The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-14

was no love lost between Hill and the
Tammany people He had been excluded
from the committee on platform. and had
openly denounced Croker as the result
and at time anterior to his being Sc
riously considered as a candidate. In
the face OF this antagonism, the mention
of his name as candidate for vice pres
ident was applauded and by the Tam
many people, their chief spokesman TAX
ing the platform to place him in nomina-
ton. against his express wish Such con-
duct as this is exceptional. Either Tam
many wanted Hill nominated in order to
kill him off politically. or else they want
ed to do him an honor and service by
having him nominated, and with the pros
pect. in their judgment of his election
as vice president. Which represents the
motive of the Tammany people? It is
hard to believe that if those shrewd poll
ticians believed that HE'S nomination
would be followed by election they would
have been so desperately anxious to place
him in such position. Yet there is of
course the possibility that their action
was governed by an earnest desire to
strengthen Mr.. Bryan's chances of cleo
ton by nominating Hill, who has shown
his ability to save the state to his party
in many fateful crisis in the past, not
wfthstanding that his last nominal ton re-
SIIIfod II.
availability
But, on the other hand. why was Hill
SO desperately anxious to avoid the honor
which the convention showed such a de-
termined purpose to thrust upon him7
The motive which was attributed to Mr.
Roosevelt could hardly have applied to
him. His presidential ambitions if they
still survive, are certainly not so urgent
or eXacting as to cause him to withhold
the use Of his name lest it might put an
end to his availability in the future for
presidential nomination 1t would seem
rather far-fetched to assume such TO be
the case. No man, situated as Gov. Hill
Is, would decline such a high honor with
such desperate insistence who believed
that there existed a reasonable prospect of
MS election. Hill would not have done
So II he was capable of doing so, then it
must be said that there is little or moth
ing In his public career to sustain such
view of unselfishness on his part If Gov.
Hill believes that the Democratic ticket
VIII De beaten, he believes SO because Of
the insertion of the 16 to l plank. If this
be the case 1T seems an entirely proper
inquiry, If he SO believes. and is really
opposed to the free silver plank, why
ne old not stand out and fight against the
adoption Of such plank by the conven-
ton? brave man, man of strong con-
Vlctlons, O. man who was ready to take
risk In the assertion of his opinions
would not have hesitated. He would have
gone forward and did precisely as Hill
did not. He would have fought the issue
out fully. and would have gone down. if
he did go down, with the flag of his prin-
ciples floating above him.
1t is frequently heard NOWADAYS that
Fill showed the nerve which Roosevelt
lacked under almost Identical circum-
stances. 1t would probably be q mora
correct statement, that Hill had the self
ishness which Roosevelt lacked when the
strain was put upon him. However one
may decide these questions for himself
there IS this one fact apparent on the face
OF the situation. That is that David B.
Hill mas not shown himself to be one whit
more entitled to the confidence or re-
spect OF his party associates today than
he ever has been in the past. On the
contrary, he is revealed. through the
kansas City convention, as thorough
ly selfish and thoroughly cowardly poll
tician of small calfber.