The Portland daily press., 1898-10-21
Ex-senator Hill Denies That 1t Is
Issue Of Campaign.
CONFLICT HAS CEASED AND NO
FOE CONFRONTS US.

Spec oh,
New York, October 20.-The Democrats
at the Academy of Music tonight. General
George E. wingate presided. He intro
duced ex-senator David B. Hill, who
was given an ovation. Mr.. Hill spoke
for an hour and half and was enthusias-
tically applauded at the close.
Mr.. Hill, among other things said:
1.-the paramount issue in the present
campaign is that of honest government.
There have undoubtedly been more i'm
portant campaigns in the past, but none
have been more unique or more interest,"
ing, or which more intimately affect our
individual welfare a. our very homes.
Permit me at the outset to suggest tina t
here are no war issues, so-called, to d.
vide or embarrass the people. The achieve
ments and glories of the recent war with
Spain belong not to any political parry
but to the whole country. This fact
should be everywhere conceded; but If
there Is a disposition to inject PARTISAN
ception or results of that war, we need
not shrink from a comparison with our
opponents. The people have not forgotten
the great struggle in the halls OF Con-
gress, less than year ago which preceded
the declaration of war-the fact that, With
a few and honorable exceptions, all the
earnest pleas for intervention in behalf
of Cuban liberty were uttered by Demo-
cratic leaders. You have not forgotten
the cold and unsympathetic message of
President Mckinley in Decemb Der last
opposing Cuban Intervention of any kind.
You have not forgotten the attitude of
Senator Hanna the Warwick of the pres
ent administr alton, who with tears in his
eyes was pleading at Washington for peace
at any price.
Neither need I remind you of the
dire predictions and lamentations of
other republicans high in the councils OF
the party, who in those momeptous days
were seeking to stem the tide of popular
enthusiasm which was sweeping over the
land and protesting that their party was
'tbeing dragged" into an unholy foreign
war by their interruptions opponents.
But now that "this cruel war Is over"
and A merican valor has easily triun pied
On both sea ana land, and the American
flag proudly floats over our newly acq uired
territory, never, as 1t Is fopdly hoped. to
be lowered again, the postwar patriots
who never lifted their voices in behalf OF
Cuban liberty when that cause was in
dire distress and needed friends, come
| forward with unbecoming haste to
monopoIize all the glories of the war.
Even the distinguished Repu blican can
didate for Governor in one of his recent
speeches went SO far as to say that the
war would be regarded as having been
,ught in VAIN II Democratic victory
should now occur. This is the first sug-
gestion which have heard from SO high
a soldier, that the late war WAS a Repub-
lican war or that it was waged In the in
terest or for the benefit OF any political
party, official or individual. 1t was the
| nations war, undertaken not for political
effect but for liberty's sake: nor will its
affected by the success or defeat IN this
state campaign of any political party.
1t Is said that the President must be
sustained, This is a silly Idea at this
stage of events. The conflict has ceased !;
no armed forces confront us anywhere,
| an we are virtually debating our own
terms Of peace. During the continuan CO
and was most periodically answered /.
Never in the history of the nation was a
President more Loyalty supported by an
opposition party and by the people gen
orally than during the recent conflict.
| While blind approval Of an admins
| tration may be rxacted in times OF war.
no such rule prevails in time of peace. t
| Is no impeachment of the loyalty or pa
| triotism of this people that they decline to
condone the incompetency, the negli-
cence, the favoritism and the corruption
which characterized the conduct Of some
of the departments Of the government.
| A wise craftsmanship will satisfactorily
solve the new and interesting problems
arising out of the terms of settlement
said to be political tissues" in the ordi-
nary sense of that term because they have
not become certainty; parties have not
| yet divided OIL them.
A strange political condition oonfronts
| the people of this state. A Republican
governor, elected in 1895 by 2,O00 ma
| iority, having served only single term.
orable political parties to second term,
has been cruelty turned down and refused
a nomination.
Two explanations are offered for the
offensive discrimination involved in the
refusal to nominate Gov. Black, while
at the same time renominatine his asso-
ciate on the ticket of 1895 for lieutenant
governor. The friends of the governor
assert that the refusal Of Gov. Black to
approve two measures which passed the
legislature of 1898 which were desired by
a certain corporate interest and which
approval Senator Platt has assumed to
deliver by promising 1T in advance for
valuable financial assistance rendered
and to be rendered, FURNISHED the only
reason for his recent desertion of the gov
ernor. The adherents of the state ma
chine declare that the record of Gov.
Blacks administration, including the
canal scandal and the VIGOROUSLY bad ap-
monuments rendered his denomination
nniustitiabls, because 1t would defy pub
lie sentiment and imperil the election.
Mr., Hill then took up the canal scandal
and said that the report of u Republican
com omission constituted the Democratic
Indictment against the Republican canal
officials of this state.
The people have been deceived and de-
franded. The work will COST at least S12. :
ono oO0 more than the people voted. One
rmiilion dollars Of the fund has been
actnaJIy souandered. The contracts have
cot bean let to the lowest responsible bid
ders Contracts were awarded to canal
offioiaIs or appointees in violation OF the
Statr,te, Untold claims for damages have
zen created against the state.
'e Mr. Hill expressed the opinion that on
a,oonnt Of these disclosures a political
revolntion was impending in this state.
10 declared that other dam aging facts
t a,e coming to light from week to week;