The San Francisco call., 1898-02-12
DAVID BENNETT HILLS PLANS.

A CCORDING to the Albany correspondents of / \ the New York papers David Bennett Hill and
 h1s followers have reached the conclusion that further inactivity their part would be equivalent to permanent retirement from politics, and therefore they have resolved to take the field again and make struggle for supremacy in the Democratic party of the State this fall
 The batte-cry of Hill and his clique will be Thar mony They will endeavor to reconcile the irrecon- cilabes of I8o6 and attain leadership by demonstrat- ing that they are the only men whom both wings will follow To accomplish this plan it is said they will get the State convention to ignore the Chicago plat form and the candidacy of Bryan. It is added they have already devised such general utterance on the financial issue that can be accepted by both the BryanItes and the Palmertes without either side stultifying itself
 Nothing but the almost unanimous agreement of all the New York correspondents at the State capital on the main points of this story gives it credibty Even when given under such terms it is difficult to Del1eve that politician of SO much experience and intelligence as ex-Senator Hill can have persuaded himself and h1s followers that 1t is any longer pos slbe to achieve success at the polls by dodging the money question. That issue is now the dominant one in our politics. It will fill the whole field of battle in the coming Congressional elections and the man who desires to dodge it will have to abandon politics and leave the field altogether
 The vote on the Teller resolutions in Congress shows that party lines are now drawn on the money question as strictly as the tariff itself In the Senate only one Democrat voted against the resolutions, and Tn the House only one Republican voted tor them By the time the issue is made Up for submission to the people there will be no longer any possible escape from the necessity for both sides to take definite and decided stands The Republican party will stand for gold money and sound finance Inc Democratic party will stand for free silver and monetary demorazation. On that issue the battle will be fought.
 Dayid Bennett Hill is the most conspicuous living example ot politician who rose like rocket and has fallen like stick. His success for time was so brilliant and seemed solid that he was easily first III the line of succession to Cleveland Democratic candidate for the Presidency His followers through out the Union were ardent, devoted and active. He was the recognized leader of that stawart Democ- racy that desplses mugwumpery and battles under banner bearing the inscription ITO the victor be- longs the spoils" To-day he has less political pres uge than the mugwumps themselves Deprived of ofhce, shorn ot leadership, abandoned by the stall warts, he reveals Ill his character trait of political lmbecillty by trying to get back to power not by mastering the problems of the time, but by lodging them
 Ii the Democrats of New York follow MT. Hill the Republicans will have walkover Unfortunately there IS little hope they will do so Democracy has many faults, but lack of aggressive vgor is not one ot them It will never turn aside from the exuberant Bryan to follow man who is afraid to talk