The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-18
STILL THE scHEMER.

We are very much afraid that the
present year marks the last stages of
the decline and fall of the Hon. David
Bennett HILL Few men have had
greater opportunities than he, and to
few has there been offered more room
for repentance after error. Again and
again has it been possible, through
happy combination of circumstances,
for Mr.. Hill to rescue himself from
the situation in which his own lack of
courage and fear Of consequences have
placed him, and to rise to a national
eminence equal to that which he once
enjoyed in his own state. Such oppor-
tunity is too great for him. He can
not grasp it. 1t eludes the man who
has pursued success only by the tor
tuous methods of the average politi-
clan. None are so blind as those who
will not see," says the old prOverh. and
Senator Hill seems to be one of those
whom it fits. re has seen the dis
tinctlor which he covets go to men far
less likely to honor it than himself,
solely as the reward of courage and in
dependence He has found the policies
he has followed all his life bring to
him rewards that are but dead sea
fruit. They have led him to repeated
defeats and Knocked him with the
downfall of the most cherished hopes
Of lifetime. At any time in the past
that he had chosen to renounce the
machine and submit his public future
to the great American people for what
it might determine that his ability de-
served, he would have been the I'M
challenged leader of a united Democ-
racy. Unable to abandon the methods
by which he had risen, he FELL instead,
into the association of the men who
managed the Maynard DEAL and shared
with them disgrace and defeat Upon
him fell the heaviest punishment Of
all. Not only were his presidential am
billions defeated for the time, but he
was obliged to accept a nomination for
the governorship which was equivalent
to a defeat, and see himself beaten by
one Of the largest majorities ever given
against any candidate in the Empire
state.
Once more there was found
room for repentance Surely this man
cannot rail against fate that has so
often held out to him a golden oppor-
tunity to recoup his fallen fortunes.
fbo TINA bn
vention met, Senator HIPS past had
been forgotten. In the white heat of
the national crisis the dross was melt
ed away, and men looked only to the
leader Of an acknowledged and COM
handing ability to make the fight
against Populism at Chicago. Again,
Senator Hill failed them He might
have made himself there the champion
Of the sound money element of the
Democracy, assured of anything that
his state could give him for the ball
ance, of his life, and of national ad-
vance four years from this time. He
was not great enough for that, nor low
enough to go out openly with the free
hesitated and wavered and sought
cover and held palaverings with both
elements, and obeyed his old and fatal
rule of shiftily turning from one side to
the other until he could find where his
interest lay. He has done it once too
often. He earned the everlasting
hatred of the silver men at Chicago
They are of all people most i'm
placable. They will never forget or
forgive the aid and encouragement
that the sound money element derived
from Senator Hills speeches and ac-
lions. The sound money men will never
forget or forgive his abandonment of
the field at the time when a bold and
open resistance might have checked
the rule of Populism, or his busy
scheming since that day to arrange a
fusion deal between Democrats and
Populists in New York state. without
having his hand appear openly in the
arrangement
1t is the same old policy of the
man unable to rise to greatness or
real leadership. Senator Hill has had
his day and more than his chance of
greatness. This is not the time
when man can hesitate and
retain the respect and admiration
of the people. The least conspicuous
figure in the nation today. politically,
and the man with least reason to hope
that the future will place political
honors upon his brow is Senator David
Bennett Hill.