New-York tribune., 1902-06-04
THE ALBANY CONFERENCE.

When David Bennett Hill sets out to make
sneecb he is prone TO talk too long, but he may
fairly he described as reticent in council, with
some pretensions to inscrutabiIlty. 1t Is llh-
probable, therefore that the public VIII De Oh
ficially told whether or not Mr. Hill is satsneu
with the manner in which his permanent head
quarters were opened in Albany on Monday
night It seems safe. however to guess that
in view of what might have resulted from the
friction of great minds he is tolerably Wen
pleased with the outcome of his labors. especial
Iv inasmuch as the chief impression left by the
conference is that everybody who wants 10
recognize him as the State leader of his party
is now at liberty to do so, without fear OF being
called 10 account by any local organization
That is the object to which Mr.. Hills efforts
have been directed with infinite pains for sew
eral years and il is no small personal triumph
10 have reached so forward a stage IN the re-
hahilftation Of a boss in the face of obstacles
which were pretty generally regarded as insur-
mountabIe Changes often come suddenly IN
New-York politics. but the present prospect is
that Mr.. Hill will write the platform and nomi-
nate the candidate for his party this year
And vet. except by contrast with recent Dem
ocratfc performances. the proceedings at Albany
can scarcely be called either halcyon or Voclfer-
GUS. In the first place, vacancy stared inso-
q
numerous chairs. and in general the regrets
were o. a mechanical order. though enlivened
here and there to unsympathetic ears by reml-
nisrent touches or hints of trouble to come. Sew
eral observers have thought 1t worth while to
report that there was harmony in the ar,
and we should not be surprised If that were
true: but Just how much harmony there was on
the benches is another question Thus Mr. st.
Clair McKelway, who was kept at home py
circumstances over which he exercised no con-
troll. sent word that he felt not the slightest
repugnance to having anybody agree with MIN
on a basis Of sound money Civil Service reform
and expansion; while Senator McCarren IN
similarly suggestive manner strongly recon-
mended to William ]. Bryan a seat IN the ex-
treme background Lewis Nixon and John F.
Carroll were both present but it might nave
been better if at least one Of them had initiated
the example Of Norman Mack and stayed away,
| for the former refused to take the hand which.
| contrary TO the testimony Of competent Wit
nesses the latter said he had not offered, and
the incident at last accounts had not been sat
isfactorily closed.
| If the preliminaries were not quite happily
adjusted. neither was the conference wholly
| fortunate when it got down TO business why,
| for example. did the chairman Of the State COM
| mittee 90 out of his way to declare that he had
had the party's authority for two years TO estab-
! lish such headquarters? Everybody knows that
if he had used his authority he would have
| been responsible for calling into existence the
| lonesomest spot on earth, and his virtual ac-
| acknowledgement of the fact was superfuous to
| the point of impertinence. Consider, moreover
| this succeeding fragment of Mr.. CampbelFs
speech: I'VE the party of the people.
Since when? For ten years the people have
been improving every opportunity to convince
| the Democratic party that it ought to be
! ashamed Of itself. Within that period they
thought on one occasion that a plurality OF
10000 might answer the purpose, and on an
other that 900 would not be too much If
Mr.. Campbell had expressed the opinion that
the Democracy was going to get there" next
| November it would have been freely admitted
that there was no law TO punish a bad prophet:
but It is pretty poor politics to revive painful
memories at tentative love feast
We suppose that the endeavors Of Democratic
| leaders TO get together and Mr.. Hills ambition
TO regain an ascendancy worth having not
strictly our business; but, believing with Mr..
Bourke Cochran that two vigorous parties are
essential to the highest public welfare, we may
| be permitted to regret that the gathering at
Albany furnishes no proof that Republicans are
| TO be confronted by thoroughly respectable
| opposition the coming fall.