Lyons not merely that Elton was bent on securing its passage while the present Governor was in office, but that his rival, Stringer, had conceived the cruel scheme of putting him in the position, by a hue and cry against monopoly and corporate interests, where his election to the senatorship would be imperilled if he did not veto the measure.  By a caustic speech in the Senate Stringer drew public attention to the skilfully concealed iniquities of the proposed franchise, and public attention thus aroused began to bristle.  Newspapers here and there throughout the state put forth edicts that this Legislature had been chosen to protect popular principles, and that here was an opportunity for the Democratic party to fulfil its pledges and serve the people.  Stringer and his associates were uttering in the Senate burning words against the audacious menace of what they termed the franchise octopus.  Did the people realize that this bill to combine gas companies, which looked so innocent on its face, was a gigantic scheme to wheedle them out of a valuable franchise for nothing?  Did they understand that they were deliberately putting their necks in the grip of a monster whose tentacles would squeeze and suck their life-blood for its own enrichment?  Stringer hammered away with fierce and reiterated invective.  He had no hope of defeating the bill, but he confidently believed that he was putting his adversary, the Governor, in a hole.  It had been noised about the lobbies by the friends of the measure earlier in the session that the Governor was all right and could be counted on.  Stringer reasoned that Lyons was committed to the bill; that, if he signed it, his opponents might prevent his election as Senator on the plea that he had catered to corporate interests; that if he vetoed it, he would lose the support of powerful friends who might seek to revenge themselves by uniting on his opponent.  Stringer recognized that he was playing a desperate game, but it was his only chance.  One thing was evident already:  As a result of the exposure in the Senate, considerable public hostility to the bill was manifesting itself.  Petitions for its defeat were in circulation, and several Senators who had been supposed to be friendly to its passage veered round in deference to the views of their constituents.  Its defeat had almost become a party measure.  A majority of the Democrats in the Senate were claimed to be against it.  Nevertheless there was no delay on the part of those in charge in pushing it to final action.  They had counted noses, and their margin of support had been so liberal they could afford to lose a few deserters.  After a fierce debate the bill was passed to be engrossed by a majority of eleven.  The Democrats in the Senate were just evenly divided on the ballot.