Birmingham state herald., 1897-04-14
GREATER LIBERTIES FOR THE
 PEOPLE

9EOGLE.
 David Bennett Hill. the Sage of Vol fert's Roost" who has retired into priv acy after a long political career, has opened his mouth and spoken upon the political outlook for the democratic par ty. While 'tis true Mr Hill some times differed with the vast majority of his party upon Issues drawn, he has always held up the assertion q am a democrat"
 In the privacy of his home on the pla cid Hudson, the blue hills of Berkshire casting shadow of peace and calm ness from the rear and the red-roofed granite pile which shelters an executive chamber always in sight, he has calmly reviewed the results of the recent muni cipal elections in the east and west. and gives out his retrospective of what is to be the inevitable result.
 In an interview with correspondent of the New York World, MT. Hill calmly and without exultation proclaims victory for democracy in 1900, but not, however, without struggle as desperate. if not far more so than that of the memorable campaign of '96.
 In nutshell he sums up the result thusly: "Greater liberties for the peo- pie will force the issues" Referring to the recent victory in Chicago he says:
 'One of the most overwhelming of these victories was the recent election in Chicago, which has become a great cosmopolitan city, and which has suffered from offensive purtanical republican rule during the past two years Garter H. Harrison, the successful candidate for mayor. ought to knc if anybody does, the issues of that munic fpal campaign and the grounds upon which he triumphed. In a published interview the day after the election he distinctly attributes his election largely to what he terms a general desire for a greater degree of personal liberty
 One of the charges he gives to the democrats of the country is to avoid over-zealousness and confidence. These will, he says, as in the past, provs disastrous should we give way to them. "Over-confidence has lost more political battles than any other cause. It leads to partyism excesses begets indiffer- ence and excites false hopes."
 These words mean much and should be taken on their face value and as it were, pasted in democratic hats" for future reference. The victory in Cincinnati and Chicago show clearly that the re- publican party had. by reason of the great reversal in 1896 grown over-conf- dent and over-zealous and allowed the machine to grind only for one portien of their party. hence the need of the hour: : Greater liberty for the people"
 Mir. Hill sees in the democratic victo- ries of the past few days dissatisfaction of the people with the methods of the republican party "The plain truth" he says, 'is that wherever the repub- licans have obtained power in recent years. in municipalities, whether in the east or west, they have sought to re- strict the privileges of the people. He says:
 existing offensive laws relating to the recreations, the habits or the customs of the citizens or endeavored to procure ad- ditional objectionable legislation infrirg- ing upon personal liberty. They have resorted to technicalities. They have catered to puritanism. They have op- posed liberalism. They have increased taxes. They have been mean, hypocrit- ical and mschievous.
 "These are the complaints every where, and they seem to be well founded
 The result which has happened was nevitable-there has simply been a gen. eral uprising against such sort of local administrat tion."
 Thus it will be seen that the democratic party has s-all to win and nothing to lose by keeping in mind the fact that the peo- pie have begun to realize that they are in the ascendant and will demand great CT lfberties,' and the party being of, for and by the people, there is nothing to bar it from victory in 1900 so great and decisive as to break down forever the party of ''misrule and monopoly"