New-York tribune., 1910-02-16
NO PARTY QUESTION
Judge Hinsdale's Experience
7sath Strike Bills.

sion or the Investigation OF the Conger
disclosures in the case of Senator Aids
has not been conducted from as lofty
point of view as the important questions
involved demanded Much has been said
about a publication of the Republican
party being inevitable, and it has been re-
torted that a publication of the Democratic
party is equally So In reality, It is not q
question. OF either party, as affecting the
policies or principles of either. In my judg-
ment it is simply and solely question Of
purifying and, if possible, lifting 10 a high
er plane the character of the Legislature
at Albany.
In reality. there is no party question in
volved I look on the issues TO be consid-
cred from the point of view of one familiar
with the past history of the Capitol, for it
was my fortune, as representative of cor
porations, to visit the State Capitol in the
interest of my clients for more than twen-
ty-five years I became very familiar with
methods in vogue there during those years,
methods that continued the same with
but the slightest variation, whether Repub-
Hcans OF Democrats were in power
Through all changes of administration
the corrupt system remained intact Dur
ing all those years newspapers and pubic
speakers were often very tree in their de-
the Legislature Sometimes charges would
be nnads against the respective parties in
either house as parties. The difficulty
there has not been with the parties as par
ties whether labelled Republican or Demo-
cratic as either might be in the ascendant
Even in the times of Tweed, however par
ties or members thereof might be de-
nounced. the great majority OF the leSlS-
lators were absolutely clean and honorable
The so-calleG snirching of parties there
was done by individuals of both parties.
WOULDN'T PAY. AND WON
discovered in Albany that two classes
OF bills were likely TO be introduced into
the two houses-one class supposed to be
rneritorious, the passage Of them desirable;
another class that were introduced solely
for the sake OF q strike" devised by some
member or members for the purpose Of ex-
torting money. Around the latter class or
bills the strikers Of both parties would
gather I encountered such a strike more
than thirty years ago on bill that was
introduced for the purpose OF authorizing
a drawbridge. Great pressure was brought
TO bear upon me 20 induce NE 70 pay
money in connection with the passage OF
that bill I refused to be exploited; very
soon succeeded IN en1isting a strong body
OF honest men around ne. defeated the
STRIKERS and passed the bill-w+thout cost
The method OF the striker is well known.
4 'striking'' bill is introduced BY mem
ber OF one house or the other. Some one
then approaches parties likely TO be al
fscred by the bill. and IL IS generally init
mated that II can be arranged If they
failed at the first stage in effecting an
ARRANGEMENT the bill perhaps would be re-
ported to what was formerly known as the
committee OF the whole, now equivalent to
a second reading, which would be a more
alarming condition TO the parties interested
in the bill, and enormous pressure would
be brought 10 bear: the parties would be
squeezed, or attempted 10 be, and 1t might
go TO the extent that the strike bill
would be passed through one house. and
the same process would characterize the
procedure so far as the other house was
concerned. I never saw a time when, in
one Of these stages, I could not defeat the
passage of a strike" bill, without money,
by the support of the clean, honest, honor
able members of both parties
DEMAND FOR $4,000.
It was not always SO easy TO pass a
neritorious bill in the face OF the 'striS-
ers." because they all would be seized with
a spasn Of virtue and would oppose the bill
unless they were seen One OF the most
important of the various bills in the pass
age OF which | was interested for my
clients developed this experience: / was
visited, in my room at the Delavan House,
hv 4 Democratic Senator who Is now dead
a man who stood well with the people AT
the time Of his death-who wanted TO dis
cuss business with me. The upshor of it
Ill
SO 600. but I declined his proposal, and he
promised 10 defeat the bill, which he sue
ceeded in doing
The strikers" not only came from both
parties, but they appeared from ali parts
Of the state and under various guises. Il
was not difficult, after one mad had little
experience 10 make them OUT, they bore
certain characteristics in commOn-badges
that one could readily recognize. There
was a something in their manner and ap-
pearance that to the experienced eve
marked them indeHbly. They were a Gu
rious lot but distinguishabIe under what
ever airs OF respectability they might as
sumo In reality they were a cowardly lot.
for the reason that they would take to their
holes when they saw that their true char
acter had been discovered and that they
were liable TO exposure.
do not remember more Ghan two or
three bold strikers for money, who would
come forward in the open and make de-
n1and in an absolutely shameless way.
Such cases we're the exception. I never
failed. during all my experience, in defeat
ing striking bill at some stage of the
game. remember that on one occasion an
ex-senator approached NE in Albany,
stating that a bill of mine was in peril and
suggesting that I fix things" I looked
him directly in the eye and said: Senator,
is there any tradition about Albany that I
ever paid cent for legislation?' That
practically ended the conversation He
turned away, and never spoke to me again.
SOMETIMES DEFEATED.
While I generally succeeded I was some
times defeated in the effort 70 procure
meritorious legislation. but never spent one
dollar for q corruption fund It is because
Of my long experience with members OF
both houses in Albany that 7 feel qualified
TO state that, in my judgment, this issue
has nothing 10 do with parties. II may re-
nutre long struggle 10 purge the Capitol
Of a long standing evil. and Albany is not
exclusive as 10 requiring that, for il reports
are true other bodies, municipal as well as
state need to be purified IL the same wsv
II Is hopeful sign that an extraordinary
effort is making 10 elevate and purify the
tone of legislatures. While at all time,
there has been q considerable number III