People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1894 — HILL’S REPLY. [ARTICLE]

HILL’S REPLY.

The New York Senator Answers Gorman’s Hot Words. The Attack Upon the President by the Senator from Maryland Ia Denounced Mr. Cleveland’s Policy In Tariff Legislation Defended. HILL IS HEARD. Washington, July 25.—When the morning business was dispatched in the senate and Senator Harris, descending from the chair, had called up the conference report on the tariff, Senator Hill (dem., N. Y.) was on his feet and was immediately recognized for a speech. He agreed, he said, at the outset with Senator Gorman that the democratic party was in the midst of a great crisis. The house conferrees were confronted with the fact that the senate had made the tariff bill inconsistent, had made it unworthy of democratic support. They rejected the duty on coal and iron ore. They refused to yield and there was no hope that they would yield. If they insisted upon their attitude and the senate was obstinate all prospect of tariff legislation was at an end. His [HiU’s] motion that the senate recede from the coal and iron duties was in the line of an agreement. It would do no good to obstinately adhere to the position taken when the bill was passed. Why not yield on these two points and see whether it does not lead to an agreement.” He was not, he said, talking about Senator Vilas’ motion to recede from the differential in favor of the sugar trust. But concessions must and should be made if the bill was to become law.

Senator Hill said he was in sympathy with the president’s letter to Chairman Wilson. Its sentiments were his sentiments. The president violated no clause of the constitution when he sent that letter. He had the right to do it. It was a private communication. The question as to making it public was one to be decided by its sender and receiver. It was one with which senators had nothing to do. No democrat on this floor could controvert the position taken by Mr. Cleveland in that letter, lie saw that to place a duty on coal and iron would be to violate the platform declarations of the party and would place the party, whose success he desired, in a false and indefensible position. The democrats of the country were in sympathy with Mr. Cleveland. Democratic clubs and democratic conventions all over the country had indorsed the Wilson bill in respect to free raw materials. On the other hand, the senate bill had been received everywhere with signs of disapproval. Senator Hill referred to Senator Gorman as “ever frank and bold.” He took the Marylander severely to task for his utterances on Monday. He read from President Cleveland’s message of 1887 to prove that Senator Gorman had erred in saying that Mr. Cleveland had in that message said nothing in favor of free raw materials. Neither did Senator llill believe that Mr. Cleveland could be held responsible for the unofficial utterances of Secretary Carlisle, but, referring to the official utterances of the secretary of the treasury, he pointed out that until this present question arose both Mr. Cleveland and Mr. Carlisle were consistent and in harmony. Continuing, Senator Hill advanced a step toward Senator Gorman, and referring to the latter’s speech on Monday said, with emphasis: “The senator revealed private conversations which had taken place between him and the president. What for? It was to place the president in a false position before the country. I have my grievance with the president. I owe him nothing. But I believe it my duty to now defend him and I shall do so.” His defense of Mr. Cleveland was followed by a condemnation of the income tax in which Senator Hill again threw down the gauntlet and defined his future policy with regard to it. He said he wanted to defeat “the populistic income tax,” aud added: “I shall resort to every honorable method by which it can be done. If 1 can place this bill in such a position that you cannot pass it with income tax in it I shall do it. I do not know that it can be done, but I shall make certain suggestions to that end.”

The senator ended cleverly and humorously by turning the tables on Senator Gorman for referring to him as lago. “I might liiten this attack on our president,” he said, “to the great conspiracy of Rome. I would [pointing to Gorman] call the distinguished senator from Maryland the lean and hungry Cassius.” Then, leaning toward Senator Gorman, he uttered in a stage whisper: “He thinks too much.” He likened Senator Jones to honest Brutus and Senator Vest to Casca and Senator Harris to Martellus Cimber, and finished with: “It is the same plea as when they killed Caesar, not that they loved him less, but that they loved Ri.me more. And with these gentlemen It is not that they love Cleveland less, but that they love their party and this bill better. With Marc Antony I say: ‘Yet with all the private grievances they have, they are all wise and honorable men ’ ’’ * There was much laughter and applause as Senator Hill bowed aud sat down, and many on the floor rushed up and shook his hands in congratulation.