The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-09-02
HILLS RETIREMENT.

If he looked for a storm of demo
cratic protests to follow his
ment that he would retire from active
politics with the advent of the new
year, then David B. Hill must be a
sadly disappointed man as he reads
the comments of the newspapers Of
his party all over the land. Some
dismiss the matter by saying that he
cannot surrender something not pos
sessed by him-that instead of being
a leader of democracy in New York
state he has been a decaying political
corpse for a long time. Others re-
gard his manifesto as they regard
everything else emanating from him,
with doubt. Just what his scheme
is none seems to be able to even
guess, but all are hopeful that for
once he is really honest and truthful
and that he will withdraw from the
public gaze. Could they hope to induce
him to act upon their suggestion they
would manifest remarkable unanim-
ity in a petition to him no % wait
until next January, but to put his re
tirement into actual operation imme-
diately. They realize what a burden
he is to Parker and how his predomi-
nance in the campaign is bound to
injure their nominee. Despite all de.
malls the rank and file cannot rid
themselves of the belief that should
Parker be elected Hill will be one
Of his cabinet advisers, or if not that
he will be a hidden power that will
exert preponderating influence in
shaping the policies of the admins.
tration.
In his own state Hills announce.
ment is d~iscredited o than any.
where else. There it is regarded as
a campaign trick, an effort on tbs
part Of the peanut politician and his
friends to relieve the Parker cam.
paign of some of the weight his friend
ship toward it is known to impose
Hills support is a handicap and they
are not ignorant of the fact. The
speech he made recently at Binghamp
ton in which he denounced Presiden,
Roosevelt as a fraud did not heir
Parker's candidacy. On the contrary
it has injured it. The New Workers
know that Roosevelt is not a fraud ant
is not posing under false pretenses
No matter how much some of then
may differ from him in matters O.
policy and in politics, they know hin
to be honest and outspoken.
The World, which has recently ad
dressed itself in a series of open let
tiers to the president, and which l.
known as one of his strongest politi
cal opponents in the Empire state
a fovv n yyc a cN M, h1i eh oI +ho So11orr;-.
in IN editorial in which it faye,
Hill for his barroom methods of cleo
%tioneering:
"The World has already espresso,
it's opinion of David B. Hills coars
d~enunciation of President Roosevelt
as a fraud 1t is prepared to emplo
equally strong language in denouncin
the inspired idfocy which is respons
BILE for the circulation of the chea
> and palpable falsehood that Presiden
Roosevelt once referred to the farm
ers as the basest set in the land
IF the campaign is to be free frol
personalities and insults, Hill vii
not be much in evidence during il
i, progress. 1t is apparent that he ha
, been a source of weakness to Parke
+, since last spring. His friendshi
came very near preventing Parker
nomination. The B~inghamton speec
!, has hurt the democratic cause in tn
state thousands of votes. OF cours
Parker cannot be expected to carr
such a load without protest"