New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-29
THE LEGISLATURE.

Every Legislature is the worst in the memory
of man. II Is also the best Everything de-
ponds on the point Of view. The leaders OF the
majority always say, as Mr.. Aids does, that
It leaves behind splendid record and the lead
ers of the minority invariably assert as Mr.
Palmer does, that the session has been utter
" barren Of good results. The truth as surely
lies between the extremes Of opinion. Senator's
and Assemblymen are Of about the same ma
terial year after year. and every legislative
calendar, no matter what party controls Is full
OF bad measures, which it is extremely difficult
to watch and still more difficult to kill. Like
wise, it contains many good measures which
are mysteriously delayed. The people are
fortunate II from any session they are able to
secure a few meritorious laws Of large benefit
and escape the infection Of anything seriously
harmful. Legislatures are made up Of the aver
age run Of men. some honest and others dis
honest some wise and others foolish and they
generally reach just the mixed result to be ex-
pected In every field Of human endeavor from
the clash Of opposing interests and contrary
motives
It is difficult to think with patience Of such
pettifoggers as Aids and Palmer and Kelly and
Nixon and Kelsey, who have shown themselves
% ready to betray the taxpayers for the sake
of the franchise holding corporations. The
action Of these men. who belong to no one
party, In trying TO kill the Ford bill was dis
graceful, but happily. unsuccessful. and they
were finally forced by public opinion and the
Governor reluctantly to do their duty TO the
people they pretend TO serve. Nevertheless,
when the whole session is reviewed, we think
the people will find reason for some satisfac-
ton with the good work done and more salts
faction with the bad work left undone. At
close view the unworthy ntrigues and trick
cry and the pressure Of public indignation re-
quired to secure the most plainly necessary pro-
hection Of the peoples interests somewhat de-
hract from the merit which might be attributed
to several pieces of legislation, chief among
them the Amsterdam-ave. law. But processes
in legislation rarely make an edfying spectacle
and IL is the results. after all, that count, ex
Icept so far as corruption In processes means
a lowering Of political character and future dire
results The actual deeds, both of omission
and commission, Of the Legislature which ad-
journed yesterday were by means perfect
but were as good as could be reasonably
pected. For the first time In several years no
party and no faction could ruthessly control IT,
That fact prevented the passage Of some
meritorious bills. but IL also put a check on
dangerous partisan or fractional legislation.
There was no such brutal tanning through
Of machine measures as we used 10 see when
David B. Hill held undisputed sway at Albany.
and later, when Senator Platt was thinking
more of using the party than Of making It vic
torious. Much has been learned In two years,
and this season the organization was reason
ably restrained even in pushing it's favorite
measures.
Among the laws Of conspicuous merit which
etand to the credit Of this Legislature perhaps
the White Civil Service and the Ford Fran
chise Tax measures are the most important.
The former puts back the starch" which Gov
ernor Black took ont Of the service, and is 40
strenuous IN its provisions as to satisfy the