The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-03
TALES OF THE TIMES.
Thumb Nail Sketches of Senator Hill of
New York.

Thumb Nail Sketches OF Senator Hill OF
New York.
When a new man comes to the senate.
the older members try to subdue him.
They make him wait if they can, and
teach him that his business is to look on,
be silent and learn.
They tried to do this with HILL and they
failed. Worse than all that, he showed a
tapping ardor for senate war, and would
engage in battle with two even three and
four, senators at once-the oldest long
horns in the herd, too-and claw them and
rend them and tear them with such a free
feroeity that they soon came to have hor-
Tor of him.
On one occasion, back in the extra SEES
sion which repealed the Sherman law, Hill
tie, wherein he fought Harris, Morgan,
Gray and Villas at once. And he routed
them.
Morgan, in retorting to Hill during de-
bate-wherein, by the way, Morgan show
ed much heat and irritation-said that be-
fore the Sherman law should be repealed
the friends of silver would sit in the SEN
ate and flibuster until they died at their
posts.
''These threats,'' said Hill with his
sneer of sneers, would be more terrible
were it not that an effort of the memory
takes US back to an hour in the earliest
sixties, when these same gentlemen, at
that time trying many rash experiments
with their patriotism, made the same hor
rible death in the last ditch threats and
told of bloody things to occur If certain
things to which they objected were made
to happen to the south. Those things hap
pened, and the negro was made Free and
the south was reconstructed. Yet these
same gentlemen who inveighed so doughti-
ly and promised so bloodily, L am happy
TO say, are here today scathless, scarless
in perfect health, save for the whitening
frosts of advancing age"
1t was the air with which Hill said all
this, more than the words, which cut and
Harris and Morgan, who provoked it, and
who knew themselves perfectly described,
writhed as if wounded to death.
When Hill first came to Washington, he
boarded at the ArliL gton. Whether he left
orders on that point is unknown. bit one
day to his wrath and resentment a lady
was seated at his table. He took no ex-
PLANTATION of this disagreeable phenome-
non, accepted no excuse; he went at once
TO the Normandie
Lest all this history with q lady at dim
ner in it might repeat itself at the Nor
mandie, Hill made them lay his tablein
bis rooms. He went no more in the public
dining room, never to the parlors. On the
fourth floor his rooms were in the corner,
and there while at this hotel he seduiously
confined himself Now and then the pub
lie threading the little square in front had
q glimpse of Hill with his head at the cor
ner window like a woodpecker looking out
of his hole.
At all the doors of the senate orders have
been left to send no woman's card to Hill.
He won t receive it nor see it. Any woman
who needs a place or has business with
Hill must deal by 1ettor or agent. He'll
not meet her under any circumstances.
They tell how one young lady, beautiful
as a star, tried to see Hill. 1t was early
evening He was alone in his room. A tap
of modest hesitation first sounded on tho
door.
Come in,' quoth Hill.
The rap sounded again, and he arose and
opened the door.
give lost the way to my room,'' said
tho pretty pIotter with an ;sir of helpless
ness.
And they do say that Hill shut the door
without word in the fair face of the wan
derer and didn t even direct her to the ele-
vator.
Not a week ago lady from Elnira, as
summing to know Hill well, told q little knot
at the Shoreham romantic story explana-
tory of Hills avoidance of women.
cit was while he was governor said
the raconteur, land he was engaged to a
Miss H, who lived in Elraira. She died,
and Hill was at her deathbed. He wanted
to marry her before she died, but she
would not consent. That is HIPS reason
for bacherlorhood; that's why no woman
interests him. He is true to the girl who
died.
Hills political origin brings in the name
of Tweed. He was Tweed's EIInira man,
and once ran a paper wherein the boss
had an interest. But there's this differ
ence between Tweed and Hill: The latter
is purely honest He is a man of ruthless
and remorseless politics, but no money
tempts him. Hill is as honest town
clock.
The fact is he cares little for money. He
has plenty, however, and his annual fees
and retainers reach easily to S50,000
Mentally he is a hard, clear lucid think
er; he never misleads himself, but always
looks fact in the face. He has the one
fault as q thinker of doing not little of
it back of his ears. His plans always run
| finally to fight. If he wins the fight, he
attains the object.
An illustration of Senator Hills charac-
ter is to be found in this story of what
happened last summer at Albany: Hugh
Hastings, state historian, and q reporter
called on Mr.. Hill at Wolfert's Roost. It
was a very hot day, and the senator's Wis
itors got to his home about noon. He look
ed little thin and white. He was in his
parlor, and he touched his boil. His old
servant, who was with him in the execu-
tive mansion at Albany when he was gov
ernoF appeared.
"What will you have, gentlemen?' in
| quired Senator Hill.
GA little plain water and lemon juice"
replied Mr.. Hastings. THAT will do me,
rejoined Senator Hill, but won't you
l.. l. IL L.;