New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-10
All Attempts to Amend
Republican ResOlu-
ton Fail.
COMMITTEE TO BEGIN
WORK IMMEDIATELY
Proposition to Make Whitman
Counsel Defeated-SWeet
TO Name Members.


Albany. Feb. q.-The Assembly voted at
midnight 107 to 20 for an Assembly inves-
tigation Of the Highways Department ana
other state departments that public IN
terests may require" The committee
consisting Of eight Asemblymen' Will be
appointed by Speaker sweet and will be-
gin work Immediately.
All amendments were defeated. includ-
ing the one OF Assemblyman Nelson. OF
Brooklyn. 10 appoint District Attorney
Whitman counsel
The Republicans and the Progressives
10 man voted for the resolution. Sulzer
voted for II. as did the following Demo
crats-Greiner. Martin. Schimmel, Squire
Tucholka, Warhus and Wright.
Speaker Sweet announced that he would
appoint one Progressive. two Democrats
and five Republicans. He asked that "Al''
Smith minority leader. submit 1--WE names,
from which he will select two and that
Michael schaap, Progressive leader. sub
NIT three names. from which he will Sc
lect the Prosressiv, members.
The resolution was decided upon by the
Republican legislators IN conference a
week ago and was presented as a report
Of the Ways and Means Committee.
The Republicans VINO voted for Hor-
| tons amendment to extend the inquiry
were Crane. Dewitt. Eadie. Ellenbogen
Flsmman. Fuess Green. Horton. Knight
| Lockwood, Murphy, Nelson, Simpson
Webb and Wood
The debate on the resolution was brought
TO a close by Howard J. Hinman, major
ity leader. who said the amendments Of
fered mattered but little. because the res
olution in the plainest language gave the
committee fun powers to investigate any
department IT saw fit.
The debate began almost with the open
ing Of the Assembly. and was marked
throughout by high feeling When the
resolution was introduced as a re-
port Of the Ways and Means Commit
tee. Assem- blyman Horton. OF Erie moved
that il he amended 10 make IL mandatory
upon the committee 10 investigate the
canal construction work. public printing
and Capitol repairs
The reading Of Mr. Horizons proposed
amendment was the signal for amend
and the introducers Of these resolutions.
for the greater part, announced that IF
their amendments were defeated they
would still vote for the resolution.
While Sulzer was in the midst OF a
denunciation Of graft and grafters and
implying that the resolution introduced
by the Republicans was not broad enough
in its scope, Assembyman Sullivan, OF
Chautauqua. who had previously spoken n
favor OF its adoption as IT stood, asked:
Isn't this resolution broad enough TO
permit the committee to so into sny and
all departments"
Yes" replied Sulzer. '1f the committee
means business, but It all depends on its
personnel and on its counsel"
! When Mr. Sulzer finished, Thorn. Re-
publican, of Erie. asked for the support
Of the resolution as it stood, and in this
he was seconded by Jones Republican, OF
| Chenango. VINO pointed TO the portrait OF
Tilden that hung over Speaker Sweet 9
! head and said:
There was a man who sent q leader
OF the opposite faith Tweed to Jail and
| ! wish we had a man brave and grand
enough to do the same thing to-day"
The speech OF Sullivan, of Chautauqua,
really opened the debate. He arose. and
! I'm q spirited defence OF the resolution and
the honesty Of its makers. said the in
! vestigation would be thorough, unsparing
and impartial
THE recent disclosures" said Sullivan,
SHOW the need of an investigation that
would purify the state departments and
which would not have for its object the
protection Of any individual, class or
| party II there is an organized system
OF dishonesty corruption and graft in
state departments. It is time we were
| freed from this condition
The resolution as Il stood. he added,
| gives fun power TO the committee to 20
into every department. and he said the
: life of the committee would be extended
beyond the time il is called upon TO report
by the resolution-three weeks before the
adjournment of the Legisature-if II were
found necessary 10 do so.
planned, would not merely be 10 offer
remedial legislation as the result OF its
investigation, but TO punish the grafters
Brewster. Democrat. Of Steuben. was
the first 10 question the integrity Of the
purpose Of the resolution. which. he said.
WAS obviously for investigation OF the