The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-07-25
HILLS SHREwD TACT.


Politics does indeed make strange
bed-fellows, but in spite Of this old saw
few of US ever thought to see Grover
Cleveland and David Bennett Hill again
lying ON the same couch. Yet such was
the astonishing spectacle held up before
the public gaze yesterday. when Sen
ator Hill rose in the Senate and de-
Tended the President from the attacks
of his fellow Democrats. Probably the
most uneasy man at Washington yes
terday was President Cleveland. De-
serted by his party friends, denounced
roundly by the leaders of the
Democracy in the Senate, his
chief defender was the one nan in the
whole world whom Cleveland hates
above all others, and while Hill, with all
the eloquence which he can command,
spoke in his behalf there was running
through his speech sharp thrusts at the
Chief Magistrate. and occasionally Hill
paused in his labored defence and held
his victim to the rack in spite of the ap-
parent defence he wa making of him.
Hills main argument was that the
President had committed no crime in
writing as he did to Mr.. Wilson. To
the charges Of bad faith, duplicity and
double-dealing there was no attempt at
defence. Hill simply maintained that
the President had a right to write the
letter, q right which no one has seriously
questioned, and which might have been
defended by precedent but for the
double-dealing. Had Mr.. Cleveland
not allowed the Senate to believe that
he stood back Of the compromise there
would have been no need Of any defence
for him.
But while apologies may be made for
Cleveland, no honorable man can ex-
cuse the hypocrisy which has marked
his course. The Senate would not have
passed the bill had the position which
the President took in his letter to Mr..
Wilson been made clear to that body.
But he allowed the Senate to come 10 a
vote and pass the bill with the under
standing that it had his sanction and
approval, while all the time as his own
shows, he was preparing to knife
the provisions that alone made the bill
to the Senate.
1t is for this that German and his as
have pilloried the President, and
Hills half hearted, i~ronical defense of
the President does not answer at any
point this charge.
Hill has labored necessarily in behalf
Of Democratic principles. He has OPP
posed the concessions made and the
to place coal and iron
on the free list. He has been
manfully consistent throughout and his
defence OF the President yesterday was
his one chance to bring to his aid the
weight Of the sanction aud approval of
the chief executive of the principles
which he had SO CALAMITY fought. He
might be excused for even forcing a
of support, had not hat sup
port existed, and he only took advan-
tage Of the weapons the President
placed in his hands to further the ends
he had in view. His ~patronizing
defence Of Cleveland must have
been CALLING to the object Of his do
Cleveland must have writhed as
he saw how completely he was made a
tool of by the hands of his able enemy. |
Even bitterer Z him than the attack OF
and II iris and Jones must
have been the nalf contemptuous de-
fence Of Hill. 1t was a mastery stroke
Of Hills, and IL it aids him Il carry his
though II must be confessed the
chance is slim, it will be worth all that
IL cost him To do IL