Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-03-10
HILL IN .THE BALANCE.
Many Democrats Comparing Him With
Cleveland and His
POLICY WITH CLEVELANL'S WAY
Of Doing Things and Managing Afairs-He Gained
Strength in the South and West by His Victor
les in New York, but he Must Speak
More Firmly and Plainly on Tar
if ReirOm and Silver.
.Sn.cinl rsrenram 70 tAe Rsqis.sr.

| Special Telegram 70 ne hs2!SseT.
WASHINGTON, March 9.-Some of Mr..
Hill's friends are very dubious about
his accepting the many invitations
which are extended to him to make
| speeches in the South. The plan to
work up the Hill boom in that section
was OF their own making, and it was
calculated that it would be necessary
for him to put himself in touch with
the Southern people by going among
| them in order to overcome the Cleveland
sentiment.
1t has begun to appear, however, that
Mr.. Hill cannot expect any support from
that section based on sentiment or per-
sonal preference, but that his strength
there will depend entirely upon the
conviction that New York wants him TO
get the nomination and the safe Demo
cratic States should defer to this uncer-
tain sister. As against this idea, cur
rency is being given to suspicion that
Mr.. Hill is not sound enough on the
fundamental Democratic principles OF
tariff reform and opposition to subsidies,
bountieS and class favoritism.
This suspicion, IL is reported, is being
aroused effectively in certain sections OF
the South where quite strong Hill
movement was started by his recent
successes in New York. The people
are being melted to seek from him
some open declaration of principles, and
some OF his more astute friends foresee
that this may prove embarrassing to
him. The Democrats Of the South and
West, though they may be led to aban-
don Mr. Cleveland as candidate, are
disposed TO measure any man who
claims the honor or the nomination, by
the standard OF Democracy which Mr..
Cleveland has set.
Mr.. Cleveland may satisfy the people
of those sections with his advanced po-
sition on the tariff, though he disagrees
with them on the silver question. But
Mr.. Hill, unless he is ready to take the
advanced ground on the former qpeS-
ton, has nothing but mis- influence with
the machine with which to offset such
difference of opinion as there may be
on the silver question. Moreover, it is
not improbable that when he essays to
address the people of the South on
political questions, they will require
from him some more definite expression
as TO silver than he has yet given, and
this may be q serious embarrassment to
him. d.
In North Carolina it has been claimed
for some little time that d strong Hill
sentiment has been growing. Mr.. Hen
derson, of that State, who has just re-
turned from home, said to your CORE
SpOndent to-day:
Immediately after Mr.. Hill'S victory
in the fight over the New York LegSla-
ture and following along with his subse-
quent successes, 4 very strong sentiment
in his favor began to develop in North
Carolina, and it looked for while very
much as if he might count on sub
Stantial following in the State; but the
people have begun TO consider whether
or not he comes fully up to the standard
as an advocate of general Democratic
principles. If they can measure him
and find that he does, ne may depend
upon their support; but it has become
evident that they propose to make their
own measurements before committing
themselves to him. They want to hear
from him first. They are not going to
give themselves away to him until he
reveals himself to them"
This appears to be about the spirit in
which the Southern people are receiv-
ing the advances of the New York Sen
ator, so that while he may hope for
support there, which may assist him TO
the nomination, ne is by no means GER
tain of it, unless ne can satisfy the
Southern Democracy on several dis
puted points. The fact is that the
question of the Democratic nomination
is getting more and more uncertain
every day, aud a hot contest is being
waged without any developments as
yet, which indicate that any other man
has a call on the nomination in the
event of Mr.. Cleveland being entirely
out of the race.