Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-20
HILL R1D1cuLEs SPECTACULAR.
Discusses Lynehings and Says They
Are Nothing Else Than Murder

At Olcott Beach. N. T., yesterday after
noon former United States Senator David
B. Hill addressed the Niagara County
Pioneers Association Mr.. Hill in part said:
THE tendency of the times is toward
indulgence In that peculiar species Of sem
sational performance which may be char
acterized In general terms as 'spectacu-
iarism.' If l. may be permitted to coin
that word.
You observe it wherever you go,
whether in high or low places. Spectacu-
larism as rule wholly ignores the plain
truth or at least always exaggerates H.
1t feeds on attention. fiattery pride and
inordinate self-esteem In common par
lance, 1t may be described what Is
known as playing to the galleries or self
advertisement. and partakes of many of
the features of fakirism. 1t distorts real
transactions and assumes the melodramatic
in the effort to make things appear I'M
usual and wonderful. 1t oftentimes at
tempts the heroic, but usually produces the
commonplace.
''Spectacularists usually affect superiority
over other people; in the matter OF patriot
ism they desire to be regarded as the only
true patriots; they assume to possess all
the virtues while other people. in their esti-
nation, possess all the vices. They abhor
silence and ebscurity. They apparently
would not live at all If they cannot live
constantly in the public eye They clamor
about publicity and largely personify pub
hcity run mad. They assert the common
est kind of self-evident propositions which
have become moSs-covered from age, with
emphasis though they were oracles
and as though their platitudes were wholly
original. With superficial requirements
they embrace every opportunity to air their
shallow learning.
solicited, supply the newspapers gratui-
tonsly with the details of whatever they do
each morning, noon and night, as though
the world was holding it's breath for fear
that something would escape 1t pertaining
to themselves. If they happen to hold a
public office they are delighted to see their
smallest public acts paraded, magnifled
and applauded. They are sure that there
were never before such public officials as
themselves-so earnest. SO honest. so self
sacrificing. They NEEDLE with everything
whether within without their official
jurisdiction. and usually muddle everything
with which they have anything to do. They
are busy. bustling and noisy creatures,
who view with dsdain the quiet. unob-
trusive citizen who knows something of
public affairs, but knows enough to know
that he does not know it all.
Experimentation as here interpreted Is a
sort of disease-it expands the head and
contracts the conscience and may apprO-
prfateiy be called ego-mania. which is an
other name for egosm
1.-THE public are afflicted with these mani
festations at this time more than at any
otter period of our history. Sensational
ism seems to be in the air Its devotees
fill the public press with elaborate accounts
of their alleged achievements. nauseating
in their fulsome eulogy. forcing them
selves upon the attention of thoughtful
sincere. matter Of fact men. who detest
notoriety seekers and condemn frothy ad-
venturers of every kind"
Mr. Hill referred to the large number
of recent lynchings, and continued:
THAT level-headed justice of the Supreme
Court of the United States, Justice Brewer.
was right when he lately declared that
killing by mobs was nothing more nor
less than murder. Justice should be melted
out by the courts alone or not at ALL"