New-York tribune., 1902-08-30
4 GENEROUS OFFER.

Certainly the Democrats cannot complain
that they lack a generous antagonist in Gov
ernor Odell He stands ready to use TO the 1uii
| the executive authority to help them 10 secure
the candidate for Governor whom they tnlAh
most likely To beat him. They are WORKING
hard to persuade Chief Judge Parker TO resign
his place ut the head of the Court or Appears
and lead his party ia the race against Governor
OdeI Chief Judge Parker is naturally reluct-
ont to terminate an honorable judicial career
and give up an office to which he has a ttle
that runs for nearly ten years ana is SUBJECT 10
renewal Ii would mean great sacrlnce 1or
him To respond TO the demands of his admirers
narticularFy as the chances of his succeeding to
the Governorship are not especially good win
a courtesy which suggests the age of chivalry
Governor OdeIl does his best TO clear the pain
for the fudge by holding out the promise that
he may return 10 the Court of Appeals after his
defeat at the polls. He says that If Cher
Jrdpe Parker consents 10 run against him at
the demand of the Democratic party, the first
thing he will do after his reelection will be TO
anpoipt Chief Judge Parker 10 the office from
which he resigned
IT NAV not seem TO the chief judge that this
promise goes quite far enough 10 make en-
trance for time into active political life en-
tirely attractive. The Governors commission
is good for only one year. and in 1903 new
chief iudge would have 10 be elected by the
people Perhaps all parties would join 30 keep
Governor Odelrs appontee op the bench for
another full term of fourteen years, but that is
BIZ no means certain. Some people might be
less generous than Governor Odell, and say
that the Judge, having once put aside the
ermine for political armor. could not expect
support for new term by appeals TO the non
Of ir1dce n
office Still the Governor can do but his best,
and the chief judge, once back in the Court of
Appeals NAV fairly be said to have received
safe conduct from the enemy through the field
of political hostilltes. At any rate. the Re
publicans cannot be reproached for putting OBJ
stacleS in the way of the Democrats securing
a respectable candidate. It would be some
thing Of a novelty in New-York politics for Re-
pubIicans TO meet foemen worthy of their steel,
and the Governors course in trying TO help the
Democratic thermometers raise the tone Of their
party and create respectable opposition will
be generally commended.
We doubt however, if the possibility Of In
ducng Chief Judge Parker to has been
much increased by the Governors generous
offer. The judge is known TO be steadfast in
declining a nomination If now, under promise
of a reappolntment, he should reconsider and
make eACuIslOu 4iIlo ptllliIr' iie 0CoI44
to himself to be confessing to z selfish atti-
tude toward his party's call He might think
that If a nomination something to be de-
clined when It meant sacrifice it was some
thing he could not afford to accept under
promise that he should lose nothing by so do
ing. On the other hand it may fairly be said
to him that bis decliDation generally
understood to be based on the feeling that his
party friends were asking too great sacrifice.
and that If the sacrifice could be made less he
need have no scrupIes about changing his mind.
Whatever may be the outcome. Governor Odell
has done nothing to avoid meeting Chief Judge
Parker. 1t was well understood that under
former conditions his party was doomed to
refusal, and whether the promise of n reap
pointment is an inducement 10 the judge or
not, it certainly cannot make his declination
more positive than ii has been, and II may
make 1t less So