New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-21
HILL ~ THE DARK.

The adagc about the darkest hour coming
lust before the dawn has applied with singular
constancy to the various stages of David Il.
Hills wonderful career. There never was a
darker hour for him than now, and the issue
of it will be most interesting. Hitherto just
when everybody supposed that Hill was utterly
broken, he has suddenly appeared leading
fortune by string, and how he managed il
has always been a mystery. We have never
known it to be denied that he is d perfectly un-
scrupulous politician. 1t is because he has no
morals and no conscience, of course, that his
particular band adore him. He stands with
them as Black beard stood with the freebooters
of the Spanish Main. lie has never bothered
TO dsown his infames When it was proved
in his first campaign that he had been Twced's
agent champion and slave, that he bought his
Elmira newspaper with money Of which Tweed
had robbed the taxpayers of this city, he smiled
and sneered and minated that any one who
wouldn't nave done similarly was fool, and
any intelligent person who said he wouldn't
palpable humbug. The idea that he could
be elected under such circumstances seemed
preposterous, but elected he was 1t did not
appear that he lost the support of single
Democrat Grover Cleveland journcycd all the
way from Washington to Buffalo only for the
happiness Of casting vote for this hreling of
criminals lie was triumphantly indicated"
Three years later he ran again His record
as Governor had been precisely what his OPP
ponents alleged it would be. He had made
himself the attorney and servant Of the sa-
looms. He had used his Office to defeat every
IL L
terests and to make them responsible for the
wrongs they inflicted on individuals and on
society generally. lie had viciously opposed
ballot reform Civil Service reform and every
other cause that promoted public morality
He raised his election expenses by lcvying on
couple of aqueduct contractors, paying them by
so recognizing the Aqucduct Commission as
to put it practically in the contractors hands
All these disgraceful things were clearly proved
against him. Ii was a Presidential year. when
every citizen of the State was supposed to be
taking an interest in the doings of his official
servants. Nothing was left undonc to show
precisely what kind of man Hill was. The
nominee in opposition was one of the foremost
statesmen of the Republican party. Hills de-
feat seemed nevitable-but it wasn't. He
poed more votes than any of the leading
candidates of either party. lie left Cleveland
nearly 5000 behind. lie reversed the ma
jorites of a dozen counties. So far as could be
discovered not Democrat voted against him.
His relations with criminals and contractors
were shameful and undisputed, but that was
plainly the kind of man who could obtain as
Democratic candidate the most votes.
In the next three years Mr.. Hill broadened
and enlarged his record as vicious dema-
gogue, with the result that he easily wrested
the Senatorship from a score of honorable can
ddates. and he closed his term as Executive
with a series of the most abominable crimes
ever committed against free people The
record of them is appalling He caused three
seats in the State Senate and enc in the As.
semby to be stolen as openly and daringly as
ever highwaymen robbed coach. He pros
tituted the judiciary to accomplish this end by
all sorts Of fraudulent proceedings. He re-
moved public officers who stood in the way of
his criminal acts and appointed servile par