New-York tribune., 1908-04-24
THE IEGfSL4TTRE.
vuIged

The session which has Just closed put con
siderable ousntity of excellent legislation on the
statute books The banking laws passed on tn"
recommendation Of Governor Hughes : special
commission and of Superintendent Williams rank
with the most important reforms Of recent years.
The highway legislation. the national guard
reform law and the Torr ans real estate title law
are all inportant measures for which there was
a public demand. The subway bills leave New
York free 10 get additional traction lines II
private capital will not Luild them under the
provisions of the Robinson act. the voters VIII
have a chance 10 say whether or not the cl'!
shall build them under the provisions OF the con
stilutionaI amendment. Public sentiment 'S
kecnIy aroused regarding subways and viii ap
1,rariata the advantageous position in which the
,irv is nlaced for the future by the subway leg
iSatiou. No bad bill got through he LeGia-
larure and one very bad constitutional amend
meut giving preference II veterans. which had
considerable political pressura behind It, was
beaten. and il s to he hopod. finally disposed "l-
The Legislature also made better record than
f1s predecessor ley defeating the teachers equal
pay bill.
The great disappointment of the session was
the failure Of the nti-cambIing bills. Their d.
feat was due chiefly 10 the mreprosentatiVe
and irresponsible character of the Democratic
minority. The Democratic Senators under
the leadership of Grady and McCarren have
for wears acted with utter Indifference 20
public opinion. and their constituencies IN
fortunately are mainly of such character
that they can afford l." DO ii. \ strong minority.
they have presented rallying point for oppoS-
tlou 10 more than one desirable proposal OF
nineteen Democratic Senators seventeen voted
against the anti-gambiu@ bills and exactly the
same seventeen men may ho found lined NJ
agajns, long list Of coed measures. Eight Re
publican Senators aided the seventeen. Demo
Gratis The constituents Of those eight Repuh-
Hcan Senators may be trusted 10 teach them inc
error Of their ways. N" hear Of churches anu
civic organizations meeting III their districts 10
denouncp them for their misrepresentation of
public sentiment. What body. civic. social or
religious has taken care t. tell the Democratic
Senators that II has its eye on them and that
they are derelict to their duty-e1cept in the
case Il Senator Ackroyd. who comes from
district usually Republican:
Governor Hughes had tventy-three Of the Re
publican Senators with him 10 eight against
him. while the Democratic Senators stood seT-
entccn 10 TWO in opposition but il will not do to
remain content with the browledge that most of
the Republicans voted right II rests with tie
constituents of the eight Republicans who voted
wrong,to show them that the voters in their dis
1ricts will not tolerate misrepresentation. !
when the special session l. held the upstate Re
publican communities have convinced their repre-
Sen1afivcS that they are with the Governor hehrt
and soul in his fight against gambling, there will
be hope of his winning. The interest in the
special session VIII centre In the anti gambling
bills The rest of The Governors measures
which have be, hoarcn for the present and viii
be again submitted t. tbc Legislature are ntrin-
sically good. but no pressing public demand Ior
them is now discernible If the anti-Gambing
bills 60 through at the special session they will
probably carry some Of the other recommends
rions with them If they fail al viii probably
20 down tocethc~.
In the closing moments of the session some
members Of the Assembly let their aversion 70
being called back for further service get the
better OF their sense and manners. "Booing' the
Governors name does not hurt him a particle
but only makes them look exceedingly childish
The way 10 beat the Governor Is not TO boo
him. but 10 prove lie is wrong. 70 prove that he
does NOT understand the public conscience. nut
that his opponents do.