The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-20
Noted Democrat Politician Elk.
pires After Short Illness
At WOlfert's ROOst at the Age
of 81 Years.
GOVERNOR z YEARS.
United States Senator and As
plrant to the Presidency.
He Lived aud Died a Confirmed
Woman Hater."
GOVERNOR z YEARS.

u ,. senator and former governor of
New York, died suddenly today at VOL
/ tfert's Roost. his country home About
I Two weeks ago, Mr.. Hill was seized with
bilious attack while in his law office
IN this city and although his condition
was not considered serious his physician
ADVISED him to remain at home until
he recovered.
A cold developed and later alarming
reports of his condition We're circula-
ted. These reports however. were de-
nif=d by friends, in fact the senator ap-
peared to be on the road to recovery
until last night when he suffered a sink
4 ing spell, which resulted in his death.
David Bennett Hill was born in Ha-
Vana, New York, August %, 1S43. He
was the son of Caleb and Euniee Our
fey) Hill. His education consisted of
the regular course in the district school
and Havana academy, or high school,
He began reading law while still in high
school and was admitted to the bar in
| 1864. In 1868 he entered Democratic
| politics by going to the Democratic I
state convention as a delegate. He was
! a delegate from his home district for
| is years, and was chairman of that
/ body from 1877 to 1881. He was a dele
| gate to the Democratic national con-
vention in the years of 1876, 1884, 1886,
| 1900 and 1904. 1t was he who seconded
| the nomination of Bryan for president
in 1900, and he always referred to the
| incident as the highest honor of his po-
| litical career.
| He was a member of the New York
| assembly during the years 1871 and 1872,
| city attorney of Elmira n. Y. in 1865,
| alderman in 1880 and 1881, and mayor
| in 1882. He was lieutenant governor of
| New York from 1882 to 1886, governor
| of the state from 1885 to 1891, United
| States senator from 1891 to 1897, and a
prominent candidate for president in
| the Democratic national convention in
/ gngg
of New York in 1894. and was defeated
Mr.. Hill was president of the New
! York Bar association for two years
| 1886 and 1887.
Governor Seven Years
David b. Hill was seven years gov
| ernor of New York and so demeaned
himself in that great office that in
political Importance he was second
only to the president of the United
/ States.
David B. Hill was senator from
New York 1S91-97. and it would be
difficult to mention another statesman
in our history who in a single term
made so great an impression on the
body. Could he have been to Cleve-
land what his predecessor, SiIas
Wright, was to Cleveland's predeces-
| sor, Martin Van Buren. Democracy
would be wearing garlands this good
| day. AS a debater Hill found no su-
peror in the senate; as a lawyer ne
was the equal of the foremost 1t was
! Hill who furnished the supreme court
with the law for the majority opinion
in the income tax case.
The senate was intended to be a sta
tion on Hill's journey to the White
House New York was his: he had
just triumphed in the organization of
the other branch of congress; he had
many friends in the leading Democrats
of the South.
But there was fatality in it The
/ a hlnndPT-
humiliation of the house committee of
! elections was another.
| Fortune knocks once at every door.
Twice she knocked at the door of Da-
Vid b. Hill. Adroit as he was in man
agement, infallible as was his insight,
nature and education denied him that
rarest quality which in a soldier we
call genius and in statesman we call
| instinct. Had he been endowed with
! that attribute, he would have realized
in 1883 that the Hill eggs were in the
Cleveland basket Doubtless Hill was
loyal to the national ticket; but he
should have been willing to fall out
side the breastworks, although that
was not necessary. Had Cleveland
| been reelected Gin 1888 nothing could
have prevented the succession to the
presidency of David 3. Hill in 1892.
Fortune again knocked at HilFs
door in 1896, and beckoned him out
of the convention of that year. More
than third of the membership would
have followed him and nominated him
and who can say that he would not
have polled more votes east of the
Mississippi than Mr.. Bryan? He was
| confronted with revolution, and
dealt with the frenzied delegates as
Louis XVI dealt with the sanguinary
sansculottes, and failed as Louis
failed.
lie Would Not "BOH."
He had precedent. He was the dis
ciple of Tilden. Tilden was the disciple
of Van Buren,. The Democratic con
vention that nominated Lewis Cass for
president in 1S4S was not revolution
ary; but there was a bolt. Van Buren,
was the candidate of the boilers, and
Tilden supported him, and so for
| midabIe was the revolt that Van
Buren polled more votes in New York
than Cass. Perhaps there is no word
! for which Hill had more aversion than
"bolter." and no word for which he
had greater respect that regularity
He might have reverted to the ca
reer of Tilden, the bolter of 184S, and
the creator of the Democratic renais-
sance of 1874.
Hill preferred to retire to Wolfert's
Roost to await the lull of the storm
That is not the way to meet revolution,
not the way to exercise heresy. There
never was one moment that Hill sup
posed that Bryan had the ghost of
chance to become president of the Uni
: ted States. Maybe that accounts for
, his conduct in 1896. Doubtless Hill
| would have led the Palmer and Buckner
forces had he apprehended a chance of
Bryan's election. It was the mistake
1 that Hill made in 1896, when he could
have crushed it, that gave vitality to
T Organism four years later. And so we
lhad the campaign of 1900.
Hill studied for politics as some study