Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1904-11-03
PARKER AND BUCHANAN.
MIR. CIeveIaud's Comparison Causes n
Nation Wide Smile.

IN p \
Nation Wide Smile.
When a ponderous person plants his
feet in n shallow puddle there is likely
to be a mighty splash. This is precisely
what has happened ms the result of
President Clcvcand's discovery of the
slight resemblance" between the candi-
dates in 1856 and 1904.
The comparison OF Roosevelt with Ere
mont because of their fancied resem-
blance as appealing to romantic senti-
ment and popular love for the spectacu-
lar, scarcely produced ripple on the
surface of political thought. But the
| likening of Judge Parker to James Buch-
! anan as the model of what a mature,
undramatic and experienced" candidate
! for the Presidency should be, has pro-
voked scOrnful laughter clear across the
continent.
If exPresident Cleveland had searched
the roll of prominent Americans for q
name less likely to arouse popular en-
thusiasm than that of James Buchanan
he would have had to look among those
whose records were positively odious to
find it. There was nothing actively vici-
Gus or, what Mr.. Cleveland would call,
"perniciously active" about President
Buchanan. He was not what, accord
ing to the sage of Buzzard's Bay, would
be called an Offensive partisan"
But in the vital emergency that low
cred above the Republic during his adj
ministration he was tried in the balance
and found wanting. Where man
worthy to be President would have
grasped the nettle of secession with the
Grp, hand nf Aynn,.ipnn ri Il
crushed it in its incipiency, Mr. Buch-
anan dallied with the question. He held
that Congress was not competent to deal
with the anti-slavery agitation, that it
| was q question for the individual States,
| and that 1t was better for all parties,
| including the slaves themselves, that it
| should remain so.
AS President he deferred to pro-slav-
cry leaders and quailed before their
threats of secession. While he temper
lied the seceders perfected their plans.
Instead of meeting their threats with
| the words and measures of an Andrew
Jackson he took the illogical and impo-
tent position that, while the States had
n right TO secede the nation, with a
| little n, had no power to prevent them
doing so.
And this is the man of mature, I'M
dramatic experience" who, in Mr.. Cleve-
! lands Judgment is the prototype of
| Judge Parker. lrresoute and ineffective
rs Mr.. buchanan was, we are not so sure
but injustice is done him in comparing
him with Judge Parker. He was certain
ly n man of greater maturity than the
man from Esopus, not only in years but
in experience with affairs and in knowl.
edge of men. Everything that expert
ence could teach of politics and state.
craft Buchanan knew-only the intrinsic
capacity to master them was lacking.
Judge Parker has had absolutely none
of the experience and training that seem
ed to fit Mr. Buchanan for the Presi
dency. In 1877, at the age of twenty
five, he was elected surrogate of Ulster
County, New York. and under the shell
tering wing of David B. Hill he has
vegetated in some judicial position evei
since. That there is q certain parallel
ism between his weak, undramatic ant
vacillating utterances and those of Mr.
Buchanan cannot be denied Their view!
upon the unconstitutionality of the pow
er of self perpetuation in the Union anC
of the folly of an army and navy com
mensurate to the dignity and necessitie,
of n great nation, are strikingly similar
and equally false barren and reaction
airy.
Buchanan lived to repent the tundra
matte" moderation that warmed seces
sion into life. He supported Lincoln
administration and lent all his influence
to the prosecution of the war. But i
does not appear that either Judge Parke
or Henry Gassaway Davis, who ais,
hnrks back to the days of Buchanan
follow his precept and example when
in the fierce flame of civil war, he saw
n bright light that taught him that tn
Union must be saved Mt all hazards
When he came to the conclusion that hi
country was more to him than his owl
Interpretation of its constitution, Judg
Parker and Mr.. Davis quit his compan,
and continue to steer their courses by tn
chart that ran his administration on tn
breakers.
The American people will never elect
counterfeit replica of James buchanan
to the Presidency, if they are warned i
time; and, thanks to ex-President Cleve
land they recognize that Judge Parke
has all of the failings and none of tn
redeeming qualities of President Buct
auan.