The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-16
GIVING THEIR NAMES TO LAWS.
Most Legislators Fail to Get Moro Than
Temporary Fame Thereby.

Temporary Fame Thereby.
1t Is said to be the ambition OF nearly every
American legislator, who devotes himself dill
gently to the business Of law making To give his
name to some popular or important code. law.
or statute Yet the fact IS that few public
measures. even those OF most Importance. are
after n lapse OF years remembered in connec-
tion with tho individual responsible for their
adoption. Comparatively few persons at pres
rut. for instance, remember that the Inter-
State Commerce Commission bill was for many
years known IA the Thurman law, named
after Allen q. Thurman. u United States
Senator. and candidate for the Vice.
Presidency in 1879. Very few remem Der
that the Chinese Exclusion bill was when uu-
der consideration in Congress, known as the
Gcary law. Mr.. Geary was a California Con-
gresham. In like manner the Federal Civil
Service law. introduced In the Senate in 1882
and passed BY the House Of Representatives in
1888, was long known as the Pendleton bill.
but it is probable that few persons now remem-
her pendleton Yet Mr.. Pendleton was a can
dictate for Vice President OF the United States
on the Democratic ticket in 1864. tho most
formidable candidate before the date OF the
convention for President in 1903. 4 candidate
for Governor OF Ohio. for six years a United
States Senator from that State aud a'terward
United States Minister To Germany
In the smaller field OF State legislation the
expectations Of ambitious statesmen to be
forever known" rs the champions and de-
Tenders OF certain bills are equally marked but.
in most eases. with like results. The applica-
ton To voting IN New York Of the siralinn
system of marked ballots furnished by tho
Y. SnXtnn. Md tho bill a. originally offered
ant AZ inally pa-,;ed IN lS'W was known as
in pracica al, op%ration for less than ten ' years
how many persons remember Mr. SnNtnn as the
author Of ~ Their" are pr9bahiy very few
expected to lmn orta!2e. in New York a. least.
its author senator Cantor. l. provided for n
schedule tax on pu lie franchises applying to
all the railroads IN the State. 1t was thought tn
so.yc. n an equitable way. many problems a.
t. the hestownl ct and the layment Tor street
franchises. but there are now very few persons
who connect Mr.. Cantor with this measure or
hGNye any, know"dse Of its provisions,
known as the FOLEY biiI, named after the
s"mhly The Foley bill was Tor some time the
subject mt only Of political controversy. | u
81 legal mierrr"ation as WELL II r"mai y,.i
~ the lainc4 I'LL. but was not long r"mom-
b red as the Foley bill. The present gu, cess
changed the excise system Of the State and
produced such new coEdit' n. stands better
chancs than most laws Of keeriug It's author :
Horton law, relating TO fond tons under which
STARRING contests may be he,d in this State is
tnir"d its authors name. especially among the
class OF citizens which 1t most affects
Recently Il member OF the state Senate intro
durnd what was known as the Ahcarn bill"
Regarding the salaries OF the teachers en-
pny"d in New York schools. measure which
might not uurrasonubly lie expected to popu-
lnriAr its champion. in view OF the fact, AS
shown by the H-t annual report OF the Board
OF Education that the number Of teachers EN-
poyed in tho borouGhs of MtGhnttpn aud the
Bronx is D 49,, the borough of Brooklyn $500.
exclusive Of those in evening schools and in
the borough OF Richmond PIG Queens county
not included. Fora time 1t seemed probable
that the Ahearn school Lin would continue
t. be n wul!-known measure, but another
hill. introduced by the same Senator In
the same. sea- on, the 20 for, tho re.
The EXPENSES incurrod in defending them
selves on criminal charges. afterward dis
missed. has provoked such n storm OF CEN
sure as to cloud the consideration OF one
Ahoarn bill by the attention given to the other.
Oddly enough Mr.. hhearn. who Is "A veteran
legislator. is Il candidate for sheriff Of New
York "a succeed Mr. Dunn, and the Ahearn bill
relating to the salaries OF srhooltcachPrs was
depended mon by some of his friends TO add
10 the demand for his nomlna'ion. whereas the
notoriaty Of the other Ahearn bill may. in tho
opinion OF some local politicians. be an obsta-
Gle 10 the consideration Of his name for tho
Democratic nomination to the lucrative office
OF Sheriff