New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-10
MURPHY'S VIGOROUS FIGHT.
DETERMINED EFFORT TO ELECT A
DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATURE.
ENERGY CONCENTRATED IN CERTAIN SEN.
ATE DISTRICTS-FRANK REVIEW
OF THE SITUATION

lfHoM REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rniBuSs.l
Albany, Oct 3-It iE obvious already that
Senator Edward Murphy. jr.. is the leading
spirit In the operations OF the Democratic state
Committee this year. Nor Is It surprising that
thls should be so. Mr.. Murphy's seat In the
United States Senate is one OF the two great
prizes OF the political campaign now in prog
ress. the Governorship Of the State being the
other. Both prizes may be sought together; the
work done to win doubtful legislative district
will tell for the candidate for Governor. and
the votes gained for Governor will doubtless
nearly all be given also to the legislative can
dldates
Mr.. Murphy early bestiTred himself to get the
machinery of the Democratic party in good con.
dition to capture doubtful Senate and Assem-
bly, districts. 1t at his suggestion that in
mid-August under pretence OF having COM
mittee to send out some campaign literature"
the Democratic State Committee actually began
the work Of perfecting the organization OF the
party. and since then this labor has gone
steadily forwari. Usually such work is de-
ferred till after the State Convention has been
held, but Mr.. Murphy that, inasmuch az
the convention would not meet until late In
September. organization could not be postponed
until that late date If it was 10 be done thor
oughly. Accordingly. the Campaign Committee
was established. and its members went TO work
in a determined way.
THE BID TO THE BREWERS.
Senator Murphy is a brewer and the brewers
appear TO believe that II he carries the Legs-
lature the Ranes Liquor Tax law will be re-
pealed According TO apparently wel-founded
reports circulated here, the brewers have sup
piled the Democratic State Committee with an
enormous campaign fund. An understanding
hat,. a ,i,a Ia
parent in the plank in the platform OF the
Democratic State Convention. adopted at Syra-
cuse on September 20. which demands the re-
peal OF the Liquor Tax law. The platform says:
The Democratic party Of the State OF New
York in convention assembled declares as fol-
lows: Democratic rule IN excise matters; re-
peal Of the odious legislation Known as the
Raines Liquor law.
LIQUOR DEALERS GAIN AND PEOPLES LOSS.
The brewers expect to get back every cent
they pay out In this falls campaign II the
Liquor Tax law is repealed: indeed. their in
vestment. they think may bring in a profit OF
1000 PER cent \ small statistical table will in
d.7ate the profit they hope to make
NJ. s,s.e and local income under Liquor
va I'T fo6s 'a~ abcre was no state income in
come under old excise law...'....'''.. -''i'"'S 81
Difference SS9Dh"li 10
SIS 5O4311 % in the pockets Of the liquor dealers
If Il elects Augustus Van Wyck Governor and
Democratic Legislature. That is the bait II
holds out 10 the liquor trade when II pledges IT.
self to repeal the Liquor Tax law. 1t is tempt
ing bait and perhaps 1t is not q subject for
wonder II the liquor dealers have bitten at 1t.
The taxpayers of the State may have some-
thing to say about the proposed repeal Of the
will a adverse influence
the fortunes Of the Democratic State and legis-
lative candidates There has been a large In
crease in the receipts from the Liquor Tax law
during the last year The State will receive
about 81 100000 from the operation Of the law
this year This goes toward the reduction OF
State taxes II the Liquor Tax law is repealed
this amount of additional State taxes must be
imposed But there has not yet been mentioned
IS 600 900 which the towns and cities VIII re-
ceive. II has already been shown that under
the old excise law these towns and cities re-
ceived yearly only about 100000 so that
S5OOOO 900 would have to be raised by additional
local taxation If the Liquor Tax law should be
repealed. The Democratic State Convention.
therefore, by its recent action in demanding the
repeal Of the Liquor Tax law. put itself on rec
ord as favoring an increase Of 4,UOO.0OO in state
taxes and OF S5O00000 in local taxes. II Is
pretty big price TO pay bring about the re-
election Of Edward Murphy as United states
Senator
MURPHYS PLAN OF CAMPAIGN
Mr. Murphys attack on the Republican party
will naturally be In the Senate districts which
he believes to be doubtful AT the Democratic
State Convention. In company with David B.
HILL he made various nominations for State Of
fees with the aim of carrying interior Senate
districts. Thus Edward S. Atwater. Of POugh-
keepsie was nominated for Controller with the
design Of aiding the Democratic candidate for
State Senator in the Duchess Columbia district,
and George w. Batten. Of Niagara Falls,
nominated for Secretary OF State with the
thought Of strengthening the attack on Senator
Ellsworths district-Nagara. Genesee and Or
leans counties Thomas +. Conway, OF Platts-
burg. was nominated for Attorney-Genera In
the hope OF re-eecting Democratic Assembly
man in Clinton County and also Of possibly de-
feating Senator Chahoon in the Clinton Essex
Warren district But, above all, Augustus Van
Wyck was nominated for Governor carry with
a mighty sweep the Kings and New-York Sem
ate districts
Senator Murphy will assail every Senate dis
trict on Long Island, Staten Island and Manhat-
tan Island under o belief that Tammany Halls
great power In this Greater New-York territory
may enable him 10 capture all OF them. There
are twenty-one districts In this part OF the
State and there are only twenty nine more In
all the rest OF the State Some examination OF
these districts in detail may well be made.
HARDER FIGHT THAN IN 1895.
First Of all it may be stated that the vote
given In them in the Republican tidal-wave year
of 1895 cannot safely be made a basis Of calcula-
ton for the vote Of this year. for since then
some OF the Democrats who then bolted from
their party have returned TO IL. In 1Soo. for
instance. fl the Ist Senate District. which 10
composed OF the counties OF Richmond and Suf-
folk, the vote was follows:
Rep. Dem
Marsh.