River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-11-03
A BELATED KEYNOTE
JUDGE ALTON 3. PARKER DE-
FAMES HIS COUNTRYMEN.
Quotes Unnamed Authorities and Mis-
represents History in an Attack
Upon the Honor and Honesty of His
Own Nation.

Once more the Sphinx of Esopus has
spoken. This time, although the voice
is that of Judge Parker, the words are
those of the hired anti-imperiaist of the
New York World. Abandoning for this
occasion his stand upon the archaic plat
form of Buchanan and petri6ed inter
probation of the Constitution, Judge
Parker parrots the imperious views of
Joseph Pulitzer, demanding the aban-
donment of the Philippines to the forces
of savagery and reaction from which
American civilization has rescued them.
There can be no doubt that the oc-
casion for the sounding of this belated
keynote of a flabby campaign was
deliberately planned and carried out.
Two hitherto unheard-of marching clubs
led by Colonel Charles r. Goldman,
of Boston, and Henry w. Harden, of
New York, fervent scuttlers both, APP
peared before the judge on his porch at
Rosemount, and bombarded him with
''two extended addresses" on the infamy
of American rule in the Philippines.
Then Judge Parker unrolled the speech
that bears internal evidence in every line
of having been written for him, and went
them one better in classifying the record
and misrepresenting the beneicent aim
OF American control in the islands res
cued from the oppression of Spain.
To justify himself in his attack upon
the American position in the Philippines,
Judge Parker quoted from an anony-
NOUS student of conditions there
whose phrases also bear a striking re-
semblance to the balance of the address,
in which they were fttingly embalmed.
This unnamed malignant, in the face of
overwhelming testimony to the contrary,
has the effrontery to say of our officials
there, "At the best they have been in
efficient; at the worst dishonest, cor
rupt and despotic. The islands seem
to have succeeded in getting the very
dregs of our people" This would CLASH
fly Secretary William H. Taft and his
associates and successors in Manila as
among the dregs of our people.
Judge Parker further quotes from this
anonymous defamer of American rule in
the Philippines: Alphabetically, the
country is for the time ruined. Land
is going out of CIVILIZATIONS; the popula-
ton is ill-fed and in some places unable
to get work. The country is over-bur
dened with taxation, disease is prevalent,
the farm animals dead, the towns in
many places in ruins, whole districts in
the hands of ladrones, the price OF prod
ucts poor and unremunerative."
II this were a true or even an approx
mately true indictment of the conditions
existing in the Philippines as the effect
of our occupation, what would be the
verdict of mankind? Would it not be
that the American nation was not fit to
govern itself, let alone semi-civilized
and dependent race?
Affects the Whole People.
In this matter it is impossible to dis
tinguish between the Republican party
and the American people. The former
is merely the instrument Of the latter
in the Philippines. and if Judge Parker
were elected President in November, it
would not, could not change the char
acter of the American government in
the Philippines pending the time even
he would allow 'the islanders TO prepare
themselves for self-government."
During that period does Judge Parker
think that he could find, in the ranks
of Tammany, any men better fitted to
uphold the honor, justice and liberty of
American rule than the men who have
established peace, order, schools, and
courts of justice IN the islands? The
question suggests its own answer-he
could not, though he were to draft his
own favorite counselors, David B. Hill,
William f. Sheehan, Charles Murphy
and Pat McCarren to assist i'll the diff
cult task
Upon such absolutely false and malig-
nant premises Judge Parker proceeds to
arraign the American administration in
the Philippines in terms which from
the dawn of history demagogues have
employed in their attacks upon success
full government. Here is a specimen
passage:
But aside from the duty we owe the Phil
ippines In preparation for the enjoyment Of
the blessed privileges we possess, we should
guard carefully against the, danger to our
selves Of an imperialistic policy. History
teaches that from repubicanism to imper-
ialism the movement is gradual and I'M
perceived of the people Its ominous prog
ress. when discovered, leaves open but two
courses-submission or resort to violence.
We can picture Colonel Goldman
and Mr.. Harden and the serried ranks
of the ''Avon Beach Regular Democratic
Club of Long Island" shivering in awe
struck unison over this horrible alterna-
tive coniured out of the miasma of
L ,
That Judge Parker should clutch at it
as a drowning man at a straw only
proves the desperation of his campaign.
Not content with citing history to sup
port VIGOROUSLY false testimony against
his countrymen in the Philippines, he
also invokes its aid in support Of the
generalization that there is mo instance
of a nation receiving from her colonies
anything like an adequate return for
the blood and treasure spent" Eng
lands National debt" he solemnly but
ignorantly averred, was doubled by the
revolt of the thirteen colonies it had cost
so much to secure. The American ex-
pansionist, following European argument,
alleges that annexation of the Philip
pines must promote progress, foster COM
merce and industry, and introduce the
heaven of civilization into a backward
and inferior race. The evidence of his
tory is to the contrary
However su@ appeals to history may
have tickled the ears of the 'Avon
Beach Regular Democratic Club of Long
Island" they must have made Colonel"
Goldman and Gr. Harden vince.
Truth of History.
The evidence Of history and of contem-
poraneous conditions afford incontrovert-
lille proof that England's greatness to-