Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-18


| the party. There il no man OF so commanding
. poaition A. to cause Mr.. Hill 70 hesitate about
issuing his mandates with tho expectation Of
obedience. iscool assurance, said THE SrAR' g
| ity in that line. 1t was the opinion of the
member referred to that II Mr. Hill were content.
even though ho possessed not enough modesty
| to deter him from trying to assume leadership,
| to avoid shocking the sense OF propriety which
| even the most hardened politicians in both
houses possess, his arrogance might DO over
looked; but he has gone so far and attempted
| to introduce such peculiar doctrines as to TO-
h;icai managementthat his action has met with
a firm and vigorous protest aud spirit of re-
sentiment has developed which he may find
greatly TO his injury.
On several occasions, the reporter was told.
! Mr.. Hill has tried to interfere with the man
agement Of the House and to lay out lines of
| policy and rules of action for men who are gov
crned by their own sense of propriety and ex-
| perience as to methods. Though his sugses-
| tons have not been followed, and thus in q
courteous way, no has been given to under
stand that he is not to lead Congress he has
! not hesitated TO force himself forward with aew
suggestions on every occasion.
TRYING TO RUN THE ELECTIONS COMMITTEE.
His latest performance. as described to the
| reporter, was to interfere with the work Of the
committee on elections of the House and 30
attempt to bully the democrats of that COM
".
contrary to their sense of justice, rropriety
| and common honesty. IL had become APP
parent to majority OF That committee that in
the Hockweii-Noyes contest SIR. Noyes the re-
| publican contestant, was entitled to the seat
| Though there had been no vote on
! the case the discussion in the commit
tee, after the evidence and argu-
| ments had been considered, Indicated
that the decision would he in favor of Mr.
Noyes. Mr.. Hill got word of this and at once
4 y.-k 4. IA. Al
regard the conviction which the evidence
has forced upon their minds aud to award the
seat to Mr.. Rockwell. In the first place he
| sent for one of the prominent democrats of
| the elections committee, and after trying to
ascertain from him just what the situation
was urged upon him that action be postponed
| for week upon the grounds that to unseat q
democrat pending the local elections ia New
York would have a very injurious effect upon
the democrats of that state. With Considerable
hesitation and reluctance the democrats of the
committee agreed to postpone and let the case
go over. provided the minority Of the COM
mittee did not object Without giving their
| reasons they asked the minority if they would
! be satisfied 10 postpone action. The minority
| agreed and MIR. Hill had his way. After that
Mr.. Hill summoned the democrats OF the cleo
| tiOus committee to meet him at his rooms III
the Arlington. He sent his message to each Of
the committee individually without telling him
| that any other members of the committee
| were to be there. giving various reasons
| for desiring their presence. To one mem
Der Of the committee he would saw Il want
| you to come to my room at o'clock this even
| ing. am anxious TINT we should become ac-
| luain ted and talk over some matters of i'm
| portanee 70 the party" aud to another he
would give sone similar reason for his pres
ence. None OF them knew that the invitation
was general except the gentleman TO whom Mr.
| Hill had spoken, and he discovered il by acct
dent and though he accepted the invitation
he decldcd at once upon making this discovery
| that he would not go. He sent note to Mr.. Hill
| asking that be be excused from the engage
| mont Five of six Members Of the committee
did 60, and each was astonisEed to find the rest
there. Mr.. Hill, 1t is stated. at once plunged
right into the matter on hand, urging upon the
members the necessity of keeping Mr.. Rock
well in his seat, aud also urging upon them
that they muSt do this regardless OF every con-
sidsrat,on. He argued that the only thing they
should consider would be the fact that Mr. Rock
well wasa democrat Two or three OF the members
wayered IN their position and were INCLINED to
yieid TO his demands. Others became indig
nant regarding this proposition as an insult
to them as men sworn 20 do their duty as i'm
partial judges and jurors in this case His
proposition, as the members Of the committee
said was SO bold and devoid of conscientious
scruples that 1t WIS shocking to the members
and they left with a feeling Of embarrassment
not entirely devoid of shame.
l. READING Mr.. HILL A LECTURE.
The next day there WAS to be a meeting of
the committee Before the hour of the meet
ing, however. the gentleman who had declined
to go to Mr.. Hills room was sent for to come
to another committee room in the Capitol to
meet q gentleman, who, it was said. was very
anxious TO see him at once, but whose name
was not given. On reaching the committee
room the member discecered that it was Mr..
Hill The first word uttered by that gentleman
| was what the member regarded as an imperious
! and decidedly offensive reference to his failure
| to keep his appointment. The mem Der reese uted
this at once and told Mr. Hill that il be wanted
| to know the reason for his lreakiEg the en-
| gagen,ent he would give it freely. There were
| several gentlemen present and Mr.. Hill re-
| piled that he did not want to know the reasons.
] He WIS then requested 10 make known his busi-
ness with this member OF the committee as
| quickly as possible. as 1t was near The hour of
| the committee meeting. Mr.. Hill, it is said. at
| once began in q passionate manner to argue
| that MIR. Rockwell should be retained in
| his place in the House and to in
| sist that the committee on elections should
keep him there. The member replied to this that
| the arguments presented by the Senator from
New York were not new; that they had all been
heard by the ccmmittef from the attorneys
representing Mr.. Rockwell, aud that the argu-
ments by the attorneys were better than those
of the Senator. Mr.. Hill then, it is asserted
demanded in an imperious manner to know il
the democratic members OF the committee on
elections intended to turn a democrat out Of
| the House.. Tho member replied that the
democrats Of she committee ON elections in
l tended to be honest and to do their
sworn duty, and that il that in
volved tho turning OF . democrat out OF the
| House then the democrat would have to 20.
\ He told Mr.. Hill further that the proposition
he made Eas uRbecoming, to say the least; that
he had no business to interfere in the matter,
! aud that an attempt on his part to eoerce the
| democrats of the elections committee into fol-
lowing . course contrary to the Judgment
which they had formed as jurors after weigh
| ing all the evidence in this case was an insult
| to the members Of the committee, and
| that he, for one, would not practice
methods which no regarded a. dishonorable.
l By this time both the member and senator Hill
/ we're angry and Il seemed to those present that
| il the interview was mot ended ~ once they
might come into personal collision. In fact.
/ one OF the gentlemen present said that he
feared the member Of the elections committee
wouid strike the Senator, &c indignant was he.
But, restraining himself, this member told Mr..
Hill that he thought that they bad better dis
cuss this matter no further, and, turpinG ON
his heel, left the room.
80. 4 sgESATfoN cAxAf9D.
An effort has been made 70 hsep this episode
from thu pubic, but II has created great sem
sation among those members Who have heard
Of it. and there 4 evidence Of . widespread
feeling 81. recruitment against the New York
Sans tor ff1aA wauflavuoe H. 49,, ~<.r,.osss.-