The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-07-16
HILLS CANDIDACY.
A Slashing Editorial on Him by
WatterSOn.
WHY HE CANNOT BE THE NOMINEE
Suspicious Of Him as Causing Cleveland's
Defeat-Sot In Sympathy With the
Tax Reform Movement.

Especial to THE Observation-Disclosures Dispatch.1
LOUISVILLE, July 15.-Henry Watterson
has slashing editorial in the Courier jour
nal 1t Is headed: Governor Hill and the
Presidency" and is as follows: in the
New York Worlds Washington letter of
recent date we find the following: "Said a
poltician OF experience here to-day, after
reaolng Henry Warterson's suggestions
ABOUT the next Democratic national ticket,
L am afraid Watterson is losing the finer
quality OF mis- political sense. He omitted
the name of Governor Hill altogether.
One would suppose he did not consider ths
governor big enough even for Vice Presi
dent That, Of course, was because Hill
gave him dressing down for writing g
certain impertinent letter we heard so much
ABOUT last year. Watterson's personal
dislike OF Governor Hill may be justifabIy
very strong, but 1t should not have con
lroned MN when writing for the public
ABOUT situation In which he knew Gov
ernor Hill TO be an important factor. The
truth Is that should Hill be the Democratic
nominee next year, his vote in Kentucky
would De as large as ever polled there by
any Democrat. The fact that Watterson
was reproved by him and disliked him,
would not cut the slightest figure and
probably under such circumstances Waiter
son would not care TO have il cut any figure
antagcnlstic TO the nominee of his party
| All OF which is very childish, though 1t is
Oh piece with the average job lot of news
paper comment of the DOG days and Is re-
printed for the purpose OF illustration and
example.
The editor OF the Journal has net the
smallest personal dislike of Governor Hill.
| II the governor and MS friends are satisfied
with the episode referred to assuredly Mr.
Watterson has no desire to disturb their
equanlmlty. In the meantime, however
ne does not regard the governor as prob
able, perhaps not even possible Demo
cratic nominee for President in 1892 and
| for the following reasons:
l-There Is feeling among Democrats
far and wide that Mr. Cleveland lost New
York IN the last election on account OF
some deal or dicker with which they con-
meet Governor Hill, and although this does
the governor an injustice, it leaves in the
minds and hearts OF Democrats entertaining
IN the belief that as Mr.. Cleveland fairly
earned and won a reelection and was
cheated out OF 1t. he ought again to be en-
trusted with the leadership. This amounts
TO q deep and widespread conviction. It
may be met and satisfied by the assurance
that New York cannot be carried
| for Mr.. Cleveland. In that event
1t would turn regretfully to some
other nominee, but scarcely to Governor
Hill. In the person of the governor it
would be an implacable enemy of its
wishes, indeed the one man who had
thwarted and disappointed those wishes,
and 1t could not be brought TO consent that
this man Of all others should enjoy the
usufruct Of an act deemed by il both sell
/ hsh and unpatriotic. In 1850 the party re-
linquished Samuel ]. Tilden, bat it did not
rally TO John Kelly. The cases now and
then are OF course no parallel, and yet there
is likeness enough TO make the one serve
to point the moral OF the other.
| 2-It Is known Governor Hill has not
been in sympathy with the great Demo
cratic movement for tax reform. Where
he stands, now that the issue has been uni
versslly accepted by the Democrats and
made clear, is still matter OF conjecture,
but during the long nights of travail when
the party was struggling to get itself to-
gether, and when internal forces were at
work 10 divert 1t FROM the true course and
divide il. Governor Hill was understood to
| be the enemy Of progress and the friend
US next year who is not sound to the core
and enliR htened and equipped from top to
toe upon that great paramount issue in
American politics.
3-Governor Hill is certainly factor in
the affair and will undoubtedly be felt in the
next Democratic nominating convention.
But it will be primarily on the side of de-
struction, not Of original creation, at most
and at the worst all that he can hope to do
will be to defeat Cleveland, perhaps 10 so
shape the course of events as to make the
attitude of New YORK under his hand and
breath decisive in the final result. Such
position cannot in the nature of the case,
be very wrong, honoring or attractive, and
must inevitably leave the governor in the
unpleasing role Of a managing politician
cold, unfeeling, revengeful and narrow,
unequal TO the requirements Of the hour or
inspirations Of his party and the people,
merely q selfish, short-sighted man, incap-
able OF sacrifice or generous impulse or
large conception of any sort For these
reasons and others that might be given we
do not regard Governor Hill as q likeli-
hood. He lost his surest and richest stake
/ in the future when he preferred the part
| of Walpole to that of Warwick.
| Schemeing politicians, however success
full, are favorites nowhere, least Of all in
| America. The people like to see how it is
done, they banker after light, they take to
that which is open and above board. For
his own fame Governor Hill has been too
secretive, for his popularity TOO success
full. We would do him no wrong, but to
gain in public opinion what his gain in
power has denied him, he must show him
self q better man than the country thus
! far believes him to be. In saying these
things plainly we do not propose TO express
al individual opinion on the subject, and
still less to be unclv1l or unjust TO Gov
ernor Hill. He knows almost as little Of
national politics and the public men of the
country as Mr.. Cleveland did when he came
! TO the presidency. But Governor Hill 10
said to be a ready and q bright man and
NAV be expected 20 learn, and broaden az
he learns. In that event the time will come
may it not come to him too late-when
he will realize the force of all we have said,
and understand that in giving him disinter
oetad ahliet uupalatabe counsel wa wera
acting the part Of friend, and not Of an
1 anPnnv