New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-15
PRICE THREE CENTS.
CAUCUS AND CONFERENCE.
REPUBLICAN AsSEMBLYMEN AT ODDS
ON THE RAINEs LAW AMENDMENTS.
OPPONENTS OF THE MEASURE THINK IT u
BEATEN-sPEAKER OGRADY SAYS 1T WILL
BE PAssED-PLATr AGAINST IT.


BE PAssED-PLATr AGAINST 1T.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuyEl
Albany. April 1.-THE Republican opponents
OF the Raines Liquor Tax bill In the Assembly
believe that they have It beaten tonight
Speaker O'Grady on the contrary asserts thar
the bill will be passed. A considerable body Of
Republican Assemblymen remained away from
a caucus on the measure. held In the Capitol.
and had a conference OF their own, at which
they took steps to strengthen the opposition to
the bill.
There are III Republican Assemblymen and
sixty-threc Of them attended the caucus while
thirty-two were present a. the conference.
Claims were made that there seventy As
sembymen at the caucus and thirty-seven at
the conference. but they will not bear investiga-
ton. There were nineteen absentees. 1t should
be stated that Mr.. Pratt and Mr. Gray are alb
sent in consequence of Illness Speaker OGrady
says tha. he will obtain the votes Of three
fourths Of the absentees and pass the measure.
Senator Platt appears to be stabbing the bill
with a bowiekrife in one hand and effusvely
supporting 1t with the other hand No other ex-
planation is possible in view of the bolt from
the caucus Of the delegations from New-York
and Brooklyn, which are strictly under Mr..
Platts control Governor Blacks support Of
the measure is so well known that Mr.. Platt
would not to antagonize the measure
openly, by, for instance. throwing a block OF
rural votes against the measure 1t was much
easier to assa the bill through the city MEM
bers, and then excuse could be made that their
constituents were violently opposed to IT. The
brewers said to be bitter against the meas
ure They are large Campaign contributors"
and. moreover, pay for the bonds which are
mainly supplied by a certain surety company Of
Maryland with political connections in this
State
Senator Ranes grew alarmed over the evf.
dences Of Mr.. Platt's secret attack on the bill
to-day, and telegraphed 10 him a plain state
ment that his attitude on the bill was distrusted.
In reply he received the following characteristic
telegram from Mr. Platt:
Washington. April H--To the Hon. John Raines.
Albany: Your dispatch received. Any report Of my
Indifference Is untrue Governor understands my
position perfectly. THOMAS c. PLATT
This Is decidedly ambiguous. Governor Black
may have thought he understood Mr.. Platt's at
titude toward the bill yesterday. To-day he
knows where Mr. Platt stands II is In posi-
ton Of hostility. There are all the outward signs
in Albany tonight that the forces Of corruption
in legislative affairs are also at work against the
bill Governor Black favors it. and the Repub-
licans who desire an improved liquor law loyalty
support it.
Mr. Lauterbach came from New-York this af.
ternoon and held conference with Governor
Black: Speaker O'Grady and Senator Raines
were also present. Mr.. Lauterbach afterward
said: The Governor would have accepted the
amendments which I offered, but Speaker
O'Grady and Senator Raines positively declined
to make any changes In the bill. Only one
course, therefore, was open to u.s. and that was
to fighting
bill especially and so are the other Republicans
from New-York and Brooklyn, because we be-
lieve 1t imperils our chance Of carrying Greater
New-York"
Mr. Lauterbach contrived to get together all OF
the fourteen Republican Assemblymen from
New-York, and appealed to them TO oppose the
bill. All gave their consent TO this programme
except Mr.. Dignan. who said he must abide by
the decision of a Republican caucus. Great sur
prise expressed by Republican Senators
when they heard that George c. Austin. chair
man of the Committee on Cities would be among
the boilers. "Mr. Austin" said Mr.. Lauterbach.
Stands by the New-York organization" but Mr..
Austin's course also clearly reveals Senator
Platts position on the bill.
Mr.. Iauterbach assembled his followers in the
Assembly library, and found that he had thirty
two men under his command The regular
caucus held In the Assembly parlor, where
siXty-three Assemblymen gathered around the
banner Of Speaker O'Grady. Mr.. Lauterbach's
following. shown by a written agreement to
pose the Raines bill, was the entire New-York
Republican delegation, with the exception of Mr..
Degnan. consisting of Gieland, Var Cott, Mazet,
Murphy, Austin Reinhard. II. r Andrews j. J.
Sullivan, Laimbeer, L. T.. Brown. Mathewson
and Adler ten out Of the fourteen Assemblymen
fIom Kings County, consisting of Forester
Knaup, Abe Soper, Murray, Roehr, Wilson.
Brennan Parshall and Hughes; four OF the Erie
County Acsembymen. Steiner. Schneider, n. j.
Miller and Braun, and in addition from other
counties Mcknight, of Queens; CARLY, OF Rich
of oneida and Leve:see of Albany. He also had
partial pledges from Van Keuren, of Ulster:
Smith of Westchester; Cromwell of Queens;
Berry, of Suffolk, and sheldon, of Ciyuga.
No correct list of the sixty-three Republicans
attending the caucus could be obtained.
The caucus and the conference were in ses-
sion simultaneously from about O'clock till
after midnight. All overtures on the part Of
those in the conference to these in the caucus
looking to amendment of the bill were re-
jected Finally Mr. Lambeer. who was in tho
conference, said: "Our proposed amendments
being rejected. we have come to an agreement
TO defeat the bill if we can" This statement
was also made by Mr.. Lauterbach Those in the
caucus discussed various amendments which
were offered. After three hours debate vote
was taken on an amendment freeing clubs from
taxation. and 1t was beaten by 56 TO Z.
About 12:3O a. the caucus adiourned
Speaker OGrady said to the newspaper cores
pondents: II am sorry, but have no news for
you"
"Wil the amendments be passed through thu
Assembly, ~
"They WILL" was the Speakers response
Tomorrow he was then asked Nr
OGrady nodded his head In assent. bur he
looked gloomy, and certainly had no reason 70
think that he will pass the bill. ~
The conference OF the 'bolters" had dissolved
over an hour before. and the statement had haen
made that "the revolt against the bill will he
stronger tomorrow than il is tonight" ''
While the Liquor Tax bill may have beep .
caucus measure. Speaker O'Grady has no reasor
to feel confident that the bill will be passed nm
less Governor Black indicates clearly that ne
supports the measure. The Governor can pass
the bill. When he understands, he will to-
morrow, that Senator Platt is opposed 10 IT, what
will he do?
STRONG APPEALS SENT TO ALBANY
Republican politicians IN this city who think