Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-01-31
4 DEMOCRATIC MOSES.

According. to William E. Curtis,
correspondent for the
Chicago Record-Herald, the demo-
Gratis have at last found the Moses
Who is to lead them into the land flow
ing with official milk and honey.
That man is Alton B. Parker, chief
jus ice of the court Of appeals of New
York state. Parker's chief qualitica-
lions are that he received big ma
jority when he was elected and that he
refused to support Bryan in 1896
Regarding his standing with the
moneyed interests and the politicians
Curtis says:
For the first time in many years, so
far back as the Oldest politicians can
remember, all who profess to be dem
ocrats in New York are united in the
support of the same man, and it is as
serted that Judge Parker can com.
mand the votes aud the financial aid
of bankers, merchants, manufacturers
and big corporation men generally
who have contributed large sums to
the repu blican war chest, and have
done everything in their power to de-
feat the populist and free silver her.
estes of the democratic party in rec
ent campaigns.
In fact, I was assured that no re-
publican candidate could command
higher confidence or raise more money
among the financial circles of New
York state, and from that point OF
view Judge Parker would be quite as
strong as Roosevelt or any other
man the republicans may nominate:
That part is undoubtedly true, but
Curtis in his over-anxiety to make
out good case for Parker makes a
very bad blunder farther on in the
article, where he says:
In 1896 he was elected by over co.
900 majority chief justice of the court
of appeals, the highest judicial office
in the state Of New York, being then
IS years old. His popularity may be
appreciated by the fact that Mckinley
received 268, 469 plurality for presi-
dent and Back (rep J PIP, 992 plora!i-
ty for governor at the election. Park
er was the only democrat elected in
New York that year. His opponent
was Judge Wallace of the United
States district court, a man of high
character and attachments.
The gentlemen who are conducting
his campaign for the presidency sug-
gest that if Parker can run 328, 600
votes ahead of his ticket at an cleo.
ton like that of 1896 and in q presi-
Dental year he will give Roosevelt q
'razzle- dazzle" if they should meet at
the polls in 1904.
There was no election for chief JUS
tice in New York in 1896. That elec-
ton took place in 1897, an off year in
which the candidate for chief justice
was at the head of the ticket. There
fore there was very light vote in the
country districts, where the republic
cans get their majorities. On the
other hand, it was the first mayoralty
election in greater New York. Tam
many Hall was straining every nerve
to elect the mayor, and as result
there was an unusually heavy vote in
that democratic stronghold. The re-
publicans were divided between the
Lowe and Tracy tickets and were dis
heartened 80 that they did not get out
the full vote. Under these circum
stances it would have been more OF a
wonder if Parker had not secured
big majority.
However, that big majority will un-
doubtedly be worked for all it is
worth. Parker is just the man the
democrats want to lead them. They
nominated Cleveland in 1884 just be-
cause he ha5 secured big majority
in the gubernatorial election in New
York. The reform element has lost
control of the democratic organiza-
ton, and the office-seekers are run
ming the machine. They want a man
having show Of popularity and who
is thoroughly in accord with the plut-
ocrats and Judge Parker fills the bill
splendidly.