New-York tribune., 1900-04-07
THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

The session of the Legislature which ended
yesterday in marked contrast to that of last
year. The machine worked more smoothly and
the Governor was more polite. Instead Of
striving at cross purposes with party leaders
and now and then forcing their hand, he ar
ranged the programme with them in spirit of
concession, and found it convenient to want
what he could get without indulging in such
peremptory measures he used to secure fran
chiSe taxation. This course doubtless by
him considered wise, In view of the approaching
election of a President and Governor. The re-
suit has been session more than usually har-
monious. Struggle few bills carried
TO the point of bitterness. Nobody was so
strenuous for any reform to make lasting
trouble to secure it, and the traditional
trading free lances restrained their appetite for
holding up the majority within unusually mod
crate limits
When the work of the session is viewed in
the light of promises it is meagre indeed, but
not on that account necessarily bad. The much
heralded tax revision found a deserved and
unhonOred grave. That other ambitious output
of the government by commission system, the
educational unfcaton scheme, met like fate.
The reports of the Canal Commission and the
State Commerce Commission from which so
much hoped, have received no due consid-
GRAFTON. Except for the passage yesterday under
an emergency message from Mr.. Platt or the
bill for a canal survey at a cost of 100000 the
session would have been barren, so far these
great subjects of public interest went While
these failures were more desirable than the
rushing through Of some of the crude schemes
under consideration, they melancholy
amples of the incOmpetency of Legislatures, as
they are at present constituted, TO deal intelli-
gently with the real problems of statecraft. And
unfortunately delegation of lawmaking to pri-
vate commissions seems to give as little promise
of a good substitute for legislative statesman
ship, for reports of commissions rarely are ac-
cepted by the lawmakers, and too frequently
the tax and educational questions, they
not worth accepting. The most prominent
piece of general lawmaking which stands to the
credit of TINS Legislature is the repeal of the
Horton law which permits prizefghting. That
secured only under great pressure of public
opinion, and its virtue was partially offset by
the success of the gamblers in defeating all
laws against policy playing.
New-York City is to have charter revision
the value of which cannot yet be foretold. AS
for special legislation, it has been perhaps as
well treated could be expected, in view of
the proved devotion of Mr. Platt to Ramapo in
terests The Fallows bill gives the Controller
voice in making any water contract, but if the
Mayor is correct in his opinion of the greater
old law than was supposed by the Tammany men
themselves last summer, it may be doubted If
the Ramapo company made much concession to
the taxpayers in permitting the bills passage
The organization would do nothing more In this
direction, even though the city Is helpless to
extend its water supply except by making terms
with the Ramapo people, and the Governors
harmony policy prevented his forcing the right
action against the organizations wishes. For
the passage Of the Confession of Judgments bill
the Legislature is entitled to credit but in the
last days of the session several vicious local
measures were rushed through among them
one permitting the purchase of the Rainey bridge
franchise.
The generally negative virtues of the Lecis-
lature in the way Of solving great problems of
public Interest or responding to local needs are
complemented with positive virtue That
is a low tax rate 1t is 90 mills as against
2.49 last year With one exception that Is the
lowest since 1856. The exception was in 1891.
when the war refund of $1,000 900 from the
Federal Government was used to pay State
expenses. This years general tax is reduced a
similar amount by an unexpected increase In
the Inheritance tax receipts. SO Democratic
economy of 1891 is fairly equalled by Republi-
can economy in 1900. Low taxes are appre-
cated by the people, more in the country
than In the cities and, after the usual disap-
pontment over the failure of some good and the
enactment of some bad measures has been for
gotten the Republican party will be strong be-
fore the voters on the record of economy IN
spending the peoples money