The Portland daily press., 1885-11-07
THE ADMINISTRATION AND NEW
XnRK


The President is reported as saying that he
regards the election of Hill as an endorse
ment of his administration. Such also is the
opinion of Secretary Manning, Col La
mont and other confdants of the President.
The Vice President, however, regards it
as ''straightout Democratic victory" There
is no way at present to settle definitely which
is right, the President or Mr.. Hendricks. We
suspect however, that the Vice President is
nearer the truth than Mr.. Cleveland. Tam
many nominated Hill and supported him
heartily at the polls. The tremendous vote
which he received in New York city and
which pulled him through was largely due
to the efforts of that organization. Tamma-
ny year ago at Chicago bitterly opposed
Cleveland. In the state convention that
nominated Hillone of its prominent leaders
denounced civil service reform a humbug.
When Tammany put Hill in nomination 1T
feltno sympathy with either Cleveland or his
reforms. Hill was selected because he was
spokesman, who believed in taking in the
boys and warming their toes and because his
conduct in the executive chair of the State
had shown that he had no sympathy at all
with the Presidents reform professions. He
was taken because he was full-blooded
Democrat who believed that the offices should
be turned over to the Democrats without de-
lay
But Hill is demagogue ready to make
professions and pledges of any sort provided
they promise votes. Fearful in the last days
Of the campaign that his well known charac-
ter as spokesman might lose him votes nee
essary to his election he professed conver-
sion to civil service reform and began to
praise what the Mugwumps are fond of styl-
ing the Presidents reform policy. But no.
body familiar with his career took any
stock in these eleventh hour professions.
Tammany clung to him as closely as ever,
well knowing that these professions We're
not sincere, and were only a ruse to hood
wink the Nugwumps into supporting him
on the theory that by so doing they
would be endorsing the administration. 1t
was patent to everybody of good discernnent
that Hill was the candidate of the Jackso-
MAN Democrats and the enthusiastic sup
port in the city of New York was the result
of this conviction.
The administration dealt very gingerly
Will llllll bhlVuSilOdu uliO buhfUoo' = ~
most that could be got out of the President
was statement that he should vote for him
and contribution of one thousand dollars.
Cleveland was very quick to pronouce for
gerry letter alleged to have been written by
him that contained a personal endorsement
Of Hill. Throughout the campaign the adj
ministration kept as far as possible a-strad-
die the fence. Now that Hill has been elect
ed it promptly gets down on his side and
claims his election as its endorsement. Had
he been defeated we suspect it would have
got down on the other side, and as promptly
claimed that his defeat could not be consid-
cred rebuke inasmuch as it had carefully
abstained from expressing any sympathy
with him. If the President is anxious to as
certain how much of an endorsement of him
the election of Hill was let him appoint a
Mugwump to some important Office in New
York and then listen.