New-York tribune., 1908-10-19
A POLITICAL BLIND POOL.

Mr. Chanler told the voters of Long lslanu oh
Saturday that he would not answer the. ques-
tions OF Governor Hughes. He would ho' ce
"speci5c" He was running. he said, on MS
record as Lieutenant Governor and as mah
and upon his party's platform 90 no' III
tend TO answer in advance" he declared via.
7 shall do in the next two years as Governor
Mr. Chanler's record Lieutenant Governor IL
almost nil from the nature of that once Ms
record ms a man is damaged by his REFUSAL 10
come out canddly and declare his opinion upon
fhe questions of the day, and his party 5 pIat-
form with it's squint in favor or the race'i"Ch
gamblers and its unmistakabie attack on state
regulation of the public service corporations,
can only arouse suspicious regarding his Ieal
intentions If he tells the public no more aoouC
himself than these things disclose he IS IN
vitinC it by electing him 10 share III IL pIlhu
pool.
Those who are already In this pool are no.
reassurinp They are, old hands at such pima
pools They are Murphy and Conners. who are
taking their share in it in the belief that the
election of Mr. Chanler would block the electlon
reforms 10 which Mr.. Hughes is pledged, They
want return Of government by pull lhey
want 10 beat the direct primaries reform Which
threatens 10 put an end to their kind OF rule.
They want TO traffic in legislative favors at Al
banv and to have the corporations come ana
500 them" They would have done with all this
"imrrsctjcality" and 'dealism" which seeks to
mako tho government serve the people and not
the selfish interests
Another very important element which has
taken a large share in this blind pool'1s the
racetrack gamblers. Not one Of them IS sup
porting Hughes. but with singular unanmty
they are behind the movement 80 make MI
Chanler his successor. They are contributing
liberaIlv 10 Mr. Chanler's campaign fund. either
Personal
Liberty League. which they finance Their de-
pendents and hangers-on have registered In un-
precedented numbers 10 vote for the Democratic
candidate What they want out of the blind
pool is some new hugger mugger legislation
like the Percy-Gray law. which. While COM
patihle with the letter. will violate the spirit
Of the constitution and legalize gambling once
again at the tracks. If that proves impractl-
cable they at least hope 10 realize from the
blind pool an administration which Will relax
the enforcement of the present anti gambling
laws.
Other participants in this blind pool are the
loofers of the public service corporations.
Every one of them is working day and night
for the election of Chanler Their agents and
representatives futter about Democratic state
headquarters The chairman OF the Democratic
State Committee has his own predatory cor
poration.' with privileges as broad as the state,
the creature OF that oldtlme government UA
pull" which awaits only the return OF govern
ment by pull the Crippling by legislation OF
the Public Service commissions. or the stufhng
of them with practical men in order to make
rich profit out of its extraordinary franchise.
The traction companies of this city are pros
trate victims of the "Jeffersonian simplicity
that preceded the regulation of such companies
Take the Public Service Commission out Of the
way and the golden opportunity of 'reorgan-
ling them In the good old fashion would be
open TO those who ''organized" them into their
present bankruptcy. Every one whose palm
itches at this af1uent possibility is taking a
flyer in the Chandler blind pool in the eXpecta-
ton Of getting out of it in some way the end
of government regulation and the return of the
old days of financial license.
Now. it will be observed that all those who
have already joined this blind pool what
are known as insiders. The question is
whether the public. knowing who these In
siders' are and what they are after, will enter
into the blind pool with them. Will the public,
which wants a square and honest government
and an end Of bosstsm. take share in blind
pool with Murphy apd Conners? viii voters
who want the interests Of the people safe
guarded by the regulation Of public service cor
porations buy their way into the same blind
pool with Ryan and Conners: Will the people
who do not want the state constitution jugged
with for the benefit of bookmakeTs and t0uts
enter like LOT of unshorn lambs into the same
blind pool with the Personal Liberty League
and the racetrack gamblers: Who will go into
Mr. Chanlers blind pool with these insiders: