New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-03

held 10 be anarchy or Legislative tyr
amy
Now. the revelations of the legislative
activities and methods of the fire insurance
companies and Buckley. their lobbyist.
have been general rather than specific in
the details demanded by the Speaker and
his colleagues of the ''Old Guard" Nobody
has made specific statement that any
member of this Legislature demanded or
received a bride To be sure. Republicans
OF the progressive type, from the Governor
down. have agreed that the conditions re-
vealed by the testimony regarding the
Aldridge fee the activities of Buckley and
the insurance company correspondence
produced by Mr.. Hotchkiss cried to Heaven
Put the Speaker and his friends hereto
fore have been adamant-
Charges and Specifications Asked For.
Give us charges and specifications"
they have demanded.
why this new attitude?" Quered Re-
publican high in official circles here to-day.
Il can understand why this investigation
might be considered desirable by the
Speaker and the ''Old Guard IL many other
bosses received gifts like Aldridge's from
business interests or corporations in many
lines OF business for legislative favors.
This probe might serve as herring drawn
across the trail. to distract attention from
the real thing-the general Doodle probe.
Another question presents itself. Why
should Mr. Hotchkiss be superseded in this
work which he is doing so well? Does he
lack adequate powers? Let the Legislature
give them 10 him. or If the trail of Doodle
is so complicated as TO be beyond his abil-
ity and authority to follow, let there DE
chosen a special committee TO follow the
trail of all Doodle suspected of leading IN
any way TO the Legislature
Superintendent Hotchkiss has not yet
sgnifed any desire for further powers in
connection with this matter So far as is
known here he has expressed no opinion
vestigation OF the fire insurance transac-
tions which he has brought before the pub
lie.
Hughes Republicans consider the really
important phase OF this whole situation to
be the fact that any resolution for an in
vestigation of conditions as general as
those presented by the fire insurance affairs
now known is set down for debate by the
Wadsworth leaders.
Resolution Could Be Amended.
Even conceding that there may De
divers motives behind this McInerney reso-
luton. it now is before the Assembly,
said Hughes man. Being up for debate,
/ suppose IL would be entirely proper to
amend il in any respect. II could be
broadened 10 take in an investigation OF
the widest scope. / should think, in the
etrictest logic. The Speaker and Merritt
logically could not object, since they have
abandoned their demand for specihc
charges If they did object TO such an
amendment TO this resolution in the AS
sembly, or 10 a broad investigation resolu-
ton If passed by the Senate, 1t seems 10
me they would be admitting some subtle
and mysterious purpose behind the resolu-
ton of this Rochester Assemblyman-"
In much the same way the amendments
to the Phillips bill providing for a state
committee Of $50 10 be elected directly at
the primaries each year has set most peo-
ple here TO searching for reasons and
specializing about motives. The Republican
State Committee is now and has been ever
since Thomas G Platt became a state boss
the great fortress and stronghold OF the
boss system. II was the instrument OF tne
power of Platt and Odell Its members IN
most cases have come no nearer 10 the
party voters than contact with the oele
gates TO the state convention Who1n they
chose and who in turn elected the state
committeeman Thus the BODY, save Tor
an occasional fractional fight. mas Deeh sen
And the victor in any such
fractional fight has been just as Inucn d
boss and a boss Of virtually the saihe
type, as the man he defeated