New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-17
4 WISE AND FAITHFUL GOVERNOR.

The termination OF the period OF thirty days
| following the end of the session permits a def
| mite and complete view to be taken of those
| features of legislation which have commanded
public attention. 1t is possible that some meas
ures have been enacted which time Will prove
TO be unnecessary and unwise. but there is at
present no reason to suppose that any serious
harm has been DONE either by accident or de-
sign, which will come to light hereafter. The
record of the session, as now completed by
Governor Odell. is creditable to the party re
sponsible for the winters work at Albany.
As invariably happens. many bad bills were
introduced in the course of the session. but
nearly all of them We're defeated. and those
which survived have been resolutely put out
of the way by the Governor \ year ago the
only bills of cOnspicuously obnoxious charac-
ter which were passed in the face of general
public protest were the Remsen Gas bill and the
LHOmmedieu transportation job. The former
disapproved by Mayor Low and the latter
was vetoed by Governor Odcll. It is an inter
esting circumstance that the Kemsen bill. in
a somewhat less Objectionable form, was again
subjected 10 official scrutiny i'm behalf of the
people of this city. and they are not likely to
forget that Tammany Mayor gave Repub-
lican Governor the opportunity of defending
their interests The Niagara Power bill. in re
spect 10 the large and underlined privileges
which it bestowed and the sacrifices which
it was calculated 10 exact from the pub
lie resembled the L'Hommedieu bill of n year
ago. and we have never doubted that its fate
would be the same. Governor Odell was com
PEELED To resist strong personal pressure from
its hackers and to reject the plea OF political
expcdiency but he had no difficulty in writing
veto message in which our friends the enemy
are AT perfect liberty 10 look Tor campaign ma
terial If they fit. \ sound piece Of rea-
soning throughout. il is particularly effective
in its answer TO the specious argument that
because many lucrative franchises have been
given away in the past it IS unfair TO draw
the line against npaciOus schemes at this late
day.
The only act of tine Governor, since the adj
journment of the legislature left him in full
control. which is likely TO provoke adverse criti-
cism from disinterested sources is his approval
Of the bill which prevents this city from draw
ing streams in Duchess County for adj
ditiOnal water supply. Though we see as yet
10 signs OF q renewal Of the immoderate ha-
rangues with which injudicous opponents of
the bill sought to strengthen their position,
some persons may continue honestly to believe
that the permanent welfare of one-half the
people OF the State has been threatened in
order to save n few minor interests from i'm
aginary dangers. But we do not think sober
view Of the matter will sustain that opinion.
1t is true that our municipal authorities have
expressed the intention of fully protecting the
rights Of citizens of Duchess County in every
way. and especially 10y securing 10 them an
ample and continuous supply of water for all
local uses, instead OF alternating excess and
deficiency; but there was guarantee that
this design and voluntary promise would be
carried out. The Governor doubts ii an emer-
gency demanding immediate action has arisen.
If he had believed that his approval of the ex-
emption bill would necessarily cause disas-
trous delay, he might have taken the opposite
course but he appears 10 us TO have had a suf-
fcient warrant for putting the responsibility
Of determining that question on the city Of New
York by Offering to call an extra session of the
Legislature 10 deal with the question if official
and public opinion here demands action before
next January. If, in the judgment Of the mu-
nicipal authorities our situation is perilous.
they can proceed at once 10 obtain relief
In his approval of a measure which was loud
~ condemned. not less than in his vetoes of
schemes which powerful interests cntreated him
10 sign, Governor OdelI has evinced high and
intelligent regard for the reputation and the
welfare Of the State.