New-York tribune., 1912-03-15
EXTRA SENATE SESSION
. D|X'S REPLY TO MURPHY
Governor Dons War Paint and
Proposes Carlisle and Bassett
for P. S. Commissions.
WILL STRIVE FOR REVENGE
Executive Thinks Upper House,
When Called Back, Will Not
Dare to Turn Appoint
ments Down.
by Telegraph to The Tribune J

/ by Telegraph to The Tribune
Albany. March 14-Still smarting from
the two reverses recently administered TO
him by Murphy of Tammany. Governor
Dix is planning dire revenge. With him as
co-plotters are several members OF the up
state Democratic League, who declare the
Governor actually has donned the. war
paint.
] That statement is so unlike everything
the Governor has done hitherto that It does
not carry conviction to the Tammany men
here one of them remarked tonight:
"Oh. hell. That wasn't war paint on the
Governors face; 1t was some of Eckie De
Kay's talcum powder"
! Nevertheless, Governor Dix is striving. as
! hard as his nature VIII let him. to put
Murphy into hole regarding the Public
Service Commission appointments. ReaIiz-
/ ing the mistake he made originally in
choosing To fight Tammany with two men
OF the calIbre OF Riggs and Bissell. the
Governor is seriously considering swing
| to the other extreme. He has under ad-
visement four ideas for the continuance of
his warfare with Murphy.
/ The fayorite one now is TO make no APP
pOntments until the Legislature has ad-
/ journed but to call the Senate I'm extra
session and submit to it for confirmation
the nominations of John y. Carlisle for the
upstate commission and Edward NJ %as-
sett for the New York City commission.
Governor Dix's idea is that these men are
Democrats of such rank and personal
standing that the Senate. with public at
tention focused on it, will hardly dare to
reject them, as it rejected Riggs and Bis
sell.
Would Be on the Defensive.
| II he follows any such plan, however. the
Governor will Immediately put himself on
the defensive. He himself threw Carlisle
out OF the upstate commission to make a
place for Huppuch, his business partner.
He displaced Bassett from the New York
| City commission to give the job TO J. Ser
| geant Cram. Tammany men who are keep
ing watch on the Governor say that under
the circumstances he will have hard job
justifying taking up now the men whom
he rejected then. Such course. they con-
tend, would be a confession of weakness
and Of error.
This is not the only scheme the Gov
ernor has In mind. He may decide not "a
| make any appointments for these places
and let McCarroll and Olmsted hold over
| until the next Governor takes office. He
may. some upstate Democrats aver, send
the nominations OF Riggs and Bissell to the
Senate again. Or he may send the nomina-
tions Of Bassett and Carlisle TO the Senate
before final adjournment OF the Legislature.
1 ,tfNs,Nt 10.
are making a friendly book on the stu
alton. The favorite bet is that Dix, after
he has thought all the propositions over
until his head spins, will go up to the
woods for vacation. All the Governor
would say was that he would issue a state
ment in a day or two.
| The Governor indicated tonight his dis
satisfaction with the present state OF leg
islative activities on direct primary meas
ures. He said he had assurances from
Senator Loomis that the proposed strength
| ening OF the direct primary and election
laws would 30 through. II they did not
he said he would probably send special
messages 10 the Legislature urging action
Leaders Agree on Programme.
! About the time the Governor was saying
| this the Republican Assembly leaders and
| Democratic Senate leaders had completed
| an agreement OF inaction on all important
| legislation Of this character. Senator Wag-
ner and Speaker Merritt had agreed that
| the primary law amendments and the bills
| designed TO cure obvious defects In the
| Levy election law could not be passed" this
session. They also agreed that the various
conservation bills could not he passed
These include the Conservation Commits
sions bill embodyng a scheme OF govern
ment ownership development and sale tc
municipalities OF water and power devel-
oped from water and the Ferris commit
tees bill permitting riparian owners TO de-
yelop water powers under perpetual con
tracts with the state. Also they decided
the bill to repeal the Frawley boxing com
mission law could not be passed in thf
Senate but would probably pass the AS
sembly.
They further were one on the proposl
ton that any little bills the boys in either
house wanted very badly would be passe,
hy the DOys I'm the other as a matter oi
Legislative courtesy. After tnat. with mu
tual expressions of good will and esteem
from these bitter partisan antagonists ant
a very mild cheer for the Governor, th'
meeting adjourned. In departing. Senator
Wagner and Speaker Merritt agreed it wa
a GOOD thing the modern generation o
Legislators had recognized that the cause
of humanity was not advanced by bite
partisan warfare or personal difference
between legislators OF opposing poltica
faiths.
Mr.. ,Blssell. TIE rejected appointee. wa
GROUND the Capitol to day talking to his
friends. He said ne had nothing to ado
10 what was said IN the debate In the Sen
ate when ne was rejected. He did remark
that as soon as the Legislature adjourned
ne would give up his $500 a year job a!
unacy commissioner and resume his Law
practice I'm Buffalo.
! 'It's too bad Blssell Is sick of that job
after he worked so hard to get it," wa!
Ire comment of Tammany Senator.