New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-08
IafpArLENCE WITH REFORM.

The Democratic press is full Of abuse or Gov
ernor Higgins and the legislature because they
do not with the precision and speed Oh d wen
oiled political machine, turn out ready iia a
laws on demand. There is even uscerhipAe
among Republicans certain unrest ana olspo
sition to say that somebody ought TO De III Al
bany to take command. So Tar have we drnteo
from the spirit of last November, when tne
voters declared emphatically that they did not
want benevolent despotism but old fashioned
commemorative government Six weeks ago the
Renublican legislature was organized on Il re-
form basis with the distinct purpose or WORK
ING in harmony with this manifestation OF the
popular will Even Governor Higgins was de-
nounced as q boss because in response 10 uie
invitation of various candidates he indicated MS
choice for Speaker and rallied the divided FORCES
of reform into union. Now many of bis crlucS
OF last month are equally capdous III Diainins
him for not bossing the legislature ana secu-
ing quick results" Patience and consistency
both require a different attitude toward him
and toward an Embossed legislature which is
unable to transact business with machinelike
rapidity and lack OF debate.
Contrasting the present situation with that
when everything at the Capitol was done I'M
der orders from Mr.. Plat or Mr.. Odell, the
Albany correspondent of 1.-The New-York Even
ing Post" said the other day:
Mr.. Higgins fatty refuses to follow the tradi-
ton IT will be Governor" he says; let the
legislature be the Legislature. 1t Is such a
simple thing to understand. Without boss and
fancy free, the legislature Is invited TO go aneau
and pass laws as the constitution direc.ea , nus
there is a. break somewhere. the members
stand still and look at each other. They Whisper
among themselves. They wait for orders. Inc
men of experience for the most part Know no
other way They know how to do what they
are told. Now that no one tells them, tney are
lost They read the Governors interviews, they
h i'm thaIy
Won for the word of command and 1t doesn't
come. Then they get disturbed and oegin TO
demand that some one be put on the orlose ;
some one. any one. but some one meantime
legislation backs up and people begin to WONDER
if the change from the boss Is worth while'
after all. The boss certainly did things
We are not sure that worthy things are not
being done much more than the correspondent
imagines and that the confusion is not exag-
gerated; but no doubt legislators and people
have a tendency to lean on somebody. and hate
to stand by themselves. If they will stand by
themselves they will have the government
which they want and which the people voted
they were going to have hereafter. But such
government means discussion, divided counsel.
delay. 1t does not mean the approval OF meas
ures fated to pass either in party headquar-
tiers or executive chamber before their intro
duction. Are the people ready to pay the
price? Did they mean what they said? Are
they too tickle to support those trying TO carry
out their own purposes during the period Of
initial tribulation? 1.-THE Evening POST corre-
spondent, who has himself been extremely crtti-
cal of Republican reform at Albany, thus puts
the case:
1t is a fair statement Of the present situation.
then that if it persist 1t will ultimately
make for better and ADLER legislators and for
more representative legislation. The danger
is that long before 1t develop to this the
bosses will come back. supported by the senti-
ment of the tickle throng that yesterday dis
missed them. GO in and clean the thing up
for US and let the legislature adjourn" the
party will say to or some old boss
As he says: 1.-The decent and able men-and
they are many-are working to have a rep
"resentative legislature do its work in a repre-
sentative fashion. But already the party and
"the public are complaining" Those who wish
for partisan or fractional reasons to discredit
this reform complain of set purpose. Some
others who mean well may complain carelessly,
but no good citizen has a right to be thus
less and lightly impatient. He has no right to
ask quick and snowy practical results at the
sacrifice of a moral advance, and if he will
think seriously he will realize that every step
toward despotism in the party meant a moral
recession of the party and the community. Gov
ernor Higgins and the members of the legs-
lature in sympathy with the new movement
are doing a valuable work under great difficult
ties and are entitled to the encouragement and
support OF all right thinking men.