Huntsville gazette., 1892-04-23
HILLS EXTREME RETIcENcE.
Hs u q Man without Definite Ideas q
Principles.

HILLS EXTREME RETICENCE.
Hs u Man without Definite Ideas ~
Principles.
Hill has accomplished the difficult
feat of going on delegate-hunting
tour through several states, making a
large number Of speeches, two Of them
long ones, and leaving everybody just
as much in the dark as before as to his
political convictions. No one can tell
any better now than before whether he
is for or against free silver coinage: or
thinks it good or bad party policy to
press this question now. No one
knows what kind of or how much tariff
reform he favors. He has told no one
whether he would be content to have
the Mckinley bill repealed and then
stop, leaving the tariff of 1888 perma-
nently in force. or whether he would
repeal the Mckinley bill only as a step
to greater reforms. So with the Sher-
man bill-he wants that repealed; but
is that all the silver legislation he
wants? Who knows? Upon the vital
issues which are dividing his party, and
separating it from the republicans he
shows reticence Of rare order. He
can brag about the democratic past and
condemn republicans; he can beg for
unity in his party and extol its con
stitution, but he cannot express him
self plainly upon the quest.ens in which
the people of the country a-s most in
terested.
This is the impression hi, ipeeches
will probably leave where til " were
delivered, an impression that will be
deepened as the full reports are read i'll
cold blood. The southern democrats
are anxious to know what manner CT
man this is; they have studied him
while he was with them, and will study
his speeches after he has gone. The
more closely they do it the worse for
Hill, for the study will but reveal more
clearly their emptiness. An examina-
ton of their literary style may suggest
some interesting possibilities Be-
tween the construction and style of the
speech delivered at Jackson and the
one at Birmingham there is marked
difference. If they had been composed
BY different men the contrasts would
hardly have been greater. They GER
tainly are formed on different models;
and it would add to the senator's repu-
tation as speaker if he would here
after follow the Birmingham model.
and not that of his Elmira, Albany and
jackson utterances. 1t would be good
policy. too, not to repeat the blunder he
made in Birmingham of boasting over
the situation in New York. When he
said that it would follow from the com
ing redistricting of the state that 'You
have seen the last of the republican
legislatures in the Empire state" he
forgot that the redistricting boards in
the larger part of the state were con-
trolled by republicans. He ought not tc,
have reminded his audience of that
fact, nor that this republican contro.
has been obtained since he captured the
mid winter convention. One other re-
mark about New York politics is
shrewder, if sincere. He pledged New
York's electoral vote to the democratic
candidate" This is a definite pledge
that Hill will support Cleveland if he
is nominated. The chances are per-
haps even that he will be called on to
redeem that pledge.
When these southern de mocrats come
to ask themselves why Hill did not pro-
claim his convictions on the silver and
other live questions in which they are
vitally interested, they will be bothered
to find an answer credita BILE to the dele
gate seeker. There are two proba BILE
| answers to the question, and these
southerners may take their choice. 1t
may be that he has no convictions; it
may be that he has them, but hasn't
the courage of them, fearing lest he
offend one wing or the other of his
party. The alternative is awkward,
but no one is to blame for that but Hill
himself f-Sprinpfield Repuh1jcan