Birmingham state herald., 1895-10-24
POLITICS IN NEW YORK
Cooper Union Crowded With
 Enthusiastic Democrats
TO HEAR MIR. HILL SPEAK
He Raked the Republicans Over the Goals, and Made Housing Demo-
 cratic Speech.

New YOrk, OCt. 23.-One or the ldiBeoe
 mass meetings ever held in this city
 crowded Cooper union tonight. The
 meeting was held under the auspices or
 the state democratic committee. Sena-
 tor David B. Hill was the principal
 speaker. Long before the hour of open
 ing, crowds began to gather about Coop
 CT union and within a few minutes attef
 the doors were thrown open every seat
 was occupied, every aisle jammed and hundreds had to be turned away uhdp'e 10 gain admission.
 The meeting was called to order by Chairman Hinckley of the democratic state committee, who introduced the
 chairman of the evening, Frederick h. Coudert.
 Mir. Coudert made a special speech in which he said he favored partisanship, but wished it to be understood that the democratic party was in the majority and should rule. He then introduced Senator Hill, who received trenehuous ovation When the cheering subsldeo Senator Hill began his address by pay ing his respects to Warner Miller, who he said was like his party in many re spects. absolutely without qualihed prln- ciples. Of late years the party had oriIt- ed from one position to another, resortlng first to one expedient and then to diff ferent one lowing to every passing breeze of public opinion making com pines" with every ism that presents itself and without adhering to any steady policy for any extended period. rms mas been its recent attitude in relation 10 the national and state affairs. IL mas
 "wabbled" on the tariff question in al most every national platform, scarcely ever stating its position twice ahke. II declared for reserving the pubic iands for actual settlers and then when in pow CT, with a lavish hand, it gave those lands away to favorite railroad corpora tions.
 In state affairs its record has been equally inconsistent, exhibiting an en- tire absence of permanent principles. It has declared in a general way Tor local self-government and then it's legls- lation has centered power at Albany. It has been for home rule for cities and then against it--usually against 1t.
 What the business interests or New York require at this time Is industrial peace. Renewed tariff agitation can serve no useful purpose, because no leg slation hostile to the principal feature of the present law can possibly be en- acted until after the 4th of March, 1897, the expiration of the term of the present legislature.
 It is folly to attempt it; 1t is unwise to advocate it. visit to any manufactur- ing town in this state will convince the most skeptical that the practical opera ton of the new tariff is reasonably satis- factory. Some establishments are work ing day and night; others are workfng largely overtime. wages are being in creased and new-operatives are being em- ployed.
 If our opponents really desire to pre- sent the issue of a continuance Of the
 present tariff vs: return to the Me Kinley law, we shall welcome that issue and shall have no fears of the result. While the election of no federal officers (except a congressman in single dis trict) are involved in this state election, the moral effect of the election Of the democratic state ticket would be an as- sured security of the manufacturers. business men, farmers and workingmen of the state that a crusade for substan- tial tariff changes will not be attempted. The average general reduction in tariff taxes about B 1-3 per cent from those in the Mckinley law, and it barely pos sible that considering the revenues which now seem to be needed by the govern ment, less reduction would have been preferable, but that moral fact is not by any means conceded and time alone can determine it. This much may be safely stated that the duties are reason able and fair, and intelligently imposed with good judgment and discrimination. They were honestly designed for pur- poses of revenue and not for the fostering of monopolies or the aiding of private in- terests The principle of mo public taxes except for public purposes" has been en- deavored to be preserved. Undue anx- iety for the tax payers may nave mani fested itself, but that is a creditable fault, or at least not heinous one. and one that will be duly appreciated by the people. The interests of labor have not been lost sight of or ignored, for while the duties imposed have been only di- rectly for the purpose of revenue, they have in all instances been sufficiently large to represent the difference in wages ic orf so far as the cost of labor has entered into the production of manufactured articles. This is an important fact and cannot be successfully disputed.
 The democratic party may not always have acted with entire wisdom in re- gard to the silver, but this much can be said-that 1t was not responsible for the Sherman silver law, That law was re- publican in its inception, in its enact ment and in it's enforcement. The pres to secure it's repeal, and after long and weary struggle a democratic con- gress wiped 1t out, and 1t no longer ex- ists. The law ceased, but its mischief remains, because there has been issued under it's provisions one hundred and fifty millions of legal tender paper money. with substantially no available assets with which to redeem it, and which to- day is disturbing the treasury and em- barrassing its operations.
 The national QemOcrdtlc.- doiiiHiStrd- ton is giving to the country a well ad- ministered government. The various de- partments are being honestly, economi- cally and wisely conducted. With honor.
 dignity and diligence they are discharg-
 ing their duties as public trusts for the welfare of the whole people.
 We are indeed enjoying an area of
 good government, and no good citizen
 can furnish adequate reasons for desir-
 ing a change of parties in the control of
 national affairs.
 "Personal liberty" the senator said
 was one of the principal issues involved
 in the state campaign, and upon this
 text he denounced the New York city
 police commissioners for their strict,
 narrow and arbitrary interpretation of
 the Sunday liquor laws.
 The senator concluded as follows:
 "Fellow democrats, the moral effect of
 democratic victory in this state cannot
 be overestimated. It will pave the way
 for the great contest of 1896 and make
 our struggle easier. The democracy of
 other states are watching our battle with
 interest. hoping that the great Empire
 State will once more take her place in
 the democratic column. Let us not dis