression without
planning legislation the success of which
Is altogether problematical and the desira-
bility Of which may well be submitted to
the test Of critical analysis.
Hill Strengthening His Lines.
The disposition of ex-senator Hill to take
advantage Of every possible contingency to
strengthen his position is reflected in his
appearance before Justice A. Van Wyck in
Brooklyn as special counsel in the hearing
upon the matter Of an injunction to re-
strain the Brooklyn aldermen from grant
ing to the P. w. Flynn syndicate forty
miles of the public streets for trolleys.
The ex-senator appeared as the represen-
tative Of the only New York paper Of
large circulation which supported Bryan
during the last campaign-a paper which
is now leaving no stone unturned to defeat
the brooklyn franchise project; a paper
which has consistently and persistently
abused the Sage of Wolfert's Roost' since
than year ago. This appearance is be-
lieved to indicate two things:
First, that Hill is once more in the politi-
cal saddle, and that he is willing to "stoop
to conquer" If he can regain the ground
which he has lost and convert men who
are now his enemies into his future friends
Else why should he appear as tail to a pa
per which advised the democrats of the
state legislature to refuse him even the
thankless honor Of denomination for
United States senator. And 1t will be re-
membered that half q dozen members Of
the legislature, refusing to be bound by the
democratic party caucus acting along the
lines of this advice, bolted Hill the bolter
and voted for Henry George.
Second, that Hill intends to use his legal
talents and his capacity for political in
trigue to thwart Tanmany Hail. 1t is
true that this injunction proceeding is real
~ none of Tammany's funeral; that the
hearing is going on in Brooklyn and Tam
many, no matter what its plans for the fu-
ture. does not now claim to exercise juris-
the hands Of republican officials and the re-
sponsibility for the acts of a dying admin
istration and moribp1d civic existence
will rest upon the locaa republicans; that
Flynn and the members of the syndicate
are republicans; that 1t may be taken for
granted that the injunction in one form or
another may be successful, thereby re-
fecting credit not only upon ex-senator
Hill as special counsel for that side, but
also upon Judge A. Van Wyck a democrat
and brother Of Judge r. A. Van Wyck
mayor-elect of Greater New York, but
everybody who knows anything about the
situation existing knows that It is only a
mere matter of time before Tammany com
mences to give away the franchises of the
greater city to favorites, though fortunate
the new charter limits; those franchises to
twenty-five years. Hill establishes a pre-
cedent In appearing at the hearing in ia
Vor or the granting of the Injunction
makes 1t easier for him to pose in the
future as the opponent of Tammany fran
chise grabbers, and thereby profit by Tam
H'ahy mistakes and Tammany's failures