Huntsville gazette., 1892-01-09
THE cRlsP-HlLL COMBINE.
Democratic Magnatcs In Dared Frame
of Mind.

democratic Magnatcs In Dared Franc
of Mind.
Now that the defeat of Mills has
been effected and notice served on
Grover Cleveland that the democratic
party is not his private preserve, the
next thing in order will be to conciliate
the vanquished. Whether this can be
done satisfactorily without stirring a
fever of revolt in the blood of the vie
tors may well be doubted. The patron
age, including desirable committee
ship positions, at the command of the
democracy is very limited. Mr.. Crisp
could hardly satisfy his own hackers
If he gave them everything, and if he
meets the demands, even half way, of
the Millsites the cry will go up that he
Is placating his enemies at the expense
of his friends.
Just at present there is a lull Both
rides can wait for future developments.
But the daily press is not in position
to maintain silence. 1t is not built
that way. The newspapers of the
mugwump stripe have no occasion to
wait They are immeasurably dis
gusted. 1t is said that Sherman Hoar,
of Massachusetts,, the most distinctive
representative of that element, did not
vote at all when it came to the actual
election of speaker, and one of his col
leagues followed his example. This
was the logic of the situation. What
ever else the election of Crisp means
it proclaims in clear tone, loud enough
to be heard distinctly by every mug
wump in the country, that 1892 is not
to be repetition of 1885. If the mug
wumps want to come in and be merged
in the democratic party, well and good,
but as for allowing the tail to wag the
out of half the spoils of victory by civil
service reform ideas, that is not to be
tolerated If Mr. Cleleland runs at all
it must be as democrat. simon pure,
and nothing else.
The democratic press seems to be
somewhat bewildered. Evidently the
lnagnates of that branch of the press
were not prepared for what happened.
Even those who fought Mills the most
bitterly did not much expect to win,
and in an important sense they did not.
II was not their victory. They were on
the winning side, but only as fly was
on the coach. Never was there con-
test in politics which was more exclu-
sively con fined, as battlefield to the
politicians. 1t would be absurd to say
that public sentiment in favor of
Crisp had been worked up, or that the
Mills people had attempted to ham
string him by newspaper assaults The
willy politicians of the party met at
Washington and played game upon
the chess board without noise. At no
point of the game was there any ''gOing
to the country for consultation as to
what move to make. The tone Of the
democratic press, now that Crisp has
''won out" shows plainly dazed
frame of mind Even those editors who
wanted Mills beaten are by no means
certain they have got what they really
wanted. There is Russian proverb to
| the effect that to scratch Cossack is
to find a Tartar, and in this case it is
| already evident that beneath the Crisp
coat beats the heart of David b. Hill
The governor-senator was not in Wash
| ington himself. He was busy at Albany
| trying to steal the state of New York,
an occupation which gave him great
favor in the eyes of the southern dem
ocracy. 1t makes him their 'blood
brother" But it now looks as if histheft
| would not be accomplished Public
sentiment against the outrage is too
strong to be resisted and Hill will enter
upon his senatorial duties Immediately
| after the recess covered with the shame
of defeat, instead of the prestige of
success, and the Crisp-Hil combine
will prove in still another sense the
catching of a Tartar. Chicago Inter
L Ocean