Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-13
CLEVELAND AND HILL
The Former Gets in a Blow in Penn
sylvania, While the Latter
RETURNS 1T OUT In INDIANA.
1t is the Old Fight Over Again, Hill Repre-
senting Hendricks.
TARIFF REFORM AGAINST sPOILS
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DIsrATcH.I

CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DLbfAICha1
NEW YORK, July 12-The first serious
attention directed to the next Presidential
campaign has been evoked by the recent
visit Of Governor Hill to Indiana. While
the immediate and ostensible occasion oi
that visit was the unwilling Of the monu-
ment to the late Hon. Thomas A. Hen
bricks, the real germ Of the matter lies in
the Presidential aspirations of Mr.. Hill as
opposed to those of Mr.. Cleveland. In the
opinion OF the partisans Of Governor Hill
here the occasion Of last week was the most
auspcious one for their candidate.
This because, first, Of the peculiar and an
tagonistic relations which existed between
the late Vice President OF the United States
and the then President, Mr.. Cleveland; Sec
ond, because of the incipient revolt Of the
Indiana old line Democracy against the ad-
ministration Of Mr.. Cleveland; third, be-
cause in the presence Of David B. Hill that
particular wing Of Democracy OF the coun-
try finds its chief exponent at this timei
fourth, because Cleveland could not from
the nature OF the case be participant in the
ceremonies, and. fifth, because in the combi-
nation Of all these reasons the Governor of
New York found his golden opportunity for
the enunciation of the political doctrines
represented by the man whose memory the
Democracy had assembled TO honor.
AN AUsPICIoUs OPENING.
Such combination Of circumstances has
rarely been offered any aspiring politician
In this country. The very fact that the late
Vice President of the United States, Mr..
Hendricks, differed widely and fatally from
President Cleveland while the two were in
office, and that Indiana has been regarded
as q sort of keynote State, was in itself o
favorable opening Tor Governor Hill. These
circumstances, on the whole, must be re-
garded by those familiar with the political
evolution Of the last six years as somewhat
remarkable.
knew Mr.. Hendricks we'll during his
lifetime, and while I have q great admira-
tion for him as man, and for his stalwart
political character, 1t may as well be
acknowledged by even his friends that his
presence in the administration ofMr. Cleve-
land was not only calculated TO render that
administration inharmopious, but TO pre-
vent the solid alignment Of the Democracy
in the Presidential campaign which was TO
follow. We all know what the results Of
that campaign were. The defeat of Mr..
Cleveland was more the effect oil the fatal
political differences between himself and
Mr.. Hendricks, il we may go no far back
for cause, than from anything that hap
pened after the latter's death. The first
real party revolt, and practically the only
serious one during Cleveland's administra-
tion, occurred in the State OF Indiana.
NOT ACTIVE IN THE REVOLT.
While Mr.. Hendricks did not as Vice.
President take an active part in heading
that revolt, he was the mouth-pece at
Washington during the time for all Of the
discomfort launched upon the head Of the
reform President. His rooms were continu-
ally thronged with representatives of the
old line Bourbon Democracy. Mr.. Hem
bricks himself was not chary Of expressing
at all times to these his disapproval OF the
administration of President Cleveland. It
Is not possible that these expressions of the
Vlce-President's were unknown at the
White House. They were familiar to every
body about Willard's Hotel, and were car
ried from there to all part Of the country,
where they might ferment or add to the po-
litical discord.
1t was not because Mr.. Hendricks was
not quite as able and good and as politically
honored man as was Mr.. Cleveland, but
because they differed primarily in their ideas
of what constituted modern Democracy.
The very honesty OF Mr.. Hendricks made it
impossible for him to assimiIate with Mr..
Cleveland; and the honesty of the latter, in
his fidelity to those to whom he owed his
election and to his own personal ideas of
what was due to his country, quite as effect
ually prevented him from being absorbed
by the great leader OF the Bourbons.
CONCESSIONS THAT WERE COSTLY.
That Cleveland made important conces.
sions to this old-line Democracy is evil
denced by the character Of large number
OF his appointments. These concessions
ranks of the epublicans and Mugwumps,
but in the rank and file OF his own party.
Cleveland represented essentially the
younger Democracy. With that Democ-
raey Mr., Hendricks had nothing In
common. The latter did not affiliate
politically with the ma ority OF his party In
the Lower House OF Congress. The Hen
drleks wing Of tho party wanted everything,
and was not content with anything short oil
Q full recognition OF the spoils system-law
or no law, plat orm or no platform.
Being fully committed TO the opposite
course by bis record, by the demands Of
modern democracy. by his pledges to the
country In bis letter OF acceptance, by the
qulrementa Of the statutes--Mr. Cleveland
had no other course open 10 him than that
which he followed. " Ia matter OF grave
doubt to-day, ~ we look back on the history
o that time, whether the concessions OF the
Democratic President 10 the bourbon eles
menta Of his party did not actually damage
his administration more than IL added TO ia
political strength.
There Ia certain fascination even 10 the
young man Of this day In such great polItl.
cal characters a. Hendricks, fIiden and
Thurman, but the great power behind ali
this lay 10 the ever faithful, ubehangipg
eally before the War Of tho Rebellion. Like
the men and women who are continually
saying that boyhood aud glrIhood Is not
what IL used 70 be when they were Young. 40
these old "moss-baeks," a. they are called
by the younger generation Of politieIans,
decline TO set their stakes forward In har.
mony with the march Of newer ciyIliza.
ton.
THE OLD TROUBLE UP AGAIN.
These elements Of inharmony and uncer-
tainty begin thus early to force themselves
upon the Democratic party. By the recent
demonstration at Indianapolis over the
dead body OF the Bourbon leader that party
10 confronted on the skirmish line OF its next
Presidential battle with divided ranks and
insubordination. With our knowledge of
the sources whence springs this division the
occasion for the intervention oil an almost
miraculous political wisdom seems very
nearly at hand. With the Republican
party more solidly united than it has been
for number of years 1t will require the
harmonious consolidation OF the best blood,
bone and sinev Of the Democracy to present
an even chance for success.
While this break in their ranks in the
State Of Indiana indicates what Democrats
have before them the situation in this
State is equally serious. Governor Hill is
popular man in New York, yet I doubt
very much whether Governor Hill ON q
Bourbon Democratic platform could come
anywhere near throwing the vote OF the
State OF New York to his party. There is
too little left beside sentiment of the
traditions Of the old line Democracy to COM
mand the undivided support Of those who