The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-03
Tammany's Questions Answered.

At the June meeting OF the Tammany or
ganization, to be held tonight, the orator
Ia to be Mr.. MAURICE +. HoLAHAN, and his
address is to be divided into four chapters,
as follows:
First: How Docs the Legislation OF Hayscod States
men Affect the Interests OF New York City?
Secondly: why the New state Constitution Was
Amended for Partisan Purposes.
Thirdly: Can tho city OF Greater New York he Saved
from bankruptcy II the Advocates of Republican Non.
Partisan reform Win tho Battle Next November?
Fourthly; The Results OF Mayor sTRoSG's Admins.
tration Compared with the administration of Mayors
GRANT and GuRoY.
We will answer these questions for Mr..
HoLAHAN. There is, first, no Legislation
of haysecd statesmen" to affect the inter
ests of New York one way or the other.
The legislation of this State is by a Legis-
ture, elected in accordance with the Consti-
tuition Of the State, and representative of
the whole people, urban and rural. The
question of Mr.. HoI.AHAN implies u dan.
gerous spirit Of rebellion against our sys.
TEN of Government, State and Federal.
Under that system, the city derives its
charter from the State Legislature, Is its
creature, and has no Independent exist
ence. Talk about "haysccd legislation is
illogical and mischievous. The legislation
to which MIR. HoLAHAN refers is, OF course,
the Raines Liquor Tax law more particu-
larry. That law was passed by the Lcgis.
laturc for the whole State, in strict accord
ance with the persistent demand of the
Democratic party itself during a long
series of years, that the regulation
of the liquor traffic should be a mat
ter of State legislation. Even admit
ting that tho law is open to improve
ment in some Of it's details, it has intro
duced a principle which will never be de-
parted from in this State. whichever
party shall obtain power. 1t has been
strikingly successful as a revenue-raising
law, and by rescuing the liquor traffic from
the tyranny of the discretion of Excise
boards, it has saved it from much in
justice and humbug. Besides, it has been
effective to u remarkable degree in taking
the saloon out of politics." The liquor
| dealer is no longer at the mercy of poll.
ticians. He does not have to go to them
for help in getting a license to carry on his
business, but by paying the liquor tax Sc
cures the privilege without needing to ask
anybody's favor. That is a very great gain
for honesty and a great blow to humbug.
The answer to Mr.. HoLAHAN's second
question is that there is no new Constitu-
ton of the State Of New York. The original
Constitution, adopted Nov. 3, 1916, is still
in force as the organic law Of this State.
In 1894 some amendments were made to it,
and they were ratified by the voters of the
State by an overwhelming majority, and
without such ratification they would have
III.
majority in their favor was $4,000, and
they were adopted by the affirmative vote
of the voters of each of the divisions of the
enlarged New York; by 1900 in this
city, 10000 in Brooklyn, 400 in Richmond,
and $50 in Queens.
"Can the city of New York be saved
from bankruptcy If the advocates of Re,
publican non. partisan reform win the bat,
tie next November" There can be no such
thing as Republican non-partisan reform
Non.partisanship, the hobby of puerility
and senility, is contradictory to Republi'
canism. The way to save the city and its
people from bankruptcy next November is
to beat Tammany Hall. That organization
is now the advocate of reputation and
lawlcssness, the debasement of the cur
rency, dishonesty, business ruin, a degraded
Judiciary, and the destruction of c~iviliza
ton. At the election next November il
will be necessary for the commercial, in
dustrial, and financial interests of the
Greater New York to unite to overcome and
destroy the revolutionary ~Tammany.
In answer to the fourth question, as to thu
results of Mayor SrRoNG's administratio
compared with the administrations o
Mayors GRANT and GILRoY, it is sutiicien
tosay hat n.partisanship in municipal
government is IL humbug. Moreover, i
leaves an administration without friends
But the only issue next November will h
whether this chief centre of American
civilization shall be given over to the foe
of civilization gathered around the revolu
tionary STANDARD of Tammany Hall.
II Cheyenne Troubles.
1t is a long time since families of settler