Year: 1873

The session OF the Legislature OF this State which
win open on the 9th OF next month bids fair, judg.
ing from present indications. TO be quite an active
one. or course 1t Is not an easy matter to FORE
cast with any degree OF certainty at any time the
general policy, so to speak, for good or evil OF an
Albany Senate Assembly for OF all the unrelia-
bic things on earth an Albany Legislature is cer-
tainly the most unreliable. This fact has been ex.
emphfed more than once during the past under
extraordinary as well as the most ordinary OF cir
cumstances, and the knowing ones, who have Of
late years in the early winter been bold enough to
stake their reputation as prophets on an attempt
to tell by the shuttle OF the political cards in Jan
uary what would be trumps in May, have almost
invariably been compelled to hide their diminished
heads when the actual result was made part Of
Albany history at the close OF the session. How
ever 1t Is by no means an attempt at
q political prophecy to state that events
point 10 an active session; for the &C
tivity employed by politicians previous to .
session is not always a sure indication OF what the
general policy Of q majority may be. First and
foremost, the first indication Just now is the strug
gle that is gong TOR the Speakership, and Sec
ond, the activity manifested by the lobbyists in
organizing their forces Tor the coming campaign.
1t may be that in some respects the latter may
have great deal to do with the final result OF the
former, but to what extent or to what side the
pernicOus influence Of these Infamous rascals
who make o winter livelihood by bribery and cor
ruption, will eventually be thrown is a question
that has yet to be answered. Nevertheless, IL is
fact that no one dare deny, who knows anything
about


THE ms AND OUTS OF ALBANY LEGISLATION,


that the lobby has always in the past, with but
few notable instances, had altogether too much to
frw
OF the Speakership, but afterward with the snap
ing OF the important committees which 1t was the
privilege OF the speaker to appoint The fact that
they have already begun to lay their wires and to
canvass for the coming struggle ought to be
enough to place honest members on their guard
against the wolves in sleeps clothing whom they are
doubtless encountering now, and whom they will
continue to encounter until the first day of the
sion. The struggle this year Is to be- apparently,
bitter one, and the various incongruous elements
which are being brought together as a support by
some OF the small fry candidates show quite
plainly that there is at the bottom of not a lew Of
the little plans already set on foot Tor the further
ance OF this and that mans chances gread deal
that smacks Of


JoBBERY AND THIRD HOUSE PRESSURE.


The obbymen who have so far come TO the surface
in the canvassng have not dared to proclaim
themselves openly the ultra champions OF any par
ticular one OF the four or six candidates already In
the field, but the way they working indicates
that they will In the long run go for any
man who promises them the most In return, or
from whom, at least, they have good reason TO
suppose that great favors can be expected provided
they induce some as yet undecided friend or two
to the present time these contemptbie creatures 9
have not shown preference Tor either OF the two
| themselves with calculating the odds against the
| other aspirants and as to which one would stand
the best show as a compromise candidate II one
IA ra W ma
but II is not so covert that the parties OF the
ond part most concerned cannot see through IT,
The fact Is that If the fight Is narrowed down to
two men, as 1t seems TO be already, 1t becomes a
great question who the other aspirants are. SO as
suit the views ana desires OF the gen
tlemen OF the Third House. and this in
nutshell is the prize the lobDymen are after. II
| certain committees can be controlled by certain
men, the Speakership question: SO far as the less
prominent candidates are concerned, VIII not be
| bone OF contention among them, and all viii go
along as merrily as marriage bell. Just at pres
| ent the two real candidates for the Speakership
are James Ii. Hustled. OF Westchester, aud L. Brad
| ford Prince OF Queens. These two gentlemen were
candidates in a certain way last year before the
opened, and neither OF them was elected by
| reason OF the simple fact that the custom House
clique at the time controlled the slate makers and
| position. Everybody knows now Prince was
treated when he finally withdrew from the contest
the night OF the republican causus, and how Hustled
| was treated-the one being made chairman ol the
| Judiciary Committee and the other laid on the
| shelf as fgurehead for an insignificant commit





| party was done to humiliate husted, and at one
| time it looked as though he would


BREAK OUT OF THE PARTY TRACES


| and fight on his own hook regardless OF the plans
| OF the majority. But he did not. He renamed


S he passy a h S
satisfaction OF finding the ''leadersn who had en-
deavored to turn him adrft, imploring him to
come 10 their assistance against powerful COM
bination that had suddenly been made against
them. For his services during the session. which
were invaluable at the time they were given to the
men who most needed them, he was promised the
Custom House support this year Tor the Speaker
astic friends are building their strongest hopes or
his nnal success. But Mr.. Hustled has more than
once in the past listened to promises that were
the year 1874 may not have In store for him an ex
ceptional fate, i it should not, the question
Sss served e as pa!s whGh .ns
least for himself. His opponent, Mr.. Prince, has
been in the Assembly three years, and during the
members of his party; and though, as has already
been mentioned, he has been standing candidate
for Speaker, and at the same time ever ready TO
fall back gratefully upon the craftsmanship OF either
one of the TWO most prominent committees he is
this time candidate for the speakersn!p and
nothing ese His claims for 1t are his past SER
vices IN the House to the party In power and 20
the patriotic way In which he withdrew from the
others had done the same thing with the same
ENDS IN view. Both he and Mr.. Hustled have been,
o. late hard at work "a among the members \, Of the
friends OF each say that each Is ahead in the
race. Some four weeks ago Princes star ap-
parently in the ascendant, the rumOr that the
Gus tom House was to go for him to o man, "under
orders from headquarters having considerable
weight with some OF the country members, who,
though they hold no Office now, patriotic
enough 10 expect to hold one before the session is
over. This rumor, however, has not been verified,
anu the lact, besides, having leaked out that Tom
Murphy is dead against him, has mad very de-
pressing effect upon his chances; so much so, in
deed, tnat Mr.. Hustled Is now generally conceded
to be the inside track. But 1t Is just here that
serious dilemma presents Itself, and which has
placed both candidates in rather tckish position.
Eacn Is nxious, as matter OF course, to


CURRY FAVOR WITH ANY POLITICAL POWER


within the party lines which will, as the situation
is generally understoo3 give him an advantage
over the other. Now it so happens according to
report that several of the old members OF the
House whose recollectons OF the whipping In they
got last year by the Custom House at the begin