The Irish standard., 1895-12-07
1t Was Thought at First He Could
Not Be Induced to Talk
Politics.
But the Pressure Brought to Bear
Upon Him Was Too Great
to Withstand.
He Exhibits an Antipathy to Gro"
yer But Does Not Say SO
Openly.

Senator Hill, of New York, when in the
city last Weel, was induced to speak upon
the question he understands better than
all others-politics. The persistent
scribes of Chicago and other Western
cities We're absolutely unable TO extract
one bit of political gossip from. him. It
would appear to be an awkward way for
the chief representative Of Tammany to
act; but the role was performed natu-
rally enough until the jourllsying states
man fell into the hands Of the faithful In
Minneapolis. On Saturday last President
J.. H. Martin, ex-Mayor p. =. Winston
and other lights Of the local Democracy
conceived the idea of rendering the dis
ingujshed visitor a reception. It was
accordingly arranged that the Hennepin
Democratic League should be the medi-
I'M through which this courtesy should
come. The time was short, SO the ar
.angements were not as complete as they
otherwise would have been. However, a
score or more of enthusiastic Hillites
we're active, and as a result there was a
good turnout The reception was not in
ended as a partisan affair, although the
oulk Of those who called upon
Senator Hill were Of the Democratic
1t is thought that some Of the
gentlemen who got up the reception be-
iieved it would be entirely agreeable to
the senator to- mix up a little politics with
his lecturing. Anyway, they succeeded
in doing that very thing. The fact that
Hon. Phillip B. Winston, who is known
to be a great admirer of the Tamnlany
idol, was perhaps the most active among
those who arranged the affair, gives ad-
ditional reason to believe the statement
that the New Yorker Is not in the North
west simply for the few hundred dollars
which he gets through the box Office.
The senator did not come, out in one Of
his rip-roaring political efforts which is
characteristic of Talnmany orators He
SO conducted himself that when he con-
cluded he could perhaps claim with some
degree Of reason that he had not deiiy-
cred a political speech. But he did not
make such claim. neither is he likely to
do so. He did not come out in any
straight fronl-the shoulder criticisms Of
President Cleveland Of anybody else. The
present tribulations of the Democracy he
attributed mainly to the fact that when
the party was overwhelmingly victorious
ii, 1892 it lost its head and the recent po-
litica snow storm was the result.
The sagacious senator went all around
the president without mentioning his
name. The thing which Senator Hill Ge-
noanced most seyarely was the way the
imam OF destiny had Of bestowing ia
vors He did not advocate the principle
of to the victors belonged the spoi]s in ar
'.offensiye sense" but he did maintain
that the reason his party was consider
ably demoralized was due in a. great
measure to the fact that there was alto
gether too great disposition on the part
of some people TO ignore the party that
elected them when 1t came to dispensing
patronage.
None Ct those present had to exercise
their Yankee genius as guessers When the
speaker said thar some people insisted that
the party workers should turn in and Go
all they could for the party and its nom
irees before election and then after election
if these workers showed their Interest III
pa,ty and party organization by doing a
little work fo.' the party they held near
and dear, they were complained OF as be-
ing ''perDiciously active. The senator
did not tell what he thought of President
Cleveland s famous bond issue. but he did
claim that the Democrat party was as
strongly as ever in favor Of tariff for
revenue only The senator brought this
out in a way to indicate that while he was
~ .
tariff he did want schedule which would
admit of the general government being
operated without resorting to the very ex
psnsiye expedient of Issuing bonds. He
spoke of how easy it was to tear down
party organizations and how difficult it.was
to build it up again. The senator's deter
minsticn not to discuss politics on this
Western trip may be accounted for by the
fact that he is not i1f the most happy condi-
tion of mind when it comes to dwelling
upon things political. Altogether the re-
caption was rather remarkable. Possibly.
the senator's unexpected disposition to dis
c11ss politics was due to the fact that he
got a little frustrated over the way III
which President Martin introduced him.
The president rather made a slip. He
spoke Of the greatest living American
statesman, making an exception in the case
OF President Cleveland. The break was
not little surprising to the guest OF the
occasion. It must also have startled some
of the enthusiastic Hill men present, but
the affair was passed by geod-naturealy.
After the introduction the senator said,
after some complimentary remarks re-
garding the manner in which he had been
received:
Il supposed, before l came to this town
that / could trust your leading Democrats.
I was asked today to come to sort Of in
formal reception for the purpose of meet
ing some os your people, and shaking them
by the hand with word Of friendly greet
ing, / was not aware that I was to be led
into meeting like this. and called upon
for speech. However, / shall not COM
plain. am ordinarily not one OF the men
who talk after elections; do my talking
before elections, and let the other fellows
talk after.
Your president has asked me to say a
few words of good cheer to you on this
occasion I find this a rather difficult
task The Democratic party has. had
hard luck recent the party has beer
beaten nearly every where. + am not one