Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-04-13


GOV. HIS enemies are after him with . very
long and very sharp stick His coquetting with
the presidential fancy has made him q prominent
OBJECT Of attack. and has arrayed against him .
number OF democrats who, under ordinary cir.
cumstance, would have come 70 his defense The
charges made against the governor are that,
While running for reelection In 1885, be raised
= campaign fund OF $4,000 on notes for whose
redemption John oBrien. the contractor; John
keenan,, the fugitive Doodler; VIM. L Muller, and
Alton b. Parker made themselves jointly liable
with him; that when the tine came for paying this
debt Mr. Hill had not the cash In pocket, and the
other gentlemen had to pay instead; but Mr.
Parker has been appointed q justice OF the su-
preme Court and Mr.. Muller a Commissioners OF the
BOARD OF claims: Mr.. O'Brien has secured
slme highly favorable legislation for his con-
tract on the New YORK aqueduct. and
Mr. keenan, Is spending his il-eotten gains In Mon.
trsal without fear OF extradition. Thus far, Of
course, the whole case against the governor rests
on circumstaniial evidence; but ex-senator Thomas
e. Piatt, whose life a. quarantine commissioner
Wa made miserable by Mr.. Hill, has had one or
more OF the notes photographed for clrcul alton
throughout the state as campaign documents, and
undoubtedly has the naming OF q committee Of
Investigation just appointed by the state senate
Opinions diner as 70 the course which the demo-
cratic party OF New YORK as q whole, and more es-
pecially the Cleveland wing OF IT, will take In the
present crfsia Up 20 within q little while Mr.
Hills name was upon the lips OF nearly all anti.
administration democrats, as possible resort In
case the bolt against Mr.. CIsveland's renomina-
tion should amount TO enough to warrant them
IN bringing out q candidate. Now, however they
have generally given up the Idea Of nominate
Ing Hill for President except In some unforeseen
emergency, and have settled down to the
purpose or running him again for governor.
The Cleveland democrats are debating whether or
not to take advantage OF the charges against Hi
and oppose him In the race for the gubernatorial
nomination That the charges VIII not be re-
moved tiIl after the nnal struggle at the polls It
10 safe to prediot--no matter whether Mr. Hin Is
innocent or uoS-in view OF the fact that Mr.. Plat
has the Investigation business In hand, and some
OF the Cleveland men are disposed 10 take the pe-
sition that their presidential nominee should not
be hampered In his own state by candidate for
governor who is under charges
The struggle over the Ritchis local government
pll. for which the English parties are now pre-
pairing. promises TO be OF great interest. The
principal light Will probably take place on the
hquor-license clauses. which criticised by ex-
tremists on both SIDES OF the liquor question. The
prohioitionists object to the proposed establish
ment OF local-opuon system, because they say
that the tendency will be to issue q larger lot OF
licenses than heretofore, as the money so gained
VIII 60 to the county treasury. The liquor dealers
complain that the authority which the bill con.
fers upon local officers TO order the closing OF
saloons on sundays Christmas, and Good Friday
may rob their trade OF 50 large share OF its pro-
nts a. &c make them unable to pay the extra
twenty per cent added the cost OF their licenses
The other Important features OF the bill are OF
domestic interest only except as they indicate the
gradual movement of the English police system
toward likeness 70 our own. The petty magis-
trates Of the rural districts are stripped Of their
administrative duties, and viii shortly, in the
ordinary course OF things lose their chief judicial
functions also, 70 make way for a higher class OF
justices specially trained IN the law The govern
nent OF ten OF the large cities WILL by the terms OF
the oill, be changed By their erection into NUM-
cipal Districts managed BY a council. and treated
as counties as well As cities Such q radical over
turning OF the results OF centuries OF moulding and
upo0ilding must naturally startle people as con-
servatiye In their general character as the Eng
nsh, and II Is not surprising that the principal
foes OF Lord Sa.isourys effort at reform are TO be
found within his own political household