The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-07
GRADY'S BRYANITE PLANS.
He OUTLINES THE MINORITY L EGIs-
LATIYE PROGRAMME.

Trusts to Ne smasbed-DsIIar Gas 20 ne De-
crced-Tho Raines Law to ne Repeaied-'n-
functions to ne Aboiishsd-The Rich 60 Pay
the Tares-Municipai Ownership Can Wait.
LAKEWOOD, NJ. j., Dec. 6.-Mr. Croker had
talks to-day with Senator Grady and Assembly,
man Daniel L. Finn. who was the minority
leader In the Assembly last year. Afterward
Senator Grady mapped out the programme
which is to be followed by the Democrats at Al
bany this winter.
Senator Grady said: my opinion is that, for
obvious reasons, the Republican majority In both
branches Of the Legislature will favor a short
session. This will impose upon the minority
the duty OF combining its efforts to the legislar
ton which the people most strenuously demand.
The platform of the Democratic City Convention
presents n political programme which has been
favorably passed upon at tho polls by at least
one-half the voters Of the State. 1t may there
fore be reasonably supposed that the minority
will bend all it's energies to the fulhlment of the
pledges therein contained.
w must have effective legislation for the
suppression Of trusts. Both producer and con-
sum or are victims of the unlawful eXactions of
these criminal combinations. and the people,
without regard to political divisions. stand as a
unit in favor OF the suppression Of this most
cruel form Of injustice. We must fight for the
immediate reduction in the price of gas used
for purposes of illumination and fuel to
not moro than one dollar a thousand
cubic feet. The people have not accepted
the bill passed last year az a settlement Of the
question. They regard it as an evasion. and as
such it must be met. The Raines law must be
| repealed, n t amended. Upon this point more
than onc.half the voters Of the State have de-
clared themselves with an emphasis which
would make any attempt to amend the law a
defiance Of the popular will. Tho law must be
repealed. and In its place should be enacted q
liberal. conservative. and just measure, secur-
ing to each city its own license fees.
"Such amendments must DO offered to the
Code OF Civil Procedure. and in all other neces-
sary directions, as will protect the people against
government by injunction and restrict the
power of Judges to summarily punish such
contempts as are committed in the actual pres
ence of tho Court. The tax laws must DO re-
vised so that wealth shall bear it's fair
proportion of the public burdens. and
the financial needs Of the greater city make
this n most important issue, upon which the
representatives of the five boroughs will
stand as q unit. The question of the municipal
ownership of public franchises must be care
fully considered. In the present state OF our
city finances we will probably not be able to do
more than experiment with such future fran
chises AS do not involve any very great outlay.
1t will be necessary, however. in order to
meet the pronounced public demand in this d.
r%eetion. to equip our municipal Governments
with the power to enter upon. the experiment as
soon as conditions will permit.
This, | would say, is. In outline. the work be-
fore the Democratic minority in the Senate and
Assembly. and although / give full weight to
from the Republicans I believe that the earnest.
ness, intelligence, and unity of the minority will
bring about on ,s some !" e not ALL of the much needed
Poiiticians continue to como, and go at the
Lakewood Hotel. where the leaders of the Tam.
| many organization are arranging the personnel
ard policy OF tn the new n y admini st T ,t,On; ,s,a.
ers and each day another batch leaves.
Al are loaded Sd,c up yin claims and pc.
ei"ded Coroner e~'' Edward i. sFitspatriei, II.
derman Andrew A. Noonan, Stevenson T3wle.
Island City. Frederick Bowiey, President:elec
OF the, borough Of Queens. and former Excise
MIR. Croker and Mayor elect Van wyck, ana
decided to remain at the Lakewood for a day or
Mayor.elcct Van Wyck took a spin on his BIZ
cycle to-day. He was accompanied by former
Tax Commissioner John " halen. The weather
was fine. and the Mayor elect spent most of the
morning on his wheel.
gr4mme to be followed by the Democrats at
Albany this winter is interesting in view of tho
Senator Cantor as leader 3: the minority in the
upper chamber. Ordinarily n State Senate is
] shqssn for t fwo present ysars; 0s ssn %1se wn she elected esw 'G for
three years in order to, carry out. the
scheme OF separating state and municipal
elections. At the organization of the
for Senator Cantor for President pro tenn, hay
ing previously selected him in caucus. as their
candidate. This made him officially the Demo-
cratic leader on the floor, as he had been in
several preceding SenRtes.
The selection of "A leader ls naturally supposed
to he for the life of the Senate. In the session
OF 1896 Senator Cantor's sway was never qucs.
tional divisions. When the Senate reconvened in
January. ls9 II contained thirteen. Chicago
platform Democrats. Senator Patrick II. Nc
Carren of Brooklyn was one of the most extreme
of the Organizes. Senator Grady was another.
The fourteenth Democrat in tho Senate was q
On the ope ing day of the session Senator Nc
Carren, without any warning TO Senator Can
tor, announced on the floor that he would not
recognize a traitor to his party as his leader.
Senator Cantor was taken by surprise, but
said that II there was n general desire
on tho part of his colleagues for his withdrawal
as leader, he would be glad TO call a caucus and
Carren nor anybody else took advantage of this
suggestion, and Senator Cantor continued as
leader. although Senator McCarren refused
throughout the session to acknowledge his
leadership.
taking things into his own hands, and he made
mo c than one parliamentary fight on
Cantor. Senator G. ady's close relations with
Mr.. Croker throughout the recent campaign and
since the election and the fact that his member
ship in the Senate precludes him from going
into lucrative municipal office, taken with his
present apparently authoritative, announce.
ment, may have more significance than appears
on the surface.