Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-11-07
Hills Deiea! Encourages Friends Of Clean
Government.

The defeat of Hillis peculiar in several
ways. In the dust where he is fallen there
lie no principles with which he is identified,
or with which be may be buried or be
comforted. True, the Democratic party
has suffered defeat and in the downfall Of
Hill is robbed of its most promising ma
tional candidate. And along with the
party there lie those principles, or shadows
of them, without which it is impossible for
large political party to maintain its ex-
istence. Mr.. Hill had said, 81 am Demo-
crat," but those who remember clearly the
Ides of November 1898 when Hill received
$1,000 more votes in New York than
the Democratic candidate for President
should not confound purpose with
principle where Mr.. Hill is concerned.
They recognize that in taking to himself the
title of Democrat, Mr.. Hill was actuated
solely by purpose, not for moment by
principle. The purpose was self aggran-
dizement not party advancement, but party
debasement if need be. While he entered
upon this last campai ign, with no principle
at stake, he was swept down and trampled
under foot chiefly because of popular op
position to the principles of the Democratic
party. Yet it would be attributiDg too lit
tie influence to those who honestly desire
decent government not to admit that this
influence has been exerted to render his de-
feat more humliating and complete.
There will be some throughout the coun-
try who will confound the mans audacity
with moral courage. 1t may aid those to a
clearer perception Of Hills character to re-
call the fact that Maynard, the thief who
stole that legal election return at Albany,
was but the tool of Hill, and the latter rath-
er from the impudence of the political des-
pot than from loyalty to his puppet boldly
defended the theft. There are some, doubt
less, who will confound his splendid intel
lectual vigor with the qualities of states
manship. Some of his marvellous feats in
the last Senate were so brilliant that many
overlooked at the time, the fact that
he WAS in every instance ridiculing
further his own selfish ends. He gave
utterance to truths that rang from one end of
the country to the other when he saw that he
would not be called upon to back up his
words. He favored free iron and coal
when he saw that it was impossible that his
vote could make them free and he knew
each word had a sting for the President and
his intimate friends, the spectators in
Canadian coal. He ragged against the in
come tax only to return to his state and
drop that issue for the attempt to excite
religious prejudice. His attitude upon the
stump has been noticeably contradictory OF
his position in the Senate. His struggle
has been indeed desperate. but it was the
desperation of masterful man and no eff
fort was spared.
Men like good fighters even after they
are dead, nor stop to analyze the mo-
tive whether it be selfish or patriotic 4;
whether it be the frantic efforts of hungry
man striving for bread or defending his
spoils from those who would recover them.
In this latter sense Hill was every inch a
fighter. Those spoils were what he had held
up with unwavering persistency as the goal
of his ambition. For them he has eschewed
almost every other pleasure; for them
he has consorted with and cultivated
corruption all the while he held him
self inhexibly away from the ener-
ss'ins excesse, usually Incident to
sacn associations. He wasn't the politician
VINO from ioflier ideals ad weakly descend
eu TO this plane because of what he believed
poh''cai necessity. He was but 20 years
Old when with marked decision and unalter.
soie purpose he entered upon his coo,ly
ial1 and carefully prepared sehem, to win
political prominence by skilfnl m.n;ru,o-