New-York tribune., 1910-05-25
SENATORS SURRENDER
Agree to Assembly Resolution
for General Graft Inquiry.
"HAS GAG IN EVERY LINE
So One Senator Declares, and
Another Says 1t Is an At
tempted Fraud on People.
fBy Telegraph to The Tribune ]


who spoke for it admitted that the As
sembly resolution for general graft
investigation was weaker than the Senate's
and likely to be less effective. the Senate
TODAY under the leadership of Senators
Cobb and Grady made complete sur
render to the lower house on that issue.
! BY a vote of % to is the Senate refused
TO reconsider the vote by which last week
the Assembly document was adopted. The
Assembly later concurred in the Slight
| change made by the Senate. Thus what
| ever graft hunt is conducted now VIII
| be made under a resolution denounced oy
some of the best lawyers in the Legislature
as weak unsatisfactory and IAN at
tempted fraud on the people of the state.
This attitude of surrender 10 the AS
sembly leaders on this matter was en-
phasized by the position taken by Senator
Cobb. the Senate leader, and Senator Hill,
of Buffalo chairman of the Finance Com
mittee. which considered the resolution
10th admitted specifically that the As
sembly document was not as satisfactory
| as the original resolution drafted by Sen
ator Cobb. Yet both opposed, in commit
tee and on the floor to-day, Senator Hin
mans suggestion that the Senate refuse to
accent the ernasculated resolution and
have a conference committee to thresh out
the question with a delegation of Assem-
1 blyrnen. They declared that course would
/ lead TO a deadlock.
Feared a Conference.
Senator Cobb. who defended legislators
| in both houses from what he chose to re-
gard as attacks on their good faith, MN
| self delivered the most ambiguous compil-
ment TO the Assembly which has been en-
tered on the records this season
IF we begin fooling around with any
conference committee" said he, we ii give
the Assembly a chance to defeat TINS reso-
| luton and, prevent an investigation
There was no lack, though. of criticism
| of the Assembly's emasculated resolution
/ Senators Hinman, Newcomb, Davenport
Wainwright and Bracket denounced IT.
Senator Newcomb went Senator Hinman
one be+tcr on the ''weaklings and crooks"
remark of last week, which created such
stir then.
IF we were crooks. we couldn't act any
differently regarding this resolution than
We have" said he The man who didn [
know us personally would have a hard JOB
to believe anything except that we were
afraid of a real investigation
! Senator Hinman began the fight by moy-
ing TO take from the table his motion TO
reconsider the vote by which the Assem-
bIv's resolution was adopted last week.
The motion was taken from the table
unanimously Then the fun began Sena-
tor Hinman prefaced his remarks by de-
claring that he spoke with the utmost re-
spect for his colleagues, regardless OF party
! He said that the Senators owed 1t to them
selves to have real investigation, which
should show the world just those men
who were honest and those who. perchance,
! had AT some time disgraced the legislative
mantle.
Objects to Assembly Lobby.
Then he took up a detailed comparison
Of the Senate's original resolution and the
document which the Assembly substituted
for it Incidentally, he criticised the Rules
Committee system pretty harshly, and said
few sharp words about Assemblymen who
have been lobbying in the Senate recently
He did not mention names but his descrip-
ton fitted Speaker Wadsworth.
The Rules Committee is appointed by
one man, and is under his influence" said
he L don't want to criticise the present
! Speaker but the system vests in the hands
of one man the legislative policy of both
Senate and House for days and weeks.
! This is an arbitrary power. which should
not be exercised by one individual And
right now / want 10 say that We have seen
recently members of the other branch of
the Legislature lobbying on the floor here.
That ought not to be.
Senator Newcomb declared that the Sem
ate didn't show a very highly developed
sensitiveness to criticism. ''It would seem, -
| he said that we were so used to the con-
| tempt of the other branch Of the Legislat-
ure that we don't act like sensitive men,
with a due realization of the trust confided
| to U.S. said he. Instances like this where
We fail to appreciate the dignity of our
own body have led to this seemingly in
discriminate expression of contempt for
US. There is a gag in almost every line
| of this resolution-an intentional gag. 1t
should be very simple matter TO satisfy
those who want to know how we've admin
| istered-our trust-opep the books and con-
duct ourselves as men on whom lies nc
! shadow Of disgrace-as men not skulkng
and seeking protection
Senator Cobb Content
Senator Cobb said he had no doubt about
| the possibility of conducting thorough
investigation under this form of resolu-
| ton, although he didn't think it was quite
as good as the Senate's resolution.
We've got to leave little something
10 the intelligence of the committee said
he IF | have anything to do with it, no
body will go on that committee about whom
there could be the least question.
Senator Davenport maintained that even
/ a deadlock on this matter would be better
than for the Senate to pass a resolution
not acceptable TO the public.
This resolution provides for a committee
on which no self-respecting man could sit -
he went on. In view of the doubt sur
rounding these provisions while no doubt
existed about Senator Cobb's original res
olution. why should accept this As
sembly draft? Who slipped this resolution
10 US? Is not a little group of Assembly
men exercising too great power In the
/ Senate? Why do a few Assemblymen find
! il necessary 10 whisper behind the seats of