New-York tribune., 1900-04-26
after all, many Of the burning questions OF
the home churches when looked at from that
point of view
Two TONES TO HIS VOICE.

David b. Hill the lawyer and David h. Hill
the politician are two entirely different persons.
They do not in the least have to say the same
things. They can denounce each other in the
most positive and bitter terms enemies OF
the country. and wink in the glass at each other
and be as happy together as II the lawyer did
not know the politician plotting the de-
sruction OF property interests and the politician
did not know the lawyer trying 10 rob the
people of their liberties by his schemes Of cen
trazed government
Mr. Hill the politician made great political
speech on Monday night In Syracuse. The bur
den Of his eloquent and no doubt honest ndig
nation was the wicked Capitalization Of power
in the State government under Republican ad-
ministraton. He did not stop to characterize
the Capitalization practlsed in his own term in
the Executive Chamber when the Governor m
dertook to do the work of electors In country
districts. and. if the people did not constitute
State Senate TO suit him. stole enough seats in
it To make his own centralized authority pffec-
tive. But that Is old story. and the statute of
limitations Is expected 10 run against crimes of
politicians In about two years Mr.. Hill pre-
ferred TO dwell On other instances OF centraliza-
tion. and in commenting on them produced this
gem of audacity:
Have not seen the functions Of local as
SCISSORS successfully usurped and absorbed by a
State Board of Tax Commissioners appointed by
the Chief Executive? These steady, constant
and persistent efforts to concentrate power in a
strong centralized government at Albany indi-
cate purpose which cannot be disguised. and
which Is hostile to the theory upon which our
fathers framed our free institutions, and cannot
be excused upon the iimsy pretext that towns
and municipalities cannot BE- safely trusted to
govern themselves.
Perhaps Mr. Hill the politician is right but
lp nok IN i'm 70 i'm
his friend Mr.. Hill the lawyer. for whose con
duet he Is largely responsible. Otherwise there
Is great danger OF the lawyers convictions being
thought to be for sale TO corporation octopuses
and the politicians principles considered merely
denagogic assumptions. II happens that Mr..
Hill the lawyer is as much any man
Sp0nSbe for that usurpati0n OF the taxing
power by State authorities which Mr. Hill
the politician denounces. When the Ford Fran
chise Tax law was first passed II provided for
the assessment Of franchises by local authOr-
ties. But Mr.. Hill the lawyer appeared before
the Governor al the public hearing and on what
Mr.. Hill the politician calls the fiimsy pretext
that towns and municipalities could not safely
be trusted 10 assess corporate properties wisely
urged the amendment of the law so that the
State Tax Commissioners should assess them
and apportiOn their values in different localities
uniformly ana justly. lie felt sure that taxa
tiOn under exclusively local management would
be hostile TO the theory OH which our fathers
founded our free institutions, to quote Mr. Hill
the politician once more. SO 1t was at his sug-
gestion that the functions of the local assessors
were usurped and absorbed
This was what Mr. Hill the lawyer did as
the servant OF the great corporations. Now Mr.
Hill the politician is denouncing that very
work. Which plea was "fimsy pretext," that
made at Albany before the Governor or that
made at Syracuse the other night? Mr. Orator
Puff has two tones to his voice