New-York tribune., 1900-08-07
Still VALID.

The judgment which David Il. Hill pro-
nounced on Bryanism three years ago has come
home after the fashion Of curses and chickens
10 oost-u point OF fact. 10 Wofert'S Roost-
II was deliberate comprehensive and precise.
and It's roproduction from The Forum" in this
campaign serves 10 Increase respect for the in
telIectual diSccrnmrut of politician who saw
- clearly the causes of q defeat which he had
done as little as he thought he could afford To 90
Ia avert. Nor would il he quite safe 10 assume
thai Mr. Hill = seriously distressed 10y this re-
submission to the public view of The proofs of
his political sagacity. Having carefully avoid
ed position in which rec0ieCtions of his
Forum" article would have made him extreme
" uncom Portable he may now regard lis reap
Iearance iI current campaign literature with
c0nSdpra blr compIucency. If he had been
forced or persuaded to accept the nomination for
Vice President from the Kansas City COnven-
lion bis present situation would he awkward
even for man "f his superior hexibility; hut
under existing circumstances we doubt If he
viii lose sleep or appetite on account Of any
Thing which lie has said or written concerning
the leadership and principles Of modern De
mocracy.
IntrinsicaIy Mr.. Hills contribution To The
Forum for February 1897. is excellent, and II
loses nothing worth saving 10y repetition al this
hundreds Of thousands Of Democrats to whom
the platform Of 1896 was distasteful neverthe-
less supported the ticket upon grounds of reg
''ularity eXpediency. or other tenable grounds
satisfactory 10 themselves and their con
sciences" and having confidently declared that
they would not tolerate such errors and blum
ders as they then excused a second time. he
continued:
The mistakes Of the recent contest must not
be repeated: the Objectionable features OF the
platform must be abandoned. or there must he
a material modification Of its essential pro-
visions; conservatism must replace radiCalism;
the selfish interests Of sectiOnalism must give
way to the best interests Of the whole country;
conciliaton must prevail instead Of ostracfsm;
broad and liberal policy in party management
must be adopted: there must be greater freedom
OF opinions tolerated and sincere efforts made
to harmonic and adjust honest differences: un-
holy alliances with POpulists must be avoided;
and. above all, there must be a return to the
fundamental principles Of the party from which
the essential requirements by which sue
cess becomes possible in the future.
But though Mr.. Hill has no reason perhaps
no wish. 10 withdraw the diagnosis and the
remedy which he thus clearly proclaimed, il is
scarcely to he supposed that tn" party leaders
who rejected both month ago will take any
pleasure IN his prophetic condemnation of the
folly which they were destined 10 renew The
mistakes of the recent contest must not be re-
"peated" ne wrote IN 1891 But they have
been repeated by an omnibus declaration and
Il specific pledge There has been neither aban-
dOnment modification in The Kansas City
platform: Tadcalism has become even more
radical the selfish interests of sectionalism
more completely submerge the best interests
Of the country: broad and liberal policy III
party management was rejected for an absolute
dictatorship. which refused 10 tolerate freedom
OF opinion for moment; an UnhOly alliance
with the Populists is about 10 be confirmed and
sOlidified 10y the effacement Of Mr.. TOwne and
as for the fundamental principles Of the party,
they survive III the affections Of Democrats
who are deserving It. but nowhere else.
II is impossible to doubt that Mr.. Hill. know
ing that the essential requirements by which
success becomes possible in the future have
not been supplied. foresees the result of the
present campaign as clearly he accounted
for the result Of the campaign OF 1896.