New-York tribune., 1909-05-01
THE LEGISLATURE.

The Legislature chose to do good by stealth.
1t enacted. says dispatch from Albany. 'sur-
prisingIy large number of the Hughes recon-
mendations into law, hut it did this so late
in the session, when bills rush through in such
numbers as 10 attract little attention, that 1t
has not overcome the general impression that
# was a reactiOnary and Tecalcluant body. Ana
there is justice in this feeling, for the con-
spiclIous parts Of the Governors programme
were roughly rejected, while the iEconspicuous
parts were accepted. The one measure with
which the Governor was pre-eminently idend-
fed was the direct primaries bill 1t was TO
reform the machinery Of party government that
he accepted q second term. The bill was drawn
In consultation with him and embodied his per-
sonal views. He addressed the public In It's
favor and is known TO he contemplating cam
paign in its support The Legislature will be
Judged bv the public upon its failure to deal
fairly and deliberately with a measure aiming
10 reform the primaries and its refusal 10
amend and extend the Public Service commits
sions law. rather than upon the number Of ex-
cellent though not generally interesting enact
ments which it has made. Upon these things
the public attention has been fixed, while the
others escaped notice. Next fall this Legislat-
IRE will be remembered for the things it did
not do. while the things it did do Will he largely
forgotten.
Moreover. this anti-Hughes Legislature.
which was desirous that the Governor should
not get any credit out of the session. already
bears its involuntary testimony 10 the strength
of the Governors position IL judging itself by
the Hughes standard. It's apologists point with
pride 10 the fact that 1t acted favorabiy upon
TWENTY-FIVE out of twenty-nine recommended
tions in the Governors message, and the leader
Of the Democratic minority arraigns it for its
failure 10 act favorably upon the rest Of them.
It's strength in the opinion Of its majority. Is
in its support of the Governor. It's weakness,
in the Judgment of the minority. is in its oppos-
ton TO the Governor Already Assemblyman
Frisbie the leader of the Democratic minority
arraigns It for opposing the Governors direct
primary bill and says that the Democrats we're
for an even more complete system or direct
primaries than the Governors bill provided.
Thus the issue next fall is already outlined
Whatever the legislative commission may find
there can he no genuemen's agreement in the
election, and we shall expect to find each party
eagerly insisting then that it is the only and
original supporter Of direct primaries
The defeat Of the direct nominations bill was
tn have been expected for reasons which The
Tribune has already pointed out 1t was not an
immediate necessity, and q delay Of a year,
until public opinion is definitely formed, can
not be particularly regretted. The defeat Of
the Public Service amendments, however, was
inexcrsable and in the end it appears to have
been the result Of the pettiest kind of personal
feeling. A clear bestowaI upon the Public Ser
vice Commission Of the authority to establish
Joint rates between trolley lines Of different
Ownership was imperatvely needed to safe
guard the public interests in the coming uac-
ton reorganization in this city. It was needed
at once It is easy to see how situation may
arise between now and next fall which will
make this failure very embarrassing to the Re
uublicsn party in the coming municipal and
legislative campaign. Besides its failures, the
Legislature IS responsible for few thoroughly
bad bills especially the Civil War veterans
pension bill and the school teachers equal pay
bill
1t Is a pleasure TO turn from this side OF the
record N the really excellent bills passed. A
few particularly good measures may be men
Toned such as the TravisLee constitutional
amendment resolution, the Cassidy committee
bills affecting the finances OF this city the
amendments to the rapid transit laws, the new
automobile regulations, the bill prohibiting the
emplovment Of children in certain dangerous
trades. the bill abolishing the useless Quaran-
tine Commission, and that providing for an in
vestigation of the conditions Of the unemployed
and of the problem of employers liability. It
was neither the best nor the worst Legislature
the state has ever had Its faults are likely To
hurt its Individual members more politically
than ifs virtues will help them.
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