New-York tribune., 1908-04-13
CRISIS FOR GOVERNOR
PROGRAMME IN DANGER.
Hnrd Fighting Alone Can Turn
Detect Into Fictory.
fRv Telegraph to The Tribune. J
nc q r-nS,,l Z

-. At This session of the Legislature If the
sent bitterness of his antagonists is not
tsa+s5 bv a wholesale uprising of public senti-
o., in support Of the Governor it may not fare
much better al the extraordinary sesSlol- WHICH
.ha Governor viii call.
~...or,or Hughes as experienced political OBJ
-..a-e here view the situation. is now at the
- critical point in his official career His
-. cherished project beaten. his friends in the
-.o5slature seemingly helpless. the Governors
-9oc,iyeness and official reputation practically
= q, stake Only the hardest kind of fighting
:. everv step of the way can turn his present
so.as+ into q victory. The Governor will fight
s.enerate,v. and his fight may play large part
o.o-5 the success or failure of the Republican
party this fan -. .o,,. ,,.,,o ~.
- his reform measures in the Legislature
s +bs group of big men who fought his Pub
.. ce-yice commissions bill last year. and are
,arrs1v interested in fighting his anti-gambling
,rassrres this year, we'll as the men who
gsnt 10 see him go TO political death-realize
.L., q victory on the gambling issue will carry
l.n q, victory in almost all his other projects.
,vT.cOHIsM OF VESTED INTERESTS
= &c almost impossible to eXaggerate the in
,.ns,v of antagonism toward the Governor
Manifested by his legislative and political OPP
,oner,s and the vested interests which per-
sis- In declaring that he is wild-eyed organ
;zer Of raids on their especial preserves so IN
Aueptial are these men and the interests behind
hon that The Governors friends would have lost
rons entirely II il were not for the substantial
svnrort which the plain American voters gave to
bir7 last wear on the public service bill and the
,nDci fercer sentiment which has been aroused
b,- the temporary defeat of the anti-racetrack
gambling measures. AS il is. they say they eN-
rect. 10 see the Governor become the leader OF
sudden mighty popular movement which by It's
farce shall coerce the Legislature into acknowl-
e5gment that there is a greater power than the
political boss or the vested interests.
Two weeks remain before the date of adjourn
r7ent agreed on by the Legislature. The Gov
ernor,s anti-gamblng bills have failed OF passage
by the grace Of several Republicans who voted
against the majority Of their party representa-
,iyes The important banking reform measures
drafted by Superintendent Clark Williams of
the stat, Banking Department as a result of
last autumn's disastrous panic are still hung up
in The Senate. The extensions of the Public Ser
vice commissions law seem destined to fail OF
massage. and there is much doubt whether, if
passed in the shape in which the Assembly com
rnittee reported them. they would be accepted by
Goy-erno,- Hughes Much doubt exists whether
any legislation 10 facilitate the building OF new
subv-avs in New York City will be passed. The
bDried fathonas deep. with Speaker Wadsworth
sitting gleefuIly on the headstone. Even the
new highway code, with it's comprehensive
scheme Of state roads, is buried far down on the
Senate calendar.
LITTLE WORK EXPECTED THIS WEEK.
Because of the Democratic State Convention
practically no work of moment will be done in
the Legislature this week. on Thursday all the
important banking reform bills will come up
again for discussion. It seems likely that most
of Them will he passed, although their supporters
are getting anxious on that score because OF the
strong antagonisGu toward the Governor. The
Highway code may be passed this week or next
Il * possible. also. that before adjournment an
official primary ballot bill will he enacted
That seems likely 10 be the extent Of im-
rortant legislation 10 he adopted for the rest of
the session. The Senate is not extremely we'll
disposed toward the extension Of the Public Ser
vice Commissions jurisdiction to telephone and
telegraph companies IN all probability nothing
Kill bel done with this legislation by that house
until the Assembly adopts the measures nov
pending rhere-if it does adopt them. The com
niftree 70 which the Wainwright bill vas re
ftrred did 50 artistic job in amending that
measure u let down the bars in the interests
Of the corporations the Law is supposed TO con-
troI rig.dy that some friends Of the measure be
this shape They believe also, that there is
comparatively little hope Of getting it into proper
rlsid form again
-. TOO. With the various amendments TO the
rapid transit law 70 make investments in sub
Vay enterprises more attractive 10 private CAPT
tal Much tinkering by experts has been done TO
these bills As result the Senate and Assembly
Cites committees have put out as committee
bills measures supposed 70 be compromises"
emhodying the best features of all the previous
bills People who have studied these measures
carefully take the view that they would prove
entirely too attractive TO private capital, since
BY the procedure contained therein they would
grant practically perpetual franchises. 1t is
certain that they vii! be fought bitterly, and
final adjournment is too near 10 allow long con
tinued fighting If bills are to pass
LEGISLATORS DISLIKE EXTRA SESSION.
So even # all these questions GO over until the
extraordinary session for settlement, the Gov
ernors prospects are none too roseate. Even
those legislators who are ordinarily friendly 10
him do not relish being called back here for a
month two of hard work in an important po-
lrical year when they are needed in their home
districts But il is in this very fact-that hard
state and national campaign are approaching
that the Governors friends say his strength
lies
The upstate Republican is very sober Ions
headed person" declared one Of the Governors
most nitrate friends to-day. Il know from
watching the papers and talking with friends
from various parts Of the state that these men
are j. taking stock now. And if they get the
ldea that the party leaders are devoting more
line 10 killing the Governors bills in an effort
10 head him off rom the Presidential nomina
ton al Chicago than they are TO furtherine
good legislation. then it'll be sorry day for
The Republican party in this state. I've noticed