The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-27
HILL URGES PARTY UNITY.
THE MISSION OF THE DEMOCRACY
NOT ENDED.
IL Is san Capable of Securing Mag

the COuntry-ThOrO Organiza-
tion Necessary IL Anything Is TO
BE Accomplished independence
in Political Matters the Fad of
the Hour Among the Voters.
New York. Jan. Ex-senator David b.
Hill was the guest Of the Democratic
Club tonight. About 2oO guests sat down
to dinner. The banquet hall was beauti-
fully decorated with flags and bunting
President John Fox presided. On his
right sat Senator Hill. while Robert B.
Roosevelt was on his left.
When the cloth had been removed, Pres
ident Fox arose and introduced Senator
Hin.
At the mention of Senator Hul's name.
all the guests rose to their feet and cheer
ed enthusiastically. IT was some moments
before the senator was allowed to speak
such was the ovation he received. When
quiet had been restored Mr.. Hill spoke in
part, as follow:
The mission of the Democratic party is
not ended. Temporary reverses may i'm
pair its present usefulness, inadequate
leadership may retard its successes in the
/ near future, local difficulties may embar-
rass its efforts for selfdisenthralment from
unfortunate conditions, yet nevertheless,
/ its vital principles being essential to the
! prosperity Of the republic, it's special
/ achievements in the past furnishing its
| guarantees for the futures, its answering
| devotion to civil and religious liberty in
defeat well ss in victory its uniform
/ insistence upon the constitutional lmita-
/ tions of federal power its steadfast adVo-
/ cacy Of the reasonable and necessary
rights of the states under our dual form
| of government, its adherence to the doc
/ trine OF public taxation for public pur-
| poses only, its traditional record Of oppo-
/ sition to monopolistic tendencies on the
| one hand and communistic sentiments on
| the other-the conclusion becomes iTresis-
| tible that such a party with such princi-
! pies, traditions, sentiments and achieve
| ments is still capable of securing magnif-
/ cent and permanent results for the good
/ of the country
! But no matter how high the standards
| of any political party may be, how bril-
| liant it's past achievements. or how excel
! lent its principles, it cannot hope for val
liable, practical and successful results
/ without a thorough organization of its
| adherents. Men who think alike upon
/ public questions must be brought together;
! there must be unity of purpose, harmo-
| nous council, full consultation, the will
/ OF the UlbIDIllH AalIlg tADAtSHt4 must pie
| vail, there must be prompt acqulescence
| in the results of conventions, loyal support
| of regularly nominated candidates, indi-
vidual views upon essential matters must
be subordinated to the general opinion
! if substantial results are expected to be
| attained.
The fact cannot be disguised that polit-
| ical ties seem to hang loosely nowadays,
/ and that instead of a healthy and Wig
/ orous party spirit there largely exists
| a disposition on the part of the average
! citizen to cut loose from party asso-
! Citations. / am not complaining OF this
tendency; l am simply noting it. Poliu-
| cal upheavals follow each other in rapid
| succession, first in one direction and then
in the other, Indicating either popular
| dckleness, popular discomfort, or popular
| independence.
The tendency seems to be growing in
! favor of freedom from party trammels,
| liberality in opinions, and individuality
| in political effort We have independent
politicians, independent newspapers, inde-
pendent churches and Independent clubs.
| Good old-fashioned partisanship is at
! n discount Independence Is the 'lad
| of the hour. 1t is in the air. 1t is every
| where. Its supremacy may be larseiy
| due to the contempt of the party hdelity,
| faithful party service and partisan actlV-
| ity which unfortunately prevails in some
! quarters. and to a lack of appreciation
| of the labor and pains involved in un-
selfish. Jealous and efficient party man
agement.
With no political campaign now pending
and with no purpose of influencing puDhc
opinion generally, but speaking simply as
a democrat to party friends, conferring
with each other it may not be amisS TO
pause and reflect whether some mistakes
of party policy have not been made IN
the recent past, the frank and impartial
consideration of which may furnish light
for future guidance Upon our advent to
power in March, 1898, the first duty which
confronted us was the prompt assembling
of congress I'm extra session. for the
speedy enactment of those remedial meas
ures of tariff financial and electoral re-
form to which the party was committed.
The redemption Of our pledges to the peo-
pie was the primary obligation resting
upon u.s. our shadowing all mere ques-
tions of the distribution of official patron
age, the rewards of friends or the punish
ment of enemies. Whatever was to be
done should have been done quickly, at a
time when the people were clearly with
u.s. when they were impatient of delay in
the carving out of our principles for
which they had just voted, and when our
opponents in congress would have scarce
" resisted, at least by any prolonged op-
position whatever fair measures we had
then proposed. Delays are dangerous in
politics as well as in war. The time to
strike is when your army is ready, when
the enemy is disorganized and when vic
tory is easily within your grasp. finan-
cial panic of which the country had, how
ever, been forewarned, finally made i'm
perative the convening of con-
gress in August, 1898. at which
session the repeal of the Sherman
silver bullion purchase law became a ne
cessity as well as a duty. It's repeal had
been explicitly approved in the national
democratic platform of 1892, and the busi-
ness interests of the country as well as
political good faith, united in demand
ing speedy action.
Its repeal, however, was stoutly resisted
by professed democrats-extreme silver
who imagined that such action would en-
barrass the cause Of free bi-metallic coin
age, seemingly forgetting or ignoring the
fact that the Sherman law treated silver
as a commodity rather than as a money
metal, was a mere temporary expedient
and makeshift and antagonfzed every un-
derlying principal OF true bi-metallism.
This was a narrow and short-sighted pol
icy, preventing final action until Novem-
Der, 1891, the long delay disgusting the
people and depriving the country of much