Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-20
R. HIT DEAD
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| ubOO6obb tu I'LL 0s
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lieves in an aggressive Americanism tenn
pered by good will to all.
Il During the time when the democrats con-
| trolled the House under Speaker Crisp Nc
| Creary of Kentucky filled the chairmanship
of this committee and Mr.. Hit remained
on 1t as the ranking republican member.
| Thorough knowledge of Affairs
Mr.. Hit is credited with having avoided
much difficulty by his thorough knowledge
of affairs, which he made use Of to the best
| advantage in what is known as the Cut
ting incident that occurred some years ago.
Some people have declared that Mr.. Hits
shrewd management was largely respon-
sible for averting revolution TN the re.
| public of Mexico. A man by the name OF
Cutting, an American citizen, published a
newspaper in Texas. lie got into an eai-
torial contention with a Mexican paper pub
lished across the border and SOLD MS papers per-
| In Mexican territory. Finally ne 1eii hto
the hands of an alcade and was imprisoned
Cutting declared he was deprived OF ms
liberty in violation of international iaw'
| and when the case reached the state De-
nartment there was great deal of excite
| ment in the country over 1T. resolution
| demanding that the Mexican government
| release Cutting was recommended ior pas
| sage in the House by the committee on
| foreign affairs Mr.. Crisp was then speak
| err. and Mr. Hit was the leader OF the MI
nority membership of the comma. oa3,,.,nn
| consented to the passage OF the resolut ION
! but reserved the right to investigate luz
! ther before giving it his final approval;
Carefully scrutinzing the CORRESPONDENCE
| in the case he discovered that the Mexican
| federal government had no more rlght 10
order the alcalde to release Cutting man
| the United States government Wouia have
| to demand the release of a Mexican impris-
| oned by some justice Of the peace when II
was plainly in the power of the justice TO
| do So He found that Cutting had been
| offered and had refused bail, preferrlng 10
stay in prison and be the subject OF an IN
ternational dispute.
| Mr.. Hit treated the matter in a very
| simple way and asked the House of Repre-
| sentatives what would be done if this coun-
| try were placed In the position occupied py
| Mexico. He satisfied everybody, and Speak
| er Crisp freely declared that if Mexico
should undertake to carry out the high
| handed policy for which many people in
this country We're -contending, local gov
ernments would have such contempt for
Mexican federal authority that they would
join in a revolt against that government.
1t great victory easily won..
Sought Facts and Applied Common
Sense.
Mr. Hits ability as a shorthand writer
made him much sought after in the west
| during his early days. At one time it was
| said that he probably the only man as
| far west Mount Morris who could make
| verbatim report of a speech. 1t WAS that
| fact that caused Abraham Lincoln to call
| on him to report the great Lincoln-Douglas
| debate at Freeport, Ill.
| In those days young Hit was very
slender man. and when the debate was
| about to begin and great crowd Surged
about the speakers stand, Lincoln called
| for Hit. A voice was heard the out
| skirts OF the crowd. 1t was Hit and he
called back to Mr.. Lincoln, saying the
crowd was 80 great that he could not get
! TO the platform. The great brawny men
| about nim being unable to make way for
him to pass to the platform. simply lifted
| him on their shoulders and passed him
| along over their heads to the platform Mr.
| Lincoln 9 remarks were accurate taken
| as were those of Douglas. His notes on that
DEBATE were not preserved At the time the
! speech was made Hit was charged with
having doctored Mr.. Lincoln's English but
ne always denied that that was necessary.
The Friend Of Blaine and Reed.
Mr.. Hit was warm personal friend of
both James G. Blaine and Thomas B. Reed.
although these two men were consta ntly on
| urlfriendly terms.
1t was quite generally understood that
Mr.. HIT had much to do in bringing Reed
and Blaine on speaking terms after a long
| period OF enmity, during which neither
knew that Hit was on intimate terms with
the other. but the fact did not interfere
with cordial relations.
Mr. Hit was at the Arlington Hotel in
| the city the night that Mr. Reed died and
after hearing the news he left the house
| with bowed head. He was also in Mr.
| Biaines house when he died
While the SpeakerShip contest was on in |
the House of Representatives and Mr. Reed
| was candidate in opposition to Mr.. Can
non, the latter. knowing the strong friend
| ship between Reed and Hit, did not expect
| Mr.. Hit to vote for him, although they
were both from Illinois. But despite that
| strong friendship Hit went to Cannon saw
Ing that he proposed to vote for him, which
! he did
In 1900 Mr.. Hits friends urged him to
make the run for senator to succeed Mr.
Cullom.- Friends in and out of his district
sent MIN letters Some of them wanted him
10 run because they wished sincerely to see
him In the Senate. Others wanted him to |
enter the race because they desired the vote
| to be split.
His Relations With cullom.
Before deciding on taking the step Mr.
HIT walked over to the Senate and had a
| long talk with Senator Cullom He told him
| all about it, how friends to whom he felt
| under obligation wished him to become
| candidate, and how the easiest way ont of
it was for him to consent.
| But wanted to tell you about II first >,
| concluded Mr. Hit. So when the contest
was over and Cullom reelected, Cullom felt
no resentment toward Hit and Hit enter
tanned no envy of Cullom.
Mr.. Hits tact was never better i;Justr.+
ed than in the Hawaii incident. The hill
admitting Hawaii as territory had the an
prevail of the Mckinley administrator
ana ana as usual, the hostility of Speaker Reed
possible, and interposed all his Intimate
| knowledge of the rules.
Mr.. Hit made up his mind that the pas
| sage Of. the bill was inevitable and that the
| / ba