The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-01-08
THE LOWEST LEVEL YET.


When Senator Hill-to-day for the
first time he is entitled to the name,
though over $1,000 of unearned salary
is technically due him-when Senator
Hill took his seat in the upper house Of
the United States legislature, that body,
the most august in the world, received
the worst slight that had ever been put
upon it.
We say this deliberately and with full
knowledge of what it implies. There
have been bad men in the Senate, cor
rupt men, bullies, secessionists, duel
lists. There is now in that body one
man, Brice, who gained his seat by
purchase, while living in different
State from that to which he was ac-
credited, and who played the highway
man upon old Vanderbilt with the in
famous Nickel Plate punco game and
boasted of it afterward. There is an
other, German, who has stood hand in
glove with the Baltimore Tammany and
profited by its misdeeds; others whose
skirts are not free from the blood Of ne
groes whipped and moaning in their cab
ins or stark dead in the woods for no
crime but voting. There have been a
few cranks, more or less harmless. But
in all these men there is not lacking
some quality which entities them to
more consideration ON the Senate floor
than David B. Hill. Even the negro
whippers, who are the worst, are prop
erly sensitive as regards their personal
honor, and always have been. Ham
burg Massacre" Butler would never
draw an unearned 81, 600 of salary, even
to present it to charity.
But il is hard to find redeeming quail
ties in Senator Hill. Even his unques-
toned ability is not such quality,
since it has never been used for good
end during his political career. He be-
gan his political career by ward-stealing
in Elmira-fit training for the future
State stealer. He was nominated for
the lieutenant governorship as very
inconspicuous tail to the Cleveland kite,
and served out Cleveland's unfinished
term as governor. He was reelected to
that Office almost as a matter of course,
and began grasping at the reins OF abso-
lutte political power. He vetoed a CEN
sus bill in 1885, and cheated vast cleo
torate out of its rights for years. He
IL NJ 81.
by signing the Plattsburg Normal
School bill-at heavy cost to the State
led Weed on to aid him by his vast
wealth, and then threw him over for
Flower. lie has proved tricky, un-
scrupulous, untaithful to friend or foe.
His gratitude is n sense of favors TO
come. He has ruled his party in the
State. in default Of ADLER leaders, 10y the
acts of the demagogue and wire-puller.
Cheap claptrap is this mans stock in
trade. When de fdcto Gov. Bulkeley of
a horse thief, Hill refused q writ on the
ground that Bulkeley was "usurper.'
And the thief went free. The Supreme
Court of Errors has just decided that
Bulkeley is the governor, Ivy right MS
well as in fact, until his successor be
elected. This shieldinv.-of the horse
thief is on a par with Hill's'recent shame
less act of pardoning an inspector of
election guilty of the grossest fraud. He
toadied 10 Tammany from the first,
signed the bills it wished signed, made
appointments not displeasing TO it. One
outrageous bill which he signed permitted
the addition OF several utte rly unneeded
police Justices nj n cost TO the city of
SEQ 900 per year; and Pat Diver. the
Chatham street dive keeper. was one
Of the Justices so added! All Hills vic
tories have been victories of the baser
element in the Metropolis. the scum
which the great city takes. like a sieve.
from The millions landing at Ellis Island;
victories won because rural Democrats
/ are slow 10 mend their ways and the
worser sort OF city Democrats exceedingly
-anick 10 recognize y pal likely to be use.
full in cracking the public crib.
1t was fitting that such man should
4 end his career as governor-himself an
usurper. by the way-Iby stealing the
4 Senate. Yet IL is hardly III that he
should be congratulated upon the theft
by Senators from other States. It