New-York tribune., 1909-04-05
BIG WEEK AT ALBANY
EAST PRIN4RY UE1RING.
Committees Nay Fail TO Report
HinmQn-Grcen BIZ.
[Ry Telegraph to Tho tribune. ]

W4dnesdav ON THURSDAY report against the bill
is slated by the Assembly Judiciary Committee and
perhaps by the Senate committee also Either then
or early the next week Will come the fight on the
floor in which the anti Hughes men expect to over
v-helm the supporters OF the Governors chief leg
isatvo recommendation this year by sheer force
Of numbers.
Thus. on the day when Governor Hughes is sched-
ulcd 10 make his second appeal 10 the people on
this subject at Rochester before the League OF
Civic Clubs the Legislature Will put into motion
the machinery for his speedy defeat on this matter
which ne has so much AZ heart. Nothing but
tremendous almost volcanic, eruption of protest
from all over the state would change affairs as they
stand now Even the friends Of the Hinman-Green
bill admit that majority OF both houses Is against
that measure Ard the Governors adversartes
have worked wisely. The legislators now against
It apparently have had enough courage injected
into then, to cause them 10 stick" Also. in the
short time left before adjournment OF the Legs
lature according to Il generally accepted schedule
no effective demonstration Of public sentiment could
be brought TO bear
Some of the more active anti-Hushes politicians
are chuckling that they have the Governor out
generated. They say geefullv that II he calls an
extra session and recommends action on ii again.
it will be defeated so promptly he will become a
laughing stock all over the country As a matter
OF fact there appears 70 be little doubt Of the fact
that through long delay in preparation Of the bill
and other circumstances. the Governor has been
put into weak position. where he has been unable
he is no quitter. and his friends say that before
this campaign is over the anti-Hughes politicians
Will be greatly surprised and probably much hurt
GOVERNORS FRIENDS PROTEST.
OF course the Governors friends protesting
against the arbitrary exercise OF legislative power
which has resulted IN snap hearings, and Will
force conclusion to utterly inadequate consld-
Grafton of this important legislation within four
weeks Of its introduction. The legislative course
of the Hinman-Green Bill. II It ends the Gov
ernors adversares have planned II. Will furnish an
instructive lesson in boss methods In politics and
legislation But the bosses playing careful
game They have manGuvred things so they feel
perfectly sal In killing the Governors pet bill thus.
But Hughes men detect trace Of uneasiness even
yet in their attitude. They say the declaration Of
Speaker Wadsworth that he would not be a party
TO sitting the telephone and telegraph company
amendments 10 the Public Service commissions law
was only a sop 10 a public certain otherwise %
exact a penalty from the slayers Of every piece OF
Hughes legislation" regardless Of the merits OF
the case.
Ever since the Governors first message 10 this
IegIsla turA-as a matter OF fact. in some cases
ever since his Hughes politicians IN
the Republican fold have been fighting TO prevent
the passage OF direct primary nominations legsla-
tior From the first OF the year the Republican
State Committee has been sending all the
smaller upstate newspapers columns Of discussion
of the subject the arguments in this material run
ming. a member Of the committee estimated.
about 70 l against the Governor Independent
efforts have seconded these. notably that OF the
clerk in the office Of the Secretary of State. who
vas sending editorials against the Governors pro
posal 10 those upstate papers which receive adver-
tisng patronage through the State Department. ex-
planning on letter heads OF that department how de
srablt il those editorials should be
printed
POLITICIANS GO ON STUMP
Republican legislators and politicians taking
hoNL have on
the stump 70 denounce his plan. But work more
ha rrnfu 10 the success Of the Governors proposal
perhaps than any OF this. has been done in the
little clubs the country grocery stores the daily
meeting places all through the rural districts.
where the small cogs in the political machinery set
into motion by the master cogs have conveyed %
the voters the information that the Governor vas
n good fellow, but dreamer with q cranky notion
in his head that he didn't understand practical
politics: that his direct primary scheme was a
method the hare-brained Western states had tried
and were discarding and that. aside from all this
any farmer or Countryman who supported such a
notion was committing political suicide So
rlethodicaIIv and systematically has this campaign
reen carried on that to a great extent those Eglt
Hughes men who say the voters are taking no in
terest in the subject are telling the truth The
voters practically had been talked weary by the
opnosition before the and advocates Of his
plan got 10 work.
,,f course the Governor by means Of speeches
like that at Buffalo and the coming al Roches-
ter can disp= this indifference Arguments discuss
ing fairly the Hinman-Green bill are bound 10
leave the better Of the controversy with the Gov
ernor.s side; the first hearing on the measure
rroved that But all this will take time. and more
time than the Governor has left unless he can hold
+b. legislature here against the will of all the anti
Hughes leaders and most Of the legislators them
selves
RIFLES COMMITTEE To TAKE CHARGE
The Rules committee is slated to take charge OF
all unfinished business IN the Assembly on April L
That means. approximately adjournment coupe
or weeks later-a few days more. perhaps. depend
,rc IN rha state OF the financial legislation Mean
It'll ,barA are three things OF much Importance
hefore the LEGISLATURE for consideration. and any
thing less than fair vote in both houses for eaeh
Of them will awaken loud protests from Ne" 1"'A
,Yty one Is the proposed charter for the metropo-
lie on which another hearing will he held Tuesday,
this time oil the details of the sections relative TO
the BOARD Of Estimate and Apportlonment and the
BOARD of Educatio OF course the charteF VIII
, at IN a vote unless the Legislature is held here
rntiI June-a contingency which the Governors
adyc-sarfes will do their utmost 10 forestalL The
,,,cst scheme regarding this matter Of Cunstitd-
tior for the government Of haf tEe population OF
the state is to have appointed another coTrhSslol-
this time to col slider the work OF TWO preceding
commissions and report to next years Legislature
ON II II is a rather bungling attempt TO do
aygav with legitimate demand from the populaca
OF New York city for extraordinary session TO
complete the charter legislation
Also there is the Travs-Ice constitutional amend
ment. designed to furnish to New York CITY IuhdS
for new sub,vays. II probably will come up for
1;scuesi7n in the senate this week There seems
little real sentiment against it in either house 50
far its souluoI>nce has been due to Its oelhS
..Huehes hesitation Its death might be attributed
to the same cause plus poison administered by the
1s,,,t trocti,n interests in New York city. which
are fighting vigorously anything likely To interfere
With a yery profitable monopoly ~ anything ap-