St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-28
THE PRoDIGAL's RETURN.

There is still hope for Senator Hill
hope that he will prove himself Demo-
crat; that he will rise superior to his
own petty hatreds and prove himself
statesman worthy of the place he occu-
pies. On the motion to lay the tariff
bill on the table the other day the New
York senator, almost for the first time
during his legislative career, voted with
his party.
There are many provisions of the bill
that are not to Mr.. HIPS liking. He is
unalterably opposed to the imposition of
an income tax. He is very far from
being free trader. Indeed, he is as
much of protectionist as Gov. McKin-
ley himself. Incidental protection is
not all that he would impose. He re-
CARDS the principle as right, and can
therefore never be consistent in-his op-
position to taxation for purely protec-
tive purposes. He has made no secret
of his opposition to the pending meas
ure, and it has been through his in
fuence that many of the taxes, reduced
by the house, have been largely in-
creased by the senate. He has all eve
to the Interests of his constituents. He
| is opposed to free WOOL because many of
the people around E!mra are engaged
in the business of raising sheep. He is
| opposed to free coal and to free iron ore
| for the reason that the manufacturers
| of New York would have their profits
reduced by such a change in the law.
He is opposed to the imposition of an
! income a Aanoncn I,ic
| Huential constituents would have to
contribute to the supporter tue govern
ment whose wealth consists OF bonds
and mortgages and other property of an
Intangible description which, under eX-
| iSting laws, cannot be reached by the
| taX-gatherer.
1t has long been matter of notorietv
that Senator Hill much prefers the Nc
Kinley law to the Wilson BILL He has,
it is true. called public attention to the
pledge of the Democratic party to repeal
the existing law. and tainted the lead
ers because of their failure to redeem
their pledge. But this was for effect
only. His acts, speaking louder than
his words. testified to the fact that he
has long been welded to the heresy of
protection. Whether his vote against
laying the tariff bill upon the table was
dictated by his convictions of duty
or prompted merely by desire to
still further embarrass the admins
tration is one of those things past
finding out. We can only hope that
it indicates a change of heart, and
affords an evidence that Mr.. Hill will
hereafter be found among the sup
porterS of the tariff bill If it shall
prove to be genuine repentance and
return OF the prodigal to the Democrat
ic fold, there will be universal reioic-
ing among the members of the party.
who will be willing to forgive his sins
OF the past in the hope for the fulfill
ment of the promise of the future.
The emphatic refusal of the senate to
table the bill gives nope that there is
still disposition in that body to dis
pose OF it. During the week just passed
some progress has been made. Quite a
number of the schedules have been
finally acted upon. The general dis
position has been to increase the duties,
usually III the interest of munopoIies.
But there have been few commendable