Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-21
ALL HURT BY HUGHES
State Legislators Dumfounded
by Governors independence.
REPENT PRESS GAG RULE
Senators Have Many Explanations to
Make to Country Editors.
SOME IMPORTANT MEASURES
Ballot Reform to Have Hearing
and Other Important Bills Ex-
pected This Week.
SOME IMPORTANT MEASURES

ana OCnor important Bills Elk
pected This Week.
ALBANY, N. T., January 21.-Standing
out prominently in the last few days in
cidents at the capitol are Gov. Hughes ap-
pofntment of former Senator Frederick c..
Stevens a. superintendent of public works
and the senate's adoption of q press gag
rule.
The Stevens appointment dumfounded the
senate. But the emotions OF that more or
less dignif1ed body on this subject are in
teresting only as they bear witness to the
ernor is exercising in making his appoint
ments.
Mr.. Stevens had been gerrymandered out
of the senate by forces which are still in
control Of that body. Mr.. Stevens, while
senator, had trampled on the pet plans and
prerogatives of John Raines. the majority
leader. At home he had aroused the fear
of James w. Wadsworth, ST.. the retiring
representative in the thirty-fourth congress
sional district, regarding his plans for
indefinitely.
So there was general combination of
forces at Albany, including the "old
guard among the republican leaders and
. also newer recruits like James w. Wads-
worth. jr, speaker of the assembly, to wipe
out Mr.. Stevens politically.
Mr.. Stevens turn came later when. last
fall. taking advantage of the public senti-
ment against the elder Wadsworth because
the beef inspection question. he supported
an independent candidate against the rep
resentative. which resulted in Mr.. Wads-
worth'S defeat.
But the state end of the Wadsworth ma
chine was still in condition with young Jim
as speaker and with g. P. Hooker and 8.
?. Franchot as senator's. and with Mr..
Stevens out Of Office. 30. after all its ef-
forts to keep Mr.. Stevens out of public
life, the "old guard" may be pardoned for
expressing little emotion to see him
placed at the head Of one of the most Inn
portant appointive offices in the state gov
eminent, an Office which spends $1,000 O0
a year and which gives employment to
1400 men during the canal season. But,
besides this, this office, for the next ten
years. will plan an important part In the
building of the SOL. 100000 barge canal.
No Politics in Appointment.
There was no politics in the appointment.
so far as Gov. Hughes is concerned. The
governor had no idea of hurting the house
Of Wordsworth. Neither had he any inten-
ton Of helping along the house Of Stevens.
He wanted good man to run the Office of
superintendent OF public works and he be-
lieved Mr.. Stevens to be the best man for
the place.
Shortly after election he sent an emissary
to Mr.. Stevens to ask him IL he would con-
slider the job. Mr.. Stevens was at Washing
ton at the time, busy with the affairs of
wealthy man. with business interests scat
tered all over the country, and who spends
half his time on railroad trains, said he
could not afford to take the job; but in the
nd prayaflpd him n n
cept 1t.
Gov Hughes knows Mr.. Stevens working
capacity. They were associated in the gas
investigation in New York city. Mr.. Stew
ems took up the work of his new state job
the latter part of the week and announced
that the department Is to be run strictly on
business principles. Meanwhile the Wads-
worth contingent is wondering Just where
it is att
It's safe betting that the senators are
sorry now they adopted press gag rule
last Tuesday. A hue and cry has gone up
all over the state about this blow at the
freedom of the press, and in every corner OF
the commonwealth the senators are explain
ing in long interviews in their home news
papers that it really isn't press gag rule.
but something for the benefit of the press.
All over they are handing out taf1y, tell
ing each newspaper that 1t isn't that pa
pers reliable correspondent they are after,
but some one else.
The rule the senate adopted is very cow
aTUty. IL putB tiC dDboiueO PV"Se VI SJSSN"
ing a newspaper correspondent in the hands
of Lafayette B. Gleason, the clerk. SO
any senator, desiring to be relieved from
the odium Of putting out newspaper man
who has told the truth about him can bring
influence to bear to have the clerk do the
unpleasant part of the work.
All hands about the capitol are wondering
what q certain element in the senate is
planning to do this year when 1t Is threat
ening the newspaper men SO early In the
session.
Cannot Gag the Press.
An amusing feature of the whole incident
is that the application of the brand new
remedy of the senators for avoiding news
paper criticism cannot be in anywise eff
fective Even If every newspaper man
should be shut out Of the chamberlain
that is not at all likely-the sources would
not be closed to the information upon which
the criticising articles are written.
1t is not the publication of what the SEN
atOrs do and say in the open sessions that
bothers a certain element SO much What
It objects to is the publication Of news
gained outside the chamber. whici: shows
up little deals and games for taking ad-
vantage of the public.
The last week was busy one, and yet
the legislature has not yet got down to
actual work. District Attorney Jerome
bling by having bills introduced declaring
that kind Of betting to be an offense under
the criminal law, as well as pool room bet
ting With both kinds of betting made a
misdemeanor, the district attorney hopes
to stamp them out. Senator Agnew and
Assemblyman Stanley introduced the bills.
The Massachusetts ballot reform bill was
introduced by Senator Page and a nearing
on it will be arranged shortly before the
senate judiciary committee.
The long-heralded bill for the reform of
New York citys police department arrived
during the week. It abolishes the detective
b,,ro nd q office of inSDQct0r and gives
the commissioner the right to make tenn
porary designations OIL detectives and of in
spectors. In this way the commissioner
hopes to obtain better control OF the de-
partment.
xxaH a N a1AHAE ANAnElGX