New-York tribune., 1898-01-28
TILE INTESTIG4TION DILDMM1.

Tho conal investigation bill which was ad-
vanced to a third reading in the Assembly oh
Wednesday and reported to the senate !es''i-
day is in one important particular ah inip'o'e-
mont upon the original measure Ii pro'iucs
that the report Of the Commission wheh II sila'i
have been submitted TO the Governor shaii III
onon to nuhlic inspectlon. and thus to some eX-
tcnt relieves the majority of the suspicion tha'
,he, wore consenting TO make the proposed III
vestjcatlon serve the purposes Of the kepupilcah
machine As first arranged, the bill would nave
rormitted the Governor either TO Withhold the re-
sr,,. of the investigation from public knowledge
until the next session Of the Legislature OF 10
,,,,., an, durinc the coming State campaign such
narts Of the report as he saw fit. We DO not say
that Governor Black ever contemplated us'Hs
his cxnocted opportunity in that way. but 1t can
not be denied that this feature OF 'he nneas"'e
,,.h,ch no was understood to approve produced
had imnression and would, II IL had peen IT.
toinod. have dlscredited the inquiry IN advance
A report TO which the public should nave Tree
access after July at the latest could not be Sc
cretlv misused in the interest OF any party OF in-
diydual .
II is also gratifying to learn on the authority
of Assemblyman Weekes that Governor biacH'
N case the hill is passed. intends to ask the
Chorohor of Commerce of this city to name two
commissioners. and the Produce Exchange anu
tho Merchants Exchange Of Bui1alo 10 nanle one
each Inasmuch as the Commission IS 10 cohs's'
of not more than seven members, these lour not
selected NV the Governor would constitute ma
ioritv and his proposal, therefore, improves the
nrosnect Of an impartial and thorough lnVestga-
,ion Tho fact remains. nevertheless. tnat pup
,ic srsnicion of the purpose controlling leglsla-
tive action In this matter has not been wholly
disnellod: nor can those involved justly complain
on that account SO long as there is a reasonable
doubt Of the capacity Of the Legislature 10 dele
co,o its frll mowers of nvcstig cation to Com
mission not made up from It's own membership.
That is question which has never been settled
by the Court Of Appeals, and there are judicial
decisions favoring both sides. Inc point IS III
disnnte and consequently it seems not only pos
slb,e but probable that the investigation WI" oe
impeded if not absolutely blocked by the re-
fusal Of some witness to testify. Ihis Is seii-
ons matter. not only because 1t may actually
make farce Of the investigation. Dut also De-
cause Of It's effect on public OPINION "nlch Is
already nclining to distrust
Nor is il easy TO see a way out OF the dlmcui-
tes which surround this whole business or
canal investigation. If it is true that commits
sion appointed from civil life might ind Itself
helpless to perform its task It is also true that
q committee Of the legislature selected at the
dlctation of the machine would almost certainly
he unsatisfactory TO the people. This is one or
the penaltlcs which the people are paying for
their folly in permitting the control OF their ar
fairs 70 fall into the hands OF men who use II
exclusively for their own personal advantage.