New-York tribune., 1908-04-04
PRESSUREQN SENATORS
R1CING PEOPLE 4CTIPE.
Rnnes in Charge of BdIs-Gorernof
TO Enter Fight.
fBy Telegraph to The Tribun. ]

IBy Telegraph o The Tribune
Albany April 3.-LegisIative circles here
buzzed to-day with stories OF the Desperate.
frantic efforts being made by the racing people
to switch Republican Senators who have voted
against racetrack gambling from that artituds
to anita gonism Of the Agnew-Hart bills 10 wipe
out that evil If before Wednesday the racing
interests have not induced two Senators to
abandon their present stand the bills surely viii
be passed
Four RepubIicans-Cassidy Of Schuyler; Hill,
of Erie: Gates of Madison. and Foelker. OF
Kings-who voted against the NcCarren Sep
tenber amendment Wednesday. and Knapp.
of Essex. and Cfrattan, Of Albany. who voted
with the racing forces then. but have announced
their intention to vote for the Governors biiis,
are the objects of attack
Threats to defeat Foelker for denomination
have been made TO him. coupled with promises OF
support in case he votes to kill the anti gam
bling bills Pressure from Grattau's political
organization is being used TO make him change
his attitude on the bills Knapps political or
ganzation in Essex County is being brought into
play and Walter witherbee. of the Republi-
can powers in Essex is hotIy after him vote
against this legislation Gates. "a wealthy
banker is being assailed by pressure from Ousi-
ness interests. Threats and promises of many
kinds are being hurled at Cassidy and Hill
If Sullivan. Grady and McCarren could keep
Knapp and Grattan their side. as they were
on the September I proposition. and switch one
other Senator they could defeat the bills
Privately men who labOrins TO retain gam
bling at the tracks express the greatest conf
dence of victory. either with these men or others
Hughes predict that the bills will be passed
by vote OF - or -, perhaps more
Stories that if the situation became critical
Senator Raines would call caucus and thus
put the Republicans who wanted to vote with
the racing interests in the position OF bolting
their party caucus, were afoat to-day. The
veteran majority leader said he hadn't contem-
plated such a thing because he didn't believe It
necessary
Il am confident the bills will be passed said
he and by a bigger vote than that which killed
McCarren's amendment. know how these mea
are going to stand. l had telegram from
wilcox saying he was coming from Colorado.
where his son is III. to Auburn. where Mrs VIII
cox is seriously i'll. but that if it were humanity
possible he would be here on Wednesday And
he'll vote for the bills" predicted the temporary
president enphatically-
Senator Raines is now in charge of the bills
and the campaign has assumed the shape OF a
party fight just short OF the seal of the caucus.
Yesterday in asking to have the bills come up
on Wednesday instead of Monday night ne said
the floor of the senate VIII ma Se MY Setl
personally responsible that no harm comes from
this additional delay" That guarantee is worth
much.
Governor Hughes will take hand in the bat
tie in a speech which he now expects to deliver
on Monday evening before the Brooklyn League
This at least is the interpretation put here on
the announcement made tonight that he had
decided to accept the invitation of the league
which was one of the pioneer organizations IN
the movement to abolish the legal protection OF
public gambling at racetracks in this state IL
had been understood that the Governor would b.
una bic to accept the leagues invitation. and the
announcement was not made until this evening
that he had decided to go
There is an impression here that Governor
Hughes NAV take the occasion Monday night
also 10 discuss the permissive direct nomina-
tfons bill The Assembly yesterday by large
ma jority refused to take the bill from the Com
mittee on Judiciary. which had voted not TO
report it The bill is now under the control Of
the Committee on Rules. into whose hands ths
making up of the Assembly calendars passes
en- Monday The measure has been twice recon-
mended by the Governor in his message The
Senate passed il twice last year and each time
it was defeated by the Assembly
Notwithstanding all this. the situation is still
sertous Vague stories of the weakening Of
various Senators drift around the Capitol. in
possible OF confirmation YET sufficient 70 cause
considerable anxiety TO the friends of the egis-
Iation Reports that the racing people even in
tend 10 attack this legislation in the courts. II
IL is Dassed abound Nobody who has Wit
messed the sights in the hotel corridors and the
legislative Iobbies. even in the Senate Chamber
itself in the last week has the slightest doubt
about the willingness of the racetraCk interests
To so to any extreme TO get even half sea
sons racing under present conditions There
fore the friends of the Governors project are
watching every Senator who is under attack
quite as closely as the racing forces themselves.
fearing lest the desertiOn of one or two from
their side bring defeat a the last moment