The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-07-12

WAS HILL To bLAMEs
There is a disposition. particularly
in New York papers that have any
thing but a kindly feeling for former
Senator David B. Hill, to hold Mr.
Hill responsible for the failure to have
declaration in favor of the gold
standard placed in the platform. We
do not appear as the defender of Mr.
Hill. He has done some foolish things
in his political career. but it doesn't
follow on that account that he
shouldn't have full justice done him.
1t will be recalled that the sub
committee of the Committee on Reso-
buttons placed a plank in the plat
form declaring for the gold standard,
or at least acknowledging that gold
was the standard, and saying that the
money question was settled. This
declaration was stricken out when the
full subcommittee came to act upon
the draft of the platform.
1t is a fact that Mr.. Hill worked for
the greater part of two days to have
declaration in favor of gold placed
in the platform, and that he was beat
en-, the majority of the committee be-
ing against him. At last he was COM
PEELED to desist by fear that the plat
form would be loaded down with an
income tax plank. A plank of that
kind would have handicapped the party
in New York and other doubtful states
to a far greater extent than the fail
-, tot. e
gold. Besides, Mr.. Hill believed that
Judge Parker would cure the failure
to declare in favor of the gold stand
ard by coming out strongly for gold
in his letter of acceptance.
The point has been made that the
convention being so greatly in favor
of the nomination of Judge Parker.
there ought to have been no difficulty
in getting a Committee on Resolutions
that would have made a platform in
harmony with his views on the gold
standard question. 1t was known of
course to about everybody that he
was d gold standard man. But while
there was such an overwhelming sem
timent in favor of the nomination of
Judge Parker, there was a strong dis
inclination to admit in the platform
that the party, in previous platforms,
had been so radically wrong on the
money question. 1t was thought ad
visable to let it be understood by ST
lence that the party no longer regarded
the money question an issue.
Mr.. Hill has been criticised and even
condemned for not insisting on dec
laration for gold, and for not carry
ing the matter into the convention in
the event he was beaten in the COM
mittee. But wouldn't he thereby have
brought about a fight that might have
defeated the nomination of Judge Par
ker, and, that too, without any assur-
ance of carrying his point in the con-
vention? Besides, he would have risk
ed having an income tax plank put in
the platform.
Until the inside history of the Com
mittee on Resolutions is fully known
fair judgment cannot be passed upon
Mr.. Hills management of Judge Par
ker's interests in that committee. The
chances are that he did the best that
could have been done.
The belief exists in some minds that
he had in mind the programme that
was followed in the event the action
of the convention on the money ques-
ton was not in harmony with Judge
Parker's views-that is. that he sug-
dispatch to Mr.. Sheehan that he was
a Gold Democrat, and to make the
fact known to the convention for its
action, but it is doubtful if this be-
lief has any substantial foundation.
The sending of the dispatch was I'M
doubtedly, Independent of suggestion
from any outside source.