Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-29
HILLS AMBITION THWARTEL
Rise and Fall Of New York Senator'S
Hopes of the Presidency.
CONTEST FOR PRIZE IN 1892
Effect 81 whitney's Backfire on New
YOrk's SNAP CoBvention''-
Strained Relations with
Cleveland.


% the list Of presidents OF the United
States, the name Of David B. Hin would
have been added. This assertion may not
be readily accepted by the mugwump al
lies Of the democracy OF two decades ago.
They would not have voted for him. But
no man today can study the political
records Of that time without becoming
convinced that tho country was reason
ably sure TO elect democratic president
in 1897 Had Mr.. Hill obtained the nomina-
ton. which he set out with such flying
colors 70 secure. the general party mt.
Enentum would have been amply sufficient
for his success. Nor does one need to
estimate Mr. HIPS prospects even so mod
erately as that. He was just as good a
vote-Eetter as Mr. Cleveland. They APP
poalsd 70 somewhat different elements in
the community, but that Mr.. Hilrs appeal
was any less effective, numerically, has
never been shown oy any polling. OF
course, he would have failed as a presi-
Dental candidate to receive thousands of
the independent votes which rallied to Mr..
Cevsland's standard. but this had been
Just as true OF the preceding contests In
New York state itself, and yet he always
carried II handsomely up 70 the calamitous
Overturn Of 1894, when. with a widespread
business depression, charged to the mis-
deeds OF the democracy, every bearer OF
its label went down in crushing defeat
Mr.. Hill carried New York in 1888, az
everybody knows, when Mr.. Cleveland, as
the democratic presidential candidate,
lost IL
On February a. 1929, the democrats Of
New York assembled in a regularly called
state convention and with tremendous en-
thusiasm pledged their delegates to vote
IS . unit at the on-coming national con-
vention for the nomination Of David b.
Hi. then United states senator. This
was s1-PrOsident Cisveland's own state.
In all ordinary practice It would have
been assumed that II New York were to
have the candidate. its own choice az
thus formally expressed, should be &C
oeptsd. The democrats Of the south, who
are the backbone OF the party, rarely want
to know more about a candidate than
that he can presumably carry New York
and incidentally that he would not be the
kind OF q man to get shaved in q barber
shop where colored man might be
similarly accommodated. Thus, any reason
ably good man, who understands our
race question" and 10 a New York favor
lite, proves acceptable to the great and
nearly controlling branch Of the party.
This was the ground on which IL readily
took up Alton B. Parker six years ago.
He had never done anything to put him in
the presidential class. He had carried
New York" when other men failed to do
So 10 this strange degree New York
ruleG
Starting the Backftre,
Mr.. Hill had an effective organization in
many states OF the union. Even without
that he would have been acceptable to the
demOCTnaV "A ma to
but for the curiously arranged and ex-
tremsly effective challenge made by a
group Of friends OF the ex-president, under
the maHterful leadership Of William G.
Whitney. They started in to undermine
the effect OF this Endorsement OF Hill by
declaring It a snap" convention, because
called earlier than had been the custom in
the state, and with certain other evidences
OF prectpitous haste. They promptly ar
ranged for a convention of their own,
popularity known as the "and-snap," and
its members as anti-snRppers. These men
signed petitions from one end of the state
TO tho other requesting the call OF this
second democratic convention. This, Of
course, named delegates TO go 20 the Chi
cagO convention. instructed to vote as 3
unit for Grover Cleveland. II must now b,
acknowledged that legally they had mot 4
leg TO stand on" The Hill convention wal
summarily called. but that is always tn,
privilege Of those in authority. The ex
pected effect OF New YOrks action OF
other states was an asset for New Yorl
candidate, which New York men wert
entirely Justified in utilizing.
The "anti-snRp" movement really accom-
plished little except to advertise the op
position TO HIN. The Chicago convention
whils actually nominating Mr.. Cleveland
accorded his New York delegates exceed
ingiy scant courtesy. Amy project for divid
ing the New York vote between the tw,
wings OF the party was promptly bowie,
out The anti-snappers were not even al
lowed quasi-delegats seats on the floor
Mr.. Whitney himself had to tell them Il
whispered emphasis to lie low or their 81
would be up. The democracy, while get
ting into readiness to give Mr.. Clevelan
his nomination on the first ballot by tn
required twO-thirds vote was not wilnn
10 accord It on the theory that New Yor
had done anything else than Instruct II
delegates for David b. Hill They ha
signed a statement, widely distributed 1
tao smile. warning the convention aEains
tho Cleveland nomination as imperiIlin
the success OF the party In the state, an
their famous orator, William Bourke Cock
ran, made one OF the notable addresses
his life In presenting their cause from III
platform. Political history may be searche
for a precedent that will equal this nom
mating OF New Yorker. in order to carr
New York, whom the New Workers then
selves insisted was unavailable.
Argument that Won,
Here came In the Jury OF the vicinag'
argument The promoters Of the ClevelaT
candidacy set up the action OF New JersS
and Connecticut, and showing how essei
TALLY homogeneous were the democrat
Impulses OF the three communities, assert,
that the democrats really wanted Clevelar
as their candidate. That the organic,
action OF New Yo.k itself was unrepr
sentative became the anu-HiIl plea, al
with the exhibition OF Clevelands suppo
In Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, al
all about they were able TO convince q
delegates OF the south and the far we
that the New York convention which HI
nominated Mr. Hlll had not known its bul
ness And 50 Mr.. hin lost a nominate
which would have meant four years In 4
White House.