Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-02
HUGHES MEETS DEFEAT
SENATE ADMINISTERS ANOTHER
BLOW IN THE KELSEY MATTER.

ALBANY, N. Y, May 2.-Once more yes
terday, in the tremendous fight which is
rending the republican party of the state of
New York, Gov. Hughes went down in de-
feat before the combination of State Senators
Raines, McCarren and Grady, representing
the old republican machine, the Brooklyn
democratic organization and Tammany. By
vote of. 35 to 16, a surprisingly large one
for the friends of Insurance Superintendent
Otto Kelsey, the senate refused to amend
the report of the committee on judiciary by
excluding counsel from appearing.
In all probability the senate today will re-
fuse to declare vacant the place held by Mr..
Kelsey. The chances last night were that
the senate will defeat the governor by a
majority of five or six. OF course, the senate
Is dealing with a man whose methods are
quite as novel, though on different lines. as
those of Mr.. Roosevelt, and even the friends
of Kelsey frankly stated that they will not
feel safe until the vote is actually recorded.
But the best estimate that can be made by
the friends Of the governor Is twenty-six
votes, a bare majority, while al other in
formation that could be obtained was that
Kelsey will have anywhere from twenty
seven to thirty votes. He needs twenty six
But the governor himself yesterday gave
the senate taste Of his mettle, when, al
most as soon as the adverse vote had been
recorded he sent Unexpectedly to the legis.a-
ture, through his secretary, Robert H. Full
Ter. long message calling up the ghost of
the reapportionment bill. The governor.
when asked why he had sent this message
at this particular time, refused to give any
reason. but 1t was regarded everywhere in
the capitol as showing of the big stick"
10 t1A snk
ernor has made since he entered Office 1t is
perhaps unjust to call 1t threat, but it was
certainly making clear to the legislature
that, come what may, Mr.. Hughes will Insist
upon the consideration and passage of a
constitutional. reapportionment of the sena-
tortal districts at this session, and that he
must be reckoned with on this matter by all
the senators whose districts will be changed
and who will be compelled by this action to
go before the people Of the state this fall
to answer to their constituents. In this way
the senate when 1t comes to vote today
will have staring it in the face the fact that
1t cannot escape making this reapportion-
ment. and that IL will have to answer at
the polls a year In advance of the time the
senators expected.
The sudden injection OF this question has
created almost as much commotion as did
the Kelsey matter. Only last night Senator
Raines was exhibiting an opinion Of an emf
nent member OF the constitutional conyen-
ton Of 1894 that there could be really no
legal apportionment until the session of
1909. Only yesterday morning members Of
the cabal that is defeating the governor
were claiming that If they had to have re-
apportionment it could be made by concur
rent resolution Of both houses, which would
not have to go to the governor for approval
And here came the governor with q plain
message stating that the reapportionment
must be made, and indicating that he would
take a hand in seeing that 1t safeguarded
ali ~ fpfa cfc Of fl,A tot
opposition worry and slightly interfered
with the jubiiation over the crushing defeat
that had been suffered by the administra-
tion forces earlier In the day.