New-York tribune., 1891-12-17
Has HILL A FUTUREf

Governor Hill is Nsourceful and industrious
man, and he belongs to party which not in
frequently sends its worst element to the 'front.' or
at least suffers it to get there without protest
on the part of reputable Democrats. All this
is in his favor Still it is doubtful, we should
saw. il he has future. 1t is notorious that he
yearns TO capture the Presidential nomination
next year, but we count upon his failing for
variety of causes, the chief of which is that his
reputation is q little too bad even for the De-
mocracy. If he was simply an unscrupulous boss
the convention might tolerate him. Or ii he was
simply Whiskey's Governor" or decided
enemy of ballot reform, or promoter OF frauds
on the ballot-box, or that unparalleled exponent
of the spirit of greed-the holder OF two great
public offices at the same time-eyen then a
majority of the delegates in a National Demo-
cratic Convention might be brought to believe
that he was what is called an available can
didate
But the fact that David B. Hill is all of these
things must defeat him. The combination is too
much of load Even the most hardened and
unprincipled OF the leaders who are to have the
shaping of the convention will reason that they
will have to draw the line somewhere. 1t will
occur to them. we believe, that Hill has become
too Hagrant a stencil in the nOstrils of honest
people bent upon public progress and practical
reform to render it safe to select him for stand
ard-bearer. To nominate a wicked man is one
thing to nominate the wiclledest man in New
York. the man who has done the most to degrade
the Commonwealth by lowering the standard Of
official propriety, is another. And if Hill from
the Point of view of the public veal is not en-
IaI A.
York why, then he cannot read his title clear
to any notoriety. Assume a virtue il you have
it not" is an admonition which the convention
will not entirely lose sight Of. 1t is an admOni
tion fatal to Hills prospects If. the Governor
had been less bold in his warfare against re-
form, if he had treated public sentiment with
some semblance of respect it might be possible
for him to make the convention reach the con-
cluson that he was a truly good or a fair to
mddng statesman, whose intentions had been
honorable. but who was the victim of the SLAM
ders of his enemies. As it is, he must neces-
sarily endeavor to gain the prize as a distinctive
y anti-nform candidate in the broadcast and
worst sense of the term anti-refOm. Could
anything be more petty, vulgar and disgracefu
than his treatment of the Senatorshp? So base
a betrayal of an exalted public trust ought of
itself to take him out of the list of Presidential
candidates for all time. And think what it is
that prompted him to commit this outrage upon
the people OF New York who sent him to the
Senate He plays the part of shirk he alb
sents himself from Washington in order to pun
ish Lieutenant Governor Jones, Jones having
gone against him in the late campaign.
We believe that David b. Hill has got as far
as he is going to get. That his exit from the
public service would be a distinct gain for the
service is proposition that will not be disputed
by any public-sprited person who is familiar
with his career at Albany As was said of an
other, " lie has glorious future behind him.