New-York tribune., 1900-04-24
HILL SPEAKS AT SYRACUSE
UTTERS 4 PROTEST AGAINST CENTRAL
IZATIoN OF POWER AT ALBANY

Syracuse y. Y. April 2S.-Five hundred leading
Democrats Of Syracuse and Northern and Central
New-York attended the Jefferson dinner given un-
der the auspices Of the local Democracy this
Ing Gold and silver advocates were both
present.
MR. HILLS SPEECH
Former Senator David b. Hill made the main
speech of the evening He spoke in part follows:
Thoughtful men view with alarm the tendency of
ward eentrazation Of power in the State govern
ment The fact cannot be disguised that the nature
OF our system OF State government, especially that
which concerns local administration, has been ma
tive action, sometimes Observation-Disclosures stealth
ily.and at other times boldly and unhushingly'
supposed 10 be intTenched In the guarantees of the
CONSTITUTION is regarded by the Legislature as held
h at to it's ri beas1re ef d ha the OF old n
salutary doetTine that in the diyersifcation @ OF
aside and superseded by the regal theory that me
concentration Of power in the State is better than
Each succeeding year witnesses fresh inyasions
II began in the matter OF finance, when local
revenues arbitrarily diverted 10 State pur-
poses to meet the demands of depleted treasury
occasioned by extravagant ADMINISTRATION The
well defined istinctlons winch had aIways existed
between State and local revenues ignored, and
the safe and Just rule which had heretofore uni
for State purposes and local revenues for local
purposes" was abandoned in the disgraeeful scram-
BILE TO secure financial and political advantage at
the expense OF principle.
Local supervision OF excise matters was trans;
representative elected by the people, .,
q metropolitan election district. composed of sew
constit1tionai requirements whereby a State Of
fical, appointed by the Governor and called a
state SnDerintendent OF Elections, was placed in
Esadnp The ohcais selected by the municipal
those localities, without their consent horde OF
intendent. empowered TO perform functions essen
TALLY local in their character s,,, "a.
But the ursupation OF the rights OF locahues uio
gution related to the Civil Service of the State and
empowered the members Of the state CIV, service @
ernor 10 remove any local Civil Service Commits
sItbough the former were themselves subject to
removal by the Governor and this measure a;H w was
statute authorizing the same Board to fill any va
moysl instead Of allowing the same be filled by
the Mayors of the respective municipalities stat
rule violates the spirit if not the letter OF the
One encToachment swiftly follows another The
absorption by the State government OF the tunc-
UNREASONABLE INTERFERENCE.
Ever since the passage of the Transfer Tax act.
oftentimes called the Inheritance Tax law, the ap-
he S1irroFates of the respective counties The re-
cent legislature however, has deprived the S SuTT4 Ti
OF such power of appointment and conferred the
same upon the Controller Of the state. ms con-
stitutes not only unreasonable and uncaled for
interference with local judicial functions but Is
These specimen instances well illustrate the ten
dency toward CONTEMPLATION which now seems to be
the settled policy OF arrogant leaders at pres
t eeHene BECAUSE IT IT Based on
distrust of the people 1t exats the State and be
lttles individuals and localities It ignores the
10 be safely intrenched in the restraints and guar
antees of the CONSTITUTION. 1t is in the interest OF
corrupt political bosses who can through & unialr @
not SO well control localities scattered throughout
the TheT & g6h 6rag IS arened OF
is the duty of good citizens TO resist this grow
ing tendency ss -.
a party question II Is rather a question or good
eoyernnoent a question OF public safety. question
OF the honest maintenance OF the true nature ana
theory of form of State government, questlon
of the preservation of the rights of the people
against the encroachments Of the State
In plain words, local self-gorernment throughout
the State seems be dependent upon the consent
of those who dictate legislative policy. the
measure Of local rights Is governed by thelr
rnarnantnitv or their selfshness. II is based upon
no Eettled principle. IT does not seem to be limited
NV The snirit which pervades the Constitution.
ernrnent. and insist that We should return 70 the
safe path from which our rulers have strayed, and
restore 10 the people the rghtful administration OF
.heir own local governments. whether they may be
under Democratic or Republican control freed from
the unrea asonable Interference of the State.
These steady. constant and persistent efforts TO
concentrate power in a strong centralized govern
M beis s,es,,ised and which Is hostile to the theory
unon which fathers framed our free institu-
text that towns and municipalities cannot be safely
trusted 10 govern themselves.
They disclose intent 70 seize upon power al
every opportunity I'm the interest OF personal and
nolitical DYNASTY which unless checked and
rebuked win defy public sentiment and overawe
terrorize and punder the people OF the state
Other speakers were John y. Carlisle. Of Water
town: Charles F Remick. of Oneida; Assembly
man Trainor Of New-York; Senator w. F. Mackey.
OF Buffalo: Recorder Charles y. Bulger OF Oswego
and District Attorney Edwin Duffy, Of Cortland.