The Portland daily press., 1896-08-03
DOCTORED IL.
Pieces Added to Two Planks in the
Chicago Platform.


Senator Hill Discovers His Rejected
Amendments-AT Tale of Forgery Which
Comes from New Yerk.
New York. August 1.-The Herald to-
day prints the following special despatch
from the State Capital:
Albany, N. Y, July Ex-senator David
B, Hill. the New York member of the
Committee on resolutions in the Chicago
convention, is unwilling to believe that
q deliberate attempt has been made to
forge certain amendments into the plat.
form adopted by that convention.
The Senator has positive recolleotions,
however, about the platform which was
finally adopted. He reoollects that the
amendment. exempting judges of the SUI
preme court from the declaration against
life tenure in office was rejected by the
convention. He reoolleots that the amend
ment exempting existing contracts from
any change in the monetary standard
was rejected, also.
Senator Hill may be pardoned for hay
ing positive views on these points. He
offered both amendments In the commit
tee on resolutions, where they were ro-
jeosed, and he offered both On the floor Of
The convention, where they again were
rejected.
Despite Senator Hill's reluctance to be-
tieve that the Chicago platform has been
changed by some pOpoorats who realized
that blupder had been made, OBJ
txsts ,ad ox. Il (. tTrJ
Intimate friends which Is most convlno-
ing. When RMr. Hill was in New York
Dn Tuesday attending the meeting OF the
Democratic state committee, he was VS.
lied by young man representing Wes-
Tern interests. This caller showed to
Senator Hill what he declared to be the
original platform adopted by the Chicago
being genuine. 1t bore the signature OF
the convention officers had an official
seal, and was in the form usual for such
Instruments.
Mr. Hill then went over the document,
section by section. After he had finished
he was asked if it was not the platform
finally adopted by the convention. He
replied that it was with two exceptions.
These exceptions were the amendments
relating to life tenure OF the supreme
Court and to existing contracts
"Neibher of these amendments" the
Senator told the caller. twas adopted by
the convention.
The life tenure clause, as given in this
platform, declared: I'VE are opposed to
life tenure in the public service, except
az provided in the constitution" Mr..
Hill said his amendment-the last six
words-had been rejected by the conyen-
ton. The Senator'S caller expressed sur
prise, for there it WAS, with the secro-
tary's signature and the official seal at
tho bottom.
The section in which this clause ap-
peared, my informant said yesterday,
was plainly printed. Absolutely no
changes were to Se seen aside from the
words, Except as provided in the con-
stitution,' which were written between
the lines with a lead pencil
When I called Senator Hills attention
TO this story today he seemed interested, :
but merely said tFo or the present I do
not care to make any statement about
the matter. 1 am unable to believe that
forged platform will be promulgated
by the national committee.
SIS it possible, Senator, that either of
your amendments could have been adopt
cd without your knowledge asked
81 think not" said he. cit seems i'm
possible that / could be mistaken as to
vhat occurred at the Chicago conven-
tion."
The free silver, .shouters, it is believed,
are beginning to realize that they made
a costly blunder In attacking the Su-
prsme Court of the United States They
are smarting also under the charge of
being ropudiationists.
The absurdity of the claim that the
Supreme Court amendment was adopted
is shown by Senal or Kills speech when
the platform was before the convention.
He then said:
sin this platform you have declared
country, that you are opposed to any life
tsuure whatever in office. Our Demo-
cratic fathers. whom we revere. in the
establishment of this government gave
our great judges life tenure of office.
What necessity is there for reviving this
Question:? How foolish, how unneces-
saryl
fare Democrats whose lives have
been devoted to the service of the party,
whose thoughts. whose hopes. ambitions
and aspirations all lie within party
lines to be driven out of the party now
upon this new question of life tenure for
the great judges OF our federal courts?
No, no. This is revolutionary step.
1t is an unwise step. 1t is an upprece-
denied step in our party history"
Mr.. Bryan, who replied with the
spsech which captured the Presidential
nomination, made no attempt to refute
this statement of Senator Hill.
stenographic Reports Show That the
amendments Were Defeated.
Washington. August 1.-The steno-
graphic reports OF the United Press as
sent out from Chicago, July 9, leave no
doubt upon the question as to the fate
of Senator Hills proposed amendments
to the platfo as adopted by the Demo-
cratic convention. Mr., Hill, as leader of
minority of the committee on resolutions,
acting for himself, Senators Villas and
GRAY, Ex-Governor Russell of Massac hu-
setts annd eleven others, offered substi.
tute financial planK which declared" that
until international corporation among
the leading nations for the coinage Of
silver can be secured we favor rigid
maintenance OF the existing gold stan
dard as essential to the preservation of
our national credit. "
Upon this amendment he demanded a
call of the roll, which resulted in its de-
feat 303 to 626
Nv IJill distinotlv stated he would on