The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-09-21
HILL AZ A pUBLICIsr.

luO bPCOCh VI oOlidtOi IAiAi III DlOOh-
lyn is undoubtedly disappointment to
those Democrats who looked for enthu-
siastic personal praise of their fat joss.
1t was an equal disappointment to Re-
publicans as fatuous who hoped for
sensational and pyrotechnical stabbing
assault on the ticket of his party. But,
though comparatively few were pleased
immoderately with the utterance, we
think that Democrats and Republicans
ought alike in fairness to recognize the
ability of the address and the honesty
with which the junior senator from
New York planted himself squarely
upon the platform of his party. We
think it should be frankly admitted, too,
that no better or abler plea for the
weak Democratic platform has yet been
made, or will be made in this canvass.
The man who was defeated at Chicago
has not waited for the man who won to
sound the keynote of the campaign. He
has himself done this and deserves the
gratitude Of honest men of both parties
for having put the public discussion of
the issues of the campaign upon the
high level of constitutional principles.
The speech is remarkable for its
omissions as for its substance. 1t does
not discuss the plank Of the Democratic
platform which calls for another orgy
of wildcat state banks. The omission is
as significant as was Mr.. Blaine's shrewd
advice to the Republicans of Maine to
bring that issue to the front. Nor did
Mr.. Hill dwell longer on the "force"
bill than necessary to appease his South
ern friends. The bulk of his speech was
an attempt to prove the unconstitution-
ality of the tariff for protection advo-
Gated by the Republican party. Of
course the argument is as old as the
hills; that while Congress has no right
to impose tariff to develop industry, it
can, in levying tariff for revenue, in
cidentally protect American industry, as
the building Of court house may Incl
dentally benefit real estate owners in a
certain locality, though that is not its
object. Of course we all know that q
tariff for revenue only with incidental
protection is not what Democrats desire.
The South, which rules Democracy,
would give us free wool and woolens and
tariff on sugar; free cotton goods and
manufactures Of iron, and a tariff
on tea and coffee. Senator Hill
is undoubtedly honest in his
advocacy Of protective tariff, il only
incidentally" He is reputed to have
said that the Chicago platform had
transformed every workshop into a
school of Republicanism. By ordinary
political rules he is not blameworthy for
putting the best face he can on bad
outlook. But he does not in this repre-
sent the dominant Democracy. He
would be powerless with all his adroit-
ness to fasten even incidental protection
upon Democratic Congress and Presi-
ident. The Springer free wool and free
binding twine bills betray the weakness
of his position.
Mr.. Hill is an alert, able and many
sided man. AS political trickster and
corruptionist he has no superior in this
country. Yet he has some of the quail
fications of sta,esmanship as well, and
among these must be counted the ability
TO make very strong er-parte plea for
his cause. We are willing to meet
Democrats fairly on this issue raised by
the Democratic platform, explained by