New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-04-04
SENATE PASSES TAX BILLS.
BOTH JAIIMED THROUGH.
Strict Party YOtes- Elsberg Yigor~
Ously attacks Measures.
1sV TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIHuxE.I

night by strict party vote and in the face Of
the most sensational opposition of the New-York
City members, eliminating in the declaration BY
Senator Elsberg that all hope of carrying New
York City this fall in the NIayOraIty election
was being deliberately sacrificed The meas
ures were passed by a strict party vote Of SO
to IA, Senators Malby. Burr and Stevens being
absent
The decision to put the measures through to-
night was reached soon as il became known
that as result of a meeting of the Republican
Executive Committee Of Kings County the Re-
publican legislators tomorrow would ask Gov
ernOr Higgins to intervene and prevent the
passage Of both measures but particularly the
mortgage tax.
Faced with this sudden and unexpected situa-
ton and bound by caucus agreement the Re
publican Senators from New-YOrk headed By
Senator Elsberg, attacked the measures with a
bitterness that exceeded that Of the Democrats.
but in the end remained true to their Dartv
caucus. The speech of Senator EIsberg was one
OF the most startling declarations heard in the
Senate this year. Rising in his place after Sen
ators Grady and Raines had exhausted the par-
tisan phases of the proposed legislation, and
senators White and Lewis had urged the
passage Of the bills. Senator EIsberg said:
suppose shall vote for the passage Of tbeo.
bills, because bound by my caucus af-ree-
ment from which 1 shall not seek to eScane
BuI cannot help rising in my place here to
n
RePubllcan party has entered into this policy
ana VIII insist on enacting this legislation in
oeuahce or the strong sentiment that has de-
them "sNi9'
What 2 you do Is to take class Of citizens in
1NeW-iOIk and single them out. Where do YOU
md that class elsewhere? The business Won
propose to tax is located in New-York City. and
II II II We're not you would not want 20 tax it
Inc growing tendency under the Indirect sys-
tenn IS to get larger share of taxation than
Is ialr from the city OF New-YOrk. Now I
don't want to put the Republican party in the
nole- am discussing party programme buf
II seems to this ought to be called 4 biU n,
mt he la ror,o q Dil1 ~
New York out Of business. When this IegisIa
ture assembled there was a time when it looked
as II we could elect Republican-Or at least an
I u-Iammany mayor But the Republicans In
lnls oody seem TO be trying to do everything
possible to make this impossible.
PEOPLE MAKE THEIR OWN ISSUES"
why don't you make an issue on anti-Tam-
many and anti-Wall Street and winT' inter-
| rupted Senator White. IF you will make that
issue you will sweep the city
Senator Elsberg replied as follows:
Let me tell the Senator that in the constftu-
| ency represent the people make their own is
| sues; they don't submit TO having them made
/ Tor them by rural legislators. If you want To
enact legislation so that there will be no Repub-
Lcan party left in the city. il il Will simply be
a case OF all people standing together AGAINST
the asgressions from the other parts OF the
state All you have got to do is to continue the
/ way you are going.
state Is growing, and it is continually necessary
for US to get more revenue. The bills you now
/ pass may last two years then you will become
dissatlsfed again and go hunting for more reve-
nue-and the programme will be to get some
other class in the city. This is not wise politics
lhat you are playing, for It is not correct policy
/ You car keep on with this policy until you make
IT possible. as it was once before. that there
/ SEa!I be not a single Republican in this body to
represent the great city of New-York: but as
long 1 hold my seat in this body Won shall
not do this without my sounding the note oP
l n y0ra fOr.
bound by caucus; but 1 want to say that if there
was one-half the opposition to them in upstate
regions you would have recaUcused long ago
and UnCauCused.
Senator Ranes broke in. and. after some
words, declared suddenly:
DO you not cOncede that the question is not
how the money is raised, but how it is spent?'
To this Senator Elsberg replied:
do not. and 1 am surprised to hear the Sen
ator say that. There is a well defined sentiment
in New-YOrk City that, while he says this bill
I mean the mortgage taX-wiu lift the burden
from homes in the State. that in reality il will
lay a great burden on the homes of poor people.
greater than can be measured by any save one
coming from that city You making a mis-
lahe tns consequence OF Whlch You Will later
regret by the passage or these bills You are
offending not merely the Democratic or ths
Republican part OF the city, but great ma
jOrity of the sentiment Of the whole city.
Senator Page of New-York City. followed
with a similar statement that he was voting for
Gus rule, and declared. further, that he voted
unwillingly and reluctantly.
Senator SAKE, of New-YOrk, followed with the
startling declaration that the measures. so far
as the Republican Senators from New-YOrk CITY
were concerned, ought TO be described as bills
making them commit hari kari term which I
explain as meaning diSembOwling themselves at
the command of the Emperor" But Senator's
SAKE. Page and EIsberg voted for the bills.
SEVERAL HOURS OF DELIBERATION.
Prior TO this there were several hours Of de-
liberation. in which Senator Raines dominated
the supporters Of the pill and Senator Grady
the opposition Senator Marks offered an
amendment, providing for a tax Of So on each
telephone receiver and 80 cents on each gas
meter He raised a laugh by declaring the bills
were merely attempts TO "yank the leg OF New
York City" The amendments were lost
Senator Hinman declared that he was glad 90
vote for any bill ''yanking the leg Of New-YOFS
City. since the city had recently yanked the leg
Of the State TO pay for the $lO1, 100000 barge
canal" Then the bill went through BY a vote
of 33 to "A. and the mortgage tax bin was
called up.
The debate on this was brief as the hour was
late Senator Cassidy offered an amendment ex-
empting building and loan associations. a sugges-
ton that has found favor recently. but Il was
defeated. Senator TUlly being the only other Re-
pubIican supporting it, The vote on the amend
ment was 35 70 16. The same vote was recorded
on this measure as on the stock tax the SS Re
publicans present voting for il and the Il Dem
Ocrats against H.
This viii be our answer TO the protests OF
New-York City" said Republican leader Just
before the bills came up. 1t was generally In
terpreted as a definite attempt to stop the press