The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-27

their finish. were to put the name OF
Hill at the head of the ticket.
Again Hill failed. Bryan was named
in 1896: and Hill, his hopes broken by
two successive disappointments, his
spirits all at bay, came back to VOL
fert's Roost to sulk. Mckinley was
elected. Time marches, and four years
more have fled into the past 1t is 1890.
Hilrs ambitions to be president preen
their feathers anew. The query is,
Can Hill set aside Bryan, the natural
party choice, and take his place as
leader at the head Of the columns OF
Democracy? Hill argued and schemed
for the Kansas City nomination in this
sort. Bryan had once and again said,
both in letter and interview, that he
would not accept nomination upon
platform which did not specifically set
forth silver 16 to L. In this silver at
titude of Bryan, Hill saw, as he
thought, his opportunity. Bryan was
a man of high principle; his word was
given and was good. With 16 to L left
out, he would not accept nomination.
To Hills eager hope the very sltua-
ton suggested the plan. Hill would
aim his effort against 16 to l.
Hill worked the papers and wrote
letters and visited folk in person. Six
teen to one must 60, said Hill. With
out it, we could win; with it, we were
lost AS far as he might, Hill prepared
convention sentiment to sidetrack 15
to l. Then he rushed to the party
center in New York and asked to be
named as a delegate at large. There
was no quarrel on that score; the
| Tammany folk, his clan foes, would
yield that much for peace. The pivotal
point of his plot, however, was the
| convention committee on resolutions.
Hill must represent New York as a
member of that body. There was to
be the theater of war; Once on that
| committee, Hill made no doubt of his
| ability to strangle '16 to l. Had Hill
| gone into that committee room, in
stead of Van Wyck, it is better than
an even chance that the financial
| plank would have been reported with
out the ratio. Hill counted on doing
this. He would go on the platform
committee: he would fight 16 to I;
would beat 16 to l.: he would report
the platform to the convention with
the ratio left out. There would be up.
roar. Hill counted on It, There would
be turmoil and stampede. Hill planned
to produce them. The convention
would accept the report. Hill made NJ
doubt of that Bryan would refuse tC
permit his name to go before the con
vention. And with a convention al
aboil with hot uncertainty, with {
ratioless platform, with Bryans nam,
withdrawn, Hills name was to be fluns
into the center. 1t was a forid form
of plot. And it might have been sue
cessful. 1t broke down when Hill wal
rejected and beaten for the New Yorl
place on the committee on resolutions
Croker did that. AS he told Hill il
the conference of the New York dele
cation, when Hill pleaded and begged
and even wept to be permitted to rep
resent New York on resolutions, wv
don't want you because we don't trus
you"
What truth there is in this melo
dramatic narrative we do not profcs
to determine. 1t is repeated for wha
it may be worth, But suppose it is al
true. Does it differ in any essentia
from Tammany politics? Is Croke
the man to cast the first stone of critl
Cism?