The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-13
pENIALs THAT DON'T DENY,
Murphy 81 Co.'s Allegations About
That Hill Letter.
From Saturcsau's Nelo York TYn.es.

the keeping of Edward Murphy, Jr.. chair
man of the democratic state committee, by
the Times yesterday morning, it was
indicated that there would be emphatic
and probably angry denials of the existence
OF the letter. This prediction has been
verified. Never has the simple statement
OF the real facts In a case been more vocifer.
ously or more suspiciously denied.
II any one familiar with the plans of the
leaders In the so-called Hill delegation to
Chicago will point out what other course
but denials was left open to Murphy and
company after the plans Of that combina-
ton and the letter had been disclosed, he
Will have discovered something that Murphy
and Sheehan aud the rest Of them would
like very much to have known when they
were confronted with the publiIhed state
ment OF the real facts in the case,
10 have admitted the existence OF the let
ter would have been to give up all their
plans without further parley.
Under cover Of the resolution pledging
the Albany delegations vote to Mr.. Hill
until he should withdraw his name, the
leaders were in fine position to make their
combinations for a third man II they de-
clded finally not to cast their votes for Mr..
Cleveland.
The very manner in which Mr.. Murphy
Mr.. Mclaughlin, and some of the others put
their denials indicated the genuineness of
the facts stated in yesterdays TIMES and
showed that some of these gentlemen were
stirred to something akin to fury.
They did not laugh it off and term 1t
ridiculous, as politicians are won't to do
when thing they know is not so is printed.
MIR. Murphy went at it furiously. From
the printed reports it was evident that he
saw at once the effect the disclosure would
have on his plans. He charged the publica-
ton to the enemies of Mr. Hill.
He laid stress on the point that there was
no such letter in existence.
he was evidently terribly disturbed by
the fact that the important news which he
thought he and few others were the only
trustees of had been given TO the public, and
that the people of the country were fully
aware what that resolution to vote for Mr..
Hill until he should withdraw meant.
Senator Hill neither affirmed nor denied
the existence of the letter, but he made the
general statement that he wasn't going to
deny "canards" on the eve of campaign.
Then he let his young secretary, John Biz
mingham go out and tell the reporters in
Washington that he didn't write such let
ter, and Mr. Birmingham diligently did so.
Hugh Mclaughlin of Brooklyn was one
OF the men whose interests were more or
less affected. at least temporarily, by what
the Hill men regarded as the premature
publication Of the facts about the letter.
His denial was marked by the same sort of
policy that Mr.. Murphy adopted.
There ls not syllable of truth in it, he
said; there is no such letter in existence. :"
politician who noticed the general
character OF these denIals inquired what
would have prevented the leaders from de-
stroying the letter after it had been seen by
Messrs. Croker and Mclaughlin. and after
it was known that the fact of its existence
had become public property.
war oF -
fessed to believe that the letter was never
written did not go to the extent of express
ing the belief that Senator Hill had not
given verbal assurances of his withdrawal
The recital of the facts in regard to the let
ter was universally credited in this city
yesterday, except by those who permit
Murphy and company to do their thinking
for them.
Lieut.. Gov. Sheehan also gave a vocifer-
GUS denial of the existence of the letter
This was quite consistent with the third
man. movement in the direction of Roswell
z. Flower, whose elevation would make Mr.
Sheehan governor.
William is ambitious. 1t was not good
for this much talked-of scheme that the
knowledge of the existence of the letter of
withdrawal should be made public.
Significant indeed was the course of John
Delmar, one of the Albany conventions
delegates from Brooklyn. Mr.. Delmar
controls the Brooklyn Citizen, the demo-
cratic machine organ in Brooklyn. The
Citizen, like Messrs. Murphy and Sheehan,
fairly frothed at its editorial mouth over
the disclosure of the existence of the letter
in its issue of yesterday afternoon.
On Thursday night Mr.. Delmar was seen
by Times reporter in reference to the
letter. and he then said: 81 don't care to
talk about the matter, for 1 know nothing
about it"
He had learned enough about the neces-
sity from the machine standpoint, of deny
ing the real facts by noon yesterday to en-
able tbs Citizen to deny the existence of the
letter in a frenZied fashion.
One of the most prominent democrats in
the state, outside of the cities of New York
and Brooklyn, a man whose name would
carry absolutely positive assurance with it,
and who is concededly situated SO as to know
the facts, was in the city yesterday, and he
stated that he knew it to be positive fact
that the letter had been written by Senator
Hill and turned over to the leaders, to be
used in their discretion.
Comments of confirmatory character
came also from several democratic news
papers The Brooklyn Eagle said in its edi-
torlal column Yesterday afternoon:
THE expected denials of the writing are
appearing. Including the one from Edward
Murphy, Jr., which was the first to come to
uauut tueJ are more dFRuInenLaLlVo tna0
absolute or actual Mr.. Murphy denies
that he has letter from Mr.. Hill which
he might easily have put out of his hands,
merely to be able to issue such a denial.
The withdrawal might not be in form a
letter at all
"Another than Mr.. Murphy might be the
custodian of 1t, whatever tbs. Mr. Murphy
is quite capable Of denying the matter up to
the very moment of finally divulgiac it.
The country understands the standards of
practical politicians
"a typewriter copy of A. S. Hewitts
letter to the Young Mems Democratic Club
here years ago was read to David B. Hill in
carriage while slowly driving over the
bridge The latter, however, was able to
say he had never seen the letter. 1T had
never been presented to him. and several
other things which were true, but which
did not affect the fact that he knew every
word Of the letter or reveal the way in
which he had learned it.
The denials of the Hill withdrawal from
any source will likely be merely argument
tative or qualified. The character Of those
who affirm the fact OF the withdrawal will
not suffer by comparison with that of those
who would deny the fact in order to defer
the effect OF the withdrawal until 1t can be
used to advantage, instead of being neu-
tralized by premature promulgation.
THE existence of an understanding
against suicide among the mid winter dele
gates, at their late meeting in New York
city, was made clear to Senator Hill and
his immediate representatives The robust