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Show Famous Political Blunder How David Gonnett Hill Tried to Keep Judge Maynard Out of Contest Con-test in Which He Was Defeated. WHEN the standard biography of David Bennett Hill, former governor gov-ernor of New York aud' United States senator, and once a leading candidate can-didate for the Democratic presidential nomination, is written, it will contain a letter which has now for 16 years been kept in Governor Hill's safe in Albany. It will be an extraordinary revelation with respect to a most dramatic dra-matic incident in Governor Hill's career. ca-reer. It will put him in absolutely new light upon a matter for which he was subjected to the severest criticism. In order that there may be good understanding under-standing of it, it will be necessary to repeat some political histcry. In the last year of Hill's term as governor of New York 1S90 a very close election took place in the state. For some days there was doubt whether wheth-er or not the Remiblicans had secured a majority in the state senate. In any event, the majority would be a very small one. possibly no greater than one vote. The issue at last centered upon the election of a senator in Dutchess county, of which Poughkeepsie is the county seat. There were strong suspicions sus-picions that the returns had been tampered tam-pered with, and that the correct returns re-turns would show that the Republican candidate for senator had been elected. The matter was taken to -the courts, and Justice Edgar M. Cullen, now chief justice of the New York court of appeals, and a Democrat, decided that the Republican returns were the correct cor-rect ones, and issued a mandamus to the state canvassing board to accept these returns. But through what many regarded as the interference of another an-other justice, Isaac H. Maynard, the returns thus mandamused were not sent to the state .canvassing board. Instead, the Democratic returns were sent, and of course, these being the only ones before the state board, they were compelled to declare the Democratic Demo-cratic senator elected. In that way the Democratic party secured control of the senate, and Governor Hill was severely criticised because he seemed to support Judge Maynard, certainly because he did not, when the facts became known, take action looking to wards the possible impeachment of Maynard. Three years later the state of New York was to elect a member of the highest court, and Judge Maynard was nominated by the Democrats. It was the common impression that Mr. Hill, who at that time was United States senator, had forced the nomination, and when Judge Maynard was beaten by a hundred thousand majority, this defeat was regarded all over the country as a criticism more of Hill than of Maynard. The real facts are now narrated for the first time, and they follow: Senator Hill reported to some of his friends that Richard Croker had said that Maynard, if nominated, could be elected. The friends replied: "Croker "Cro-ker is mistaken; he cannot be elect-ed." elect-ed." "I will make further investigation," said the senator, "and having done that, I will consult with my colleague, Senator Murphy." The latter had been elected senator through the capture cap-ture of the Democratic legislature in the manner above described. Meeting his colleague in 'Washington 'Washing-ton some time later. Senator Hill said: "The general impression in New York Is that if we nominate Maynard May-nard he will be defeated." "We have got to nominate him, and in my opinion he will be elected," retorted re-torted Murphy. Again Hill made an investigation, and became definitely satisfied that Maynard would be overwhelmingly defeated. He therefore determined to write Maynard. The senator began the letter to Maynard by saying: "I am about to write a letter which will give me more pain than any I have written since I entered public life. I am going to tell you frankly that in my opinion, in the opinion of practically the entire bar of New York state, and a majority of the Democratic Democrat-ic leaders, you cannot be elected. I would therefore suggest to you that you, in some discreet and satisfactory way, make it known that you must not be considered as a candidate for the court of appeals bench." JuJge Maynard received this letter by messenger. In due time that messenger mes-senger returned to Senator Hill with this reply: "Judge Maynard says that he can afford to be defeated by the people, but he cannot afford to be humiliated by his party. He therefore there-fore will not withdraw, but will insist upon his nomination." "Very well," replied Senator Hill. "If he insists, I have no doubt his nomination will be made. But I am afraid he will regret it." And regret his action Maynard surely sure-ly did. Rights Reserved.) (Copyright, 1910, by E. J. Edward3. All |