New-York tribune., 1919-04-02
thompson, Fowler. Graves
and Davenport Charge
Attempt in the Senate to
klll Progressive Measures
" Omens 5 Bills Held In
Partisanship Carried Out
10 the Detri1nent of State.
Legislators Declare

Stat Corresp spondsncs
ALBANY, April 1.-Charging that
the Senate was being controlled by re-
actionaries, four Republican Senators
to-day announced on the floor Of the
upper house that they were ready to
lead revolt. The insurgeut Senators
are George F. Thompson, of Niagara;
j. Samuel Fowler. of Chautauqua; Ross
Graves. Of Erie, and Frederick NJ. Dav-
enport Of Oneida.
The four charged that not only was
there an attempt being made to defeat
the forward-looking measures before
the Legislature. such as the bills spon-
sored by the Women's Joint Legislat-
i've Conference and the State Fedora
ton Of Labor. but that a movement
was on foot to stiAe discussion on
these proposed laws.
Senator Davenport, who was candi-
date for Governor on tho Progressive
ticket in 1914, brought the revolt.
which has been smouldering for some
time. out on the floor Of the Senate BIZ
demanding that opportunity be given
for full and frank discussion of the
most important measure in the WON
ems programme. the bill creating
health and maternity insurance.
Partisanship Attacked
II want to cooperate with the nartv
organization in the legislature in everv
particular, sand Senator Davenport,
but we are facing situation demand
ing broader treatment. partisanshir
must be subordina-ed to the public
good. The problems of reconstruction
arc more important than the problems
of wartime and should be faced with
the finest non partisan spirit 1t has
been charged that the Republicans in
this Legislature are more interested d
in the upper ten of our people than
in the rest of society do not believe
this. | believe the rank and file of
the party is vitally Interested in the
other 90 per cent Of our population"
Sweet Called Obstacle
The insurgon- Republicans declare
that if the Democrats are really in
favor of the progressive legislation
which they claim q few reactionaries
IN the Legislature are trying to kill
they can force through the women's
programme, a least on the Senate
side. The four Republicans. with the
twenty-five Democratic Senators. make
a bare majority, and are fearful that
something viii happen to disturb that
ma iority.
The advocates of the measures ex-
pect that even though the Senate pass
the legislation, it would be killed by
Ihaddeus c. Sweet, Speaker of the As
sembly, when 1t reached the lower
house Mrs. Norman De R. White
house, and Mrs. Helen Leavtt, repre-
senting the Women's Joint Legislative
Conference, called on Speaker Sweet
to-day. The latter would not recede
from his stand of last week, when he
told committee of women that he
@id not want their measures brought
TO vote Mrs " Whitehouse and Mrs.
Leavltt, accompanied by Miss Grace
Phelps, legl- .ativc agent Of the Wo-
mems Joint Legislative Conference.
tnen VISITED Senator Walters. The
women were not any more please d
with their second conference.
Mass Meeting Called
The women have called mass meet
ing to be held in Cooper Union, New
York City, Monday night. Prominent
speakers Identified with women's or
CARNATIONS and with the cause of labor
Will voice their protests against the
treatment accorded their legislation.
Only one of their sex measures-the
Sammis bill providing for the extern
sion of the protective features of the
labor law to women operating elevators
lis at all certain of passage in the
Senate. 1t has already passed the
Assembly. The other five measures in
clude similar legislation for women
employed in Offices and on transit
lines, health insurance, minimum
wage and an eight-hour day for
women.