New-York tribune., 1910-01-26
THE SITUATION AT ALBANY.

II
= Bouquets are not coming the way of the
Legislature. THE New York Mail,'' an
earnest supporter of Governor Hughes,
calls the Republican party ard the Leg
islature sharply to account In this Ian
guage:
1t 1.-THE party1 is before the people on
Its record-and what a record it is! We
have not seen its like since the Demo-
Gratis were driven from power at Al
bany by an indignant electorate in 1893.
Useful work in the public inter-
est has been abandoned. Principle, pur-
pose and achievement-all have been
sacrificed in order that an "organiza-
tion" might have party puppet sit in
the Speakers chair of the Assembly and
a lobbyist have charge Of the clerks
desk. while predatory league. made
up from both parties. has held up in
the Senate the relief measures which
the people so urgently demand.
This is the voice of supporter of
Governor Hughes, but even some of
those who have opposed the Governor in
many of his policies are just as sharp
in their condemnation of the Legisla
ture. Representative Fassett's "Elmira
Advertiser declares the situation at AL
bany TO be "discouraging 1t demands
a 'house cleaning:
"The Advertiser asserted with some
emphasis a few days ago that it was
high time for the Republican party to
begin to clean house, and return to its
former and higher ideals, and to insist
upon a more straightforward discharge
of public duties and fulfiment of public
promises. One event has crowded swift
10 ar.n1z F,,T 4
complete vindication of the wisdom of
this advice. THE Advertiser urged
against AHds's election, and but for the
persistent and pernicious activity, where
he had no business to be, of the Hon.
Timothy l.. Woodruff, the chairman of
the state committee, Mr.. Aids would
have been defeated.
We do not quote these opinions to il
dorse them, but simply to illustrate what
is being said. 1t seems to us that The
Maif' confuses tho organization with the
party. The party has not a bad record
Governor Hughes's administration is al
important part of the party's record.
Useful work In the public interest has
not been abandoned" by the party. And
as for ''The Advertiser" 1t now calls for
a house cleaning. although it has all
along been upholding the very system
that has produced the present situation.
Nevertheless il is q significant cir
cumstance to find two strong Republican
newspapers applying such language to
conditions at Albany 1t indicates the
widespread feeling Of dissatisfaction
among Republicans with the opposi-
ton TO the Governors policies shown
by the Legislature last year, aided and
abetted by many persons Of prominence
in the Republican organization. That
feeling of dissatisfa elton has been in
tensified by a succession of incidents that
have recently covered the machine op-
position TO the Governor with discredit,
such as, for example, the revelations in
the Insurance world that have stripped
the upholders of Mr.. Kelsey of every
shred of justification, the scandal that
has come from perpetuatfng an organza-
ton against the Governor in the Senate.
and the various damaging records that
have leaped to light to the confusion of
his opponents All this has not been with
out advantage to the public. OF the ar
rogant, confident opposition that existed
last year little is heard now The Gov
ernor has followed his custom Of giving
his opponents all the ROPE they wanted,
and they have used it.