The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-09-09
HILL ON ROOSEVELT.
The bandon Principloo
to Witty the Presidcnt.


Evidence multiplies that the Demo-
cratic party will decline to discuss poll
tics or principles in the present cam
paign, but. SO far as local conditions
permit. will contine itself to c~riticiz-
ing President Roosevelt. Ex-senator
David b. Hill. who poses as the dis
coverer and wet nurse of the Democratic
nominee, in opening the campaign in
New York State last week deliberately
abandoned one of the chief planks of the
St. Louis platform when he said:
II do not care to say much about the
tariff question. because it is one Oh
which very few Of us agree"
So the denunciation Of protection as
robbery" is to be relegated to the scrap
heap of irrevocably exploded campaign
nostrums. along with the heaven-sent
ratio of 16 to ! and the "crime Of 49,"
Senator Hill also concurred with the
silent crytogram Of Esopus that, tho
coinage question is settled" not as he
explains, through Republican legisla-
ton, not by the edict Of the American
people twice expressed at National cleo
tons, but by the act of Almighty God"
in increasing the output of gold during
the last few years. From which it is
HALSA thoN ~ AoCA war
that for two years stopped the gold
production of South Africa, and the la Dor
wal in Colorado that has partially par
alyzed the gold yield Of that State, would
be classed by Senator Hill as acts OF
Almighty God" to limit the supply OF
gold or to rehabilitats an irrevocably
settled issue.
Having cleared the decks OF the trou-
hlpSOmp nl1pSti0nS nf Sn1n1 ourronor orA
protection of American industry, Sena-
tor Hill numbered the batteries of VOL
ferris Roost upon Theodore Roosevelt.
He told his audience that the President
was "a fraud" but shrewdly withheld
any specifications. He asserted that he
had had experience with the Republican
candidate when be (HilD was Lieutenant
governor and Roosevelt was in the Lcgis-
lature. where he was constantly trim
ming
AS a matter Of fact. Mr.. Roosevelt
was Il member of the New York Assem-
bly,, and Lieutenant Governor Hill, as
presiding officer of the State Senate. had
no opportunity to gavel the troublesome
Republican reformer off the floor.
But, waving the b~aseless assumption
Of knowledge on Mr.. Hills part. he
should have specified the nature of the
trimming in which Assemblyman Roose-
welt was constantly engaged. There are
trimmers and trilnmers. There are
thlmble-rigSing politicians like David 3.
Hill. for instance. whose entire public
life has been spent trimming his sails
TO catch the Tammany gales that riot
around New York City. And there are
other tlimlners whose work is done with
honest shears cutting off official eycreS-
cenceS here. clipping the claws Of danger
Gus beasts there. and everywhere per-
forming the highest service to the people
and to the State.
Assembiyman lsoosevelt's service to-
New York was OF the latter description.
The work he did for the reform of the
public service in the State and county Of
New York in 1SS2-1SS4 was an earnest
OF what he was to achieve in broader
fields as he grew in years and experience.
No claim of infallihility has ever been
urged for him.. But his motives and
methods have always been SO honest,
above board and straight forward that
they naturally aroused the antagonism
and censure of David Il. Hill. who has
never pursued a straight course Il q
crooked, underground passage was avail
able.
Ex-senator Hill says he prefers the
silent judicial Parker to the aggressive
Roosevelt. 1t would be strange if he did
not.
President Roosevelt has nothing to
fear from David b. Hill. except his eulo-
gles. Should he win these he might
well begin to suspect himself.