New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-26
PRICE THREE CENTS.
MIR. HILLS GREAT EFFORT.
HE SURPRISES THE SENATE.
EVERY REFERENCE TO THE ADMINISTRA.
TION CARRIED A STING.
NO "PARTY PLUNDERv NEEDED FOR Hlx


LAND EVEN THOUGHT OF 1.-THE AD-
DRESS MARKED BY coGENCY OF
THOUGHT AND POWER
OF EXPRESSION.
fBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.1
Washington, Aug. 25.-Thc emnently striking
feature of tO-days general debate in the Senate
was the elaborate, and, from personal and party
point Of view, the very effective speech OF Sens
tor Hill on the silver purchase repeal bill. Mr..
Hill, il well known. would favor the repeal
of the Sherman law, at the same time retaining
and expressing his allegiance TO the double stand
ard and to the doctrine of fre, coinage of silver
at the existing ratio. But as he has not posed
one of the recent converts TO the Admins
tration's financial policy, and was c,ly sus-
pected Of sacrificing his private opinions as .
Senator to the superior Judgment Of the head Of
the executive branch OF the Government much
curiosity was felt about the manner in which the
Ncw-iork Senator would contrast his attitude
with that assumed by recruits to the cause Of
repeal like Mr. Voorhees,.
Mr.. Hills task was indeed delicate one lie
was required TO make clear the ground Of his
support of the repeal bill, while yet repelling any
suspicion of subserviency to Administration in
fuences and distinctly emphasizing his belief in
the desirability Of the free coinage of silver. Mr..
Voorhees,. Tuesday last, attempting to defend
his own allegiance to the causS1of silver while
urging the passage Of repeal bill, had only
succeeded in involving in deeper obscurity tho
causes, suppostitious or genuine, Of his palpabe
change of attitude. To what extent the New
York Senator would master the difficulties Of
reconclng a vote for the repeal bill, and ardent
and consistent advocacy of the free coinage Of
silver its present legal ratio with gold was
therefore question of the iiveest interest 10
those who had gathered to witness Mr.. Hills first
serious effort to dispute, political issue Of tho
first importance, supremacy in debate and party
authority with the hitherto acknowledged Demo-
cratic leaders in the delberative branch"
THE SPEECH REVELATION.
1t is but the plainest justice to the New-York
Senator to admit at the outset that in candor in
telligbty and force his speech today .
refreshing and. in political sense, decisive con-
trast with the confused and empty rhetoric to
which the Senate listened last Tuesday from the
Chairman of its Committee on Finance To those
who have been more or less skeptical about MIR.
Hills political attitude and his adaptabty to the
wider field of National politics, his speech to-day
was decided revelation, for by the general juds.
ment of the Senate-not over-apprcciative Ger.
tainly Of new-found merritt was promptly ac-
cepted as deliverance Of serious political value,
and of high level of forensic skill. Coming after
the cheap fustian and antiquated bombast which.
with Mr. Voorhees, and SO many other Democratic
Senator'S still pass for political oratory. Mr. Hills
speech had a direct and individual and modern
flavor, which put it in intrinsic quality easily
ahead of any other utterance on the Democratic
side of the Senate during the present session.
Nor is it fanciful to say that by to-day's
effort the senior New-iork Sem
ator has earned the right TO take commanding
place among the speakers of genuine force ana
now, alas on the majority side of
the Senate.
Few of the Democratic leaders indeed could
have commanded the lucdity and directness with
which, as Il friend of fee coinage, Senator Hill
laid bare the objections TO a further continuance
of the policy OF Government purchases OF silver.
Having no faith in the ability Of the United States
to maintain alone free silver coinage under present
conditions, and deeming the purchase policy
hndrance rather than an aid to restoration OF
silver TO unlimited use for money, Mr.. Hill as
serted frankly his preference for repeal without
other limitations than those expressed In the
declaratory section of the Voorhees, bill This
promise of bimetalism was all that the New
York Senator counted on saving from the wreckago
IF silver brought about by lndia's suspension. He
gave broad enough hint to-day that it is on the
basis of this committal of the Administration to
Dimeasm that he expects TO carry on his future
contests with the President for the leadership OF
The Democratic party in 1896. The free coinage
measures which to come hereafter to plague
the Administration are in Mr.. Hills mind, the
stepping stones by which, with the undoubted all
If the majority sentiment in the party, he Is to
mount to the height of a Presidential nomination
80 hunilatingly denied him In 1892.
DISCOVERY OF THE REPEAL IDEA.
The New-York Senator was not slow to mako
the palpable point in his speech that he himself
md not the President was the real author Of
he dem md for the repeal Of the Sherman
ct. BY dates and facts Mr.. Hill appar-
nty established his claim to priority OF
discovery and patent of the repeal idea,
or he showed he had been denouncing the
sherman law since 1890, long before NE.
'leveland first thought of suggesting its repeai.
Mr. Hills references to the Administration were
lot numerous. but each one carried nome sjhS ,h,s:
r. Carlisle the target of flng that snTy .IeTy
vas time when the present secretary nrcss
pinions of his own, and did not Simply ppSosed use
hose of Others" The Presidents suppose. -" 80
f party punder," to bring over reclu ~bnn Mr.
epeal, was more than boldly limited at wien onS nf
ill declared that he and his coileagurh Nv wo d;J
% "nswod bv mower and uncorrupted by fed,
raj patronage The Senate broke INTO f S"Se rr".
rim at Mr.. Hills unconscious ,assohY assnImp''0"
tb;s decIaration of independence and moor,
pb But the senior ,i senator reyamsg Of the
ppaIehtiy wi,"yd Id c.l,sed so much "A matter or
n,r.n Wh'Jm had l seemed to him TO dispose OF his
oessues vote without even the ceremony no EsS q
skiing leave The fling at at c"Trep0n To- reach some
ran p.'rUii; iIiii;s immediate listeners. There was
ttls e' doubt % at whom it was chiefly aimed, but
le Ppp;.I nroblems and seemed 10 he unconscious
? hnaroi"a hn;no aimed at There general relief
avsver' oe,se when the speech ended with fewer
orsonal illusions than might have been
,oked for
SENATOR HILLS SPEECH.
Nr Hills address was, in part, as follows:
, existing financial disturbance may be attributed =