Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-17
CONFLICT AT ALBANY
Insurgent Republicans Pre-
 vent Bakers Confirmation.
A BITTER DEBATE FOR TWO HOURS
Senator BracI<ett Makes R scnsntion- al Attack on Senator PIatt In Giving His Reasons For
 Opposition.

ALBANY, N. Y, April 17.-Senators Bracket Brown and Elsberg, the three anti-Platt Republicans in the upper house of the legislature, yesterday pre- vented the confirmation of Frank M. Baker as a member of the state rail- road commission, and MT. Bakers name, which was sent to the senate by by vote of S6 to 28.
 Senator Ambler, Republican, of Chat ham, also voted against confirmation, making four Republicans who voted with the twenty-two Democrats.
 Not in years has the senate witnessed such a bitter debate In the ranks of the Republican party. The three insurgent Republicans poured hot shot into their associates Of the majority and the or ganization leaders replied in kind. The factions riddled each other with ugly personalities. Once the lie was passed. On both sides the most intense hatred was at all times in evidence, while for more than two hours the conflict ragged.
 The railroad committee did not re- port the nomination, and Senator Gra- uy AlOfCO tO UlECllHl EC &AiG NOAllAAtSCC from further consideration of the mat ter.
 The rejection of this nomination of Governor Odell came as climax to series of political sensations which be- gan with the trio of Republican inde- pendents voting against the reelection of United States Senator Thomas c. Platt, and the action yesterday after noon is considered of the greatest po- litical significance.
 Senator Bracket, explaining his req son for voting against Bakers confir- nation, said among other things:
 "Mr. Baker Is simply pawn on the chessboard He is pleasant person. ality and an affable gentleman, and my action today is not one of personal affront or enmity toward him, nor should it be taken as a reflection on his ability or integrity. I am animated by higher motive. I voted as Re publican whose Republicanism has never been questioned until today, when the senator from the Forty-sec- ond (Raines) has seen fit to read me out of the party. But I question his right or power to do any such thing.
 q vote against this nomination in protest of the sewage and filth that is being poured upon the head of our worthy governor through the agents of the man who inspired this nomination. And I vote against this nomination to emphasize my disapproval of the ac- tions of the man who causes the seal of party approval to be placed on any measure when certain attorneys are engaged In favor of bills. And Ivote against this with the same reason as | refused to vote for his reelection as the senior senator, who organized this senate before it had met and then when 1t did meet impudently an- nounced his selections and forced them upon us.
 Tn conclusion I wish to call atten- ton to the prediction made earlier in the session that a tremendous chaos would result from the action of the senior senator in forcing certain or ganiZation of the senate upon us, and I call attention to the fact that the pre- diction has been fulfilled"
 Late in the day Governor Odell sent to the senate the name of George w. Morgan at present an assistant district attorney of New York county, to sue ceed John McCullagh as superintend- ent of elections.
 The nomination was the occasion of another defeat of the Republican ma jority at the hands of the Democrats, aided by the independent three. X When the nomination was ready, Lieutenant Governor Higgins referred 1t to the committee on finance
 There was wrangle between Sena- tors Malby, Raines, Grady, McCarren, Elsberg and Bracket, the former two contending that the nomination was now in the hands of the finance conn mittee and could only be given the Judiciary committee, Of which Senator Bracket is chairman and Senators Elsberg and E. R. Brown are mem bers, by a motion to discharge. Such motion was made and carried, % to 24, the three so called insurgents voting with the Democrats.
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