The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-29
A VAIL OF ANGUISH.
The Presidents Personal Organ ON
the Omfnatio of Hill.
New York Times.

Where does the Hill leadership lead and
what are its fruits? Last year il led to the
defeat of all the Democratic candidates for
State offices and to the election of a Repub-
lican Assembly. More than that, the wave
Of angry popular protest swept the Repub-
licans into unexpected control in the consti-
tutional convention. That convention has
prepared and will submit at the polls an
abominably unfair and partisan legislative
apportiOnment scheme that will become a
part of the Constitution if ratified. and will
for the next twenty years put 1t out of the
power OF the Democrats to gain control of
the State Legislature. Should the resent
ment of Mr.. Hills part in the stealing of
the Senate prove lasting enough and stern
enough to defeat him this year, his leader
ship would be chargeable with the practical
destruction of the Democratic party in the
State.
This is not politics, it is madness. In
this year. when the set of the current is
distinctly away from the Democratic party,
New York could be carried only by a DEM
ocratic candidate above faction and of great
strength with the people. Mr.. Hill is the
embodiment of faction in its bitterest form,
and the fate that befell his agent last year
awakens the gravest forebodings as to the
fate of the ticket now headed by him.
1t is useless to seek for full approval of
nents of the present State organization.
Mr.. Hilrs speech in support of Mr.. Cleve-
SEEMING seem a1u candid profession of u a desire h te
see the party united, and the broad and in
many respects admirable speech made by
him on Tuesday in the convention have
modified somewhat the opinions entertained
of him. These things are creditable TO
him., but they fall far short of making him
either acceptable or advisable as a candi-
date. The enthusiasm that he NAV inspire
among his own organization will not COM
pensate for the ~disapproval and apprehen-
sion with which his candidacy is isewhere
regarded. The party goes into an uphill
fight weakened by the old division. irri-
tated by suspicion of bad faith, and in un-
mistakable alarm as to the result, a feeling
that is by no means confined to the ranks
of the an~ti-snappers- Disappointment at
the outcome of their own convention, how
ever, will not make Mr.. Platt's nominees
any more attractive to Democrats.
The behavior OF the convention toward
the contesting delegations from this CITY
and from Brooklyn was narrow, brutal and
brainless. The delegations ii excluded are
fairly representative of the vital force. the
intelligence and the capacity for growth
of the Democratic party. TIE flower of the
party's youth is in this class of its mem
bership. To shut the door in their faces is
to restrict its organized membership to tie
stale old machine types. infertile and un-
progressive.
There is death and destruction for the
party in this kind of management. 1t is
unintelligent and unnatural. 1t dries up
enthusiasm, weakens party attachments
and destroys the basis of party loyalty.
The Tmes would not do its duty to the
Democracy If ii failed to denounce the
work of the convention. begun in unusual
h~opefulness and ending in this act of in
credible folly. The Democratic party has
lost a great opportunity.