Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-07-08
SIXTEEN PAGES
SUNDAY. july s, 1900.
THE OVATION TO HON. DAVID
B. HILL.

When closely srrutinized the evil
IDENTIFY sincere and spontaneous ova-
tion given Hon. David Bennett Hill at
Kansas City was not so remarkable
In the first place it can never be pre-
dicted what course the enthusiasm of
large political gathering will take.
That has been demonstrated often
enough to be commonplace.
Mr.. Hill is man Of unusual ability.
Shrewd. far-seeing, n consummate pol
aticlan and eminently n man who
knows how TO bide his time, he is q
factor in any situation of which he
chooses TO make himself part. 1t
must be borne in mind that Hill was
formerly very popular at the South,
which section preferred him to Cleve-
land, IL it had been given n free hand.
in 1892. This popularity Hill never
quite forfeited. He took no part in the
campaign of 1896, and was naturally
accused of sulking; but he maintained
his Affiliations with the party, which
was more than most of his former as
sociates in New York did. lie escaped
being gutter" when there was a
6SCu dGsil " MIN quit, ana DEM
ocrats have not overlooked this.
More potent still is the popular rec
ognition of the fact that Hon. David
Bennett Hill is game" He has de-
monstrated that under widely different
circumstances and repeatedly. He
Showed 1t in the Senate before he had
been in that body very long; he show
ed 1t at Chicago when the sentiment
was overwhelmingly against him; he
has shown it in his bouts with Dick
Croker in New York. Democrats love
game" man, and they love fair
play. When Mr.. Croker took studied
pains to humiliate Hill at Kansas City
he made nne-tenths of his fellow
delegates strong Hill sympathizers,
ana they took the first opportunity to
Show 1t. 1t was no less as n protest
against his unfair and ungcnerous
treatment by his own State delcga-
ton than as a tribute to his ability
that the convention yelled hill"
That Mr.. Croker so regarded it the
dispatches made plain.
The changing of the relative import
ance of issues had removed in the
main the causes of the antagonism
shown to Hill four years ago. Mr.
Hi lost then. The delegates to the
Kansas City Convention were no doubt
generously disposed to make it plain
that they bore no malice The occa-
sion for the antagonism having main
~ passed, 1t was natural that Demo-
Gratis VINO had been admirers of Hill
shouid recur to him. This seems to
nave been pretty we'll all there was in
the incident. The attempt of a certain
section OF the press to make the mat
ter handle for weightv moralizine.
and for invidlous COMPARISONS is ma
furol. That was to be expected. We
believe however that. SO far from the
ovation to Mr.. Hill having left any
rankle, with the exception of Hon.
Richard Croker and his faction of the
. Democracy in New York. Democrats
will everywhere recognize it as one of
The most pleasant features of the con-
yention. seeing that 1t way a fresh
proof of that Democratic willingness
to concede liberty OF opinion within
the party which may have weakened
It at times. but has made it none the
ess the training school Of the ablest
Hatesmen of the republic.
.--------------
After all it is only natural that tn,
s Republicans should disapprove OF {
Presidential candidate with back
ix<,., m l,.,, -