New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-10
HILLS I" WISTAhES.N


HILLS "NISTAKES"
The impression Is very general that Senator
Hill made a mistake in calling The convention
which is to appoint his delegates to the National
Convention at 80 early date as February ~.
The doube-eaded "Don'ts' OF 1.-The World
and tho more cautious uteranceS OF other Dem
ocratic newspapers in various parts OF the couh-
try seem to confirm that impression CONSIDERED
simply as a step in his progress toward the fres-
;dnrcv il NAV he that he has made mistake
in 81 early a disclosure OF his methods and his
ultimate purpose. But there is after al another
view Of il. We recall several similar coca
sions when many newspapers ana goou many
very wise people outside of newspaper oinceS
wore oouallv confident that he had made ia'aI
blundcr. and that he would presently trip over
himself and o. down into mcrlted obsurity.
Passing over what these gentlemen considered
= blooming error in an'agoriling Mr.. Cleveland
when he wa, that statesman's lieutenant ana
over the rather open defiance thrown down when
ne announced himself "a Democrat ana pub
licly entered .hr ISIS against the foremost man
in his party; and over all tho other " ia'll bIuh-
ders" he made up to the beginning OF last year
lot rs consider for a moment how many times
during a little more than twelve months he has
severed his own jugulr and presently come mp
| smiling.
II was something Of a bundcr when he per-
mitted his name to be used in support OF smith
Weeds candidacy for United states senator.
Not fatal. perhaps, but Is il then seemed very
bad one f seemed worse when, later, he be-
traved smith Weeds confidence, and Sid IN a
Shiny sort Of way into the Senate himself leaving
Smith Weed very lonesome and trie bowl
| dered Thai was the end OF him, some people
said. Ii was only the beginning Of him. When
\ considerable clamor rose against his holding
! the two Offices Of Governor and United states
Senator and pretty much everybody said i; was
indecent and insisted that it a mistake that
would be fatal 70 him. he held right on. When
he tied up TO Tammany and began open war on
the County Democracy they sad he was surely
breaking mp the party, and 50 destroying his own
chances for further promotion. Ills aiilati)n
with the worst elements OF his own party, h.s
as sOcaton with its most Infamous men, and his
willing identification with the most corrupt and
dcbasng Of It's agencies, furnished further proof
that he WAS laundering along toward his fall.
His tricllery in packing a Sta.e Convention and
his arrogance in compelling thai body to recog
nize only his Tammany honchmen AZ the gu
th0rizcd repre- >cnaiyes of the party IN this great
city, were taken as cumulative evidence tha the
man had utterly lost his head and could no, last
much longer.
But he kept straight on No criticism dis
turbed him no ccnsurc swervcd him from the
path he had marked out. With The cunning Of
Cagostro and the audacity Of Catalina he era'ped
all the machinery Of his party and Of the state
and turned il to the uses Of his own ambition.
At every step the wondering wise men said he
Numbered. But he kept straight on. lie over
rode returning boards oyc1wcd the judiciary,
gave immunity 10 criminals, and offered the
premiums Of political promotion to open and
audacious crime. The wise men said il was
mistake; that the people would not sit still
under IT, But they did. And he kept straight
on Holding the offices of Governor and United
States Senator, he ostcnatioUsly made his in
iluence felt in the selection by his party of
candidate for Speaker of the House, thus en-
phasizng the fulnesS of his power over tho CO.
ordinate branch of Congress Of which he was not
a member. And the wise men said he was as
| Stunning too much, that he would soon begin to
stagger downward. But he does not all tho
same. lie keeps straight on.
| And now that he has made programme for
his party in the State, and in accordance with
| il has had his State Convention called, out of
| time, and in violation of all usage and tradition
simply to further his own ambition, these same
wise men are saying: Now he has certainly
made fatal mistake" Nonsense. nonsense
gentlemen. This man knows his party knows
| Il, 10 do ,,ith !; IL
for And he knows that he can violate law,
break all the traditions, override Justice the
propreties, the deccnces Of life, 90 anything
and everything; and 50 he "getS there" he
makes no mistake. Dismiss, gentlemen, all
your nonsense about his "mistakes.p As "a
Democrat" he has made none Moreover YOU
know it, For as he goes straight on you follow
him, for you believe he means business" and
so do you. Mistakes lie has not lost a single
Democratic vote yet by any Of the proceedings
you call mistakes. And that is the chief CON
sideration with him, as he goes straight on.
| There is apparently a great revolt in progress
| in the Democratic party against his domination.
1t seems very earnest and sincere, and a great
many influential Democrats are enlisted in it,
| We rejoice to see it,, for i indicates that there
is point beyond which some Democrats will
not 90 without at least a protest. But we do
not forget that this sort Of thing has happened
before, and that after more or less double-lcad-
edneSs in newspapers and fervid oratCly in mass
meetings the respcctableS have fallen into line
and walked up TO the polls TO vote for the per
pctuation of the same old methods under the
same old managers. 50 We say it is not 50 clear
after all that Mr. Hill has made at last a fatal
l. InnH H. L Ia l.. i,t.t
working that. But it may be he mistakes the