Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-02
WHAT PARKER NEEDS
Newspaper Correspondents
See Something Lacking
MUST BE AGGRESSIVE
BELIEF THAT HE SHOULD DO
SOMETHING SPECTACULAR"
Visitors at Esopus Seem to Show Dis
Northumberland Campaign
Outlook-New York Politics.
MUST BE AGGRESSIVE
anecinl correspnnhence Of The Evening Scar.

There is a psychological aspect W 'he
Parker candidacy. l got 1t from one OF
those whose newspaper work keeps MIN III
close touch with Esopus and the farm.
PsychologiCally he thinks, with others oi
his class. all of whom are keen observers
that the judge Is failure
Asian not writing my own impressions
and therefore have no partisan pias
thought 1t interesting to note the effect pro-
duced on those who are the MEDIUMS OF ten
ing the public about the democratic candl-
date. 1t is rather vague yet, but they doh
think the reposeful candidacy can hold out
during the three months of the campaign
1t was pretty hard to keep up the interest
during the preliminary days before the ST.
Louis convention Now they find that some
how there is a lack. The original notion OF
the Parker boomers was that the strength
of their candidate would be In presenting
at every angle contrast 10 fresiuen.
Roosevelt Calm, judicial dignity was TO De
set of against the President stre ,nt tSa
Every thing was to be shaped so that the
Judge sitting under his apple trees OF Oh
the shady front porch, benignantiy anu
conservatively looking out on the American
public, was to impress them that ne was
the man for President.
The Judgment of the newspaper group IL
that he won't be able to do II ana they pase
their Judgment on the expressions OF inc
visitors are democrats and the point which
is noted by the observers stationed tnere IL
that these democrats come away Ieeuns
that something is lacking. They yearn Ior
a little Of Roosevelt In their candldate NJ
one pays attention to the stereotyped inter-
views which they give out for pubic con
sumption. What counts Is their real state
of mind and many of them themselves are
hardly conscious of the way they sho"
their disappointment
Must Change His Policy.
So It may be that before the campaign
gets very far along Judge Parker Will feel
compelled to abandon the reposeful front
porch attitude and get out and hustle.
This is the meaning Of the suggestion that
he make few public speeches or appear
as an attraction at some big demonstration
such as that which the Chicago democrats
propose to hold in August l don't think
that II will go quite that far, but 1t is what
the sporting men would call even money
that the Judge will do something conserVa-
lively spectacular or spectacularly conser-
vative.
A minor chord In this lack of psychology
ical qualities Is struck by the newspaper
writer's who have to do what, In the shop
talk of the offices. Is called the descriptive
They find mighty little of human interest
In Judge Parker. When Henry G. Davis
came to town his genial and breezy per
sonality gave them copy enough to last for
X.
talking about him yet, and l suspect some
of them are plotting to get him to New
York again.
But with Judge Parker IT is all different.
In some way they can't strike the note
which brings a popular response. one OF
them complained that he hadn't been able
to get a decent story out OF the horseback
ride or the morning bath In the Hudson,
though he had felt bound to take close OBJ
servations. But the result was, as he said,
only stupid story, and he blamed the
judge for 1t. Yet there are some things
about the morning bath in the Hudson
which. skilfully handled, might create
momentary spasm of popular interest. Does
the judge dive from springboard? Does
he swim dog fashion or hand over hand?
Can he tread water? Does he float? l
suggested these queries to the complaining
newspaper writer. but he shook his head
and insisted that he couldn't get story
out of 1t which would interest the public.
Another Point of View.
But though the correspondents and re-
porters complain of this lack of human in
terest in the candidate, If they understood
little more of national politics and of
politicians outside of Albany and New York
they would find a great deal Of news in
some of the judges visitors from other
states In two or three days ! have run
across a score of democrats of national
prominence who feel that they have a mis-
sion to tell the democratic candidate some
thing Whether they actually tell him
don't know, but most of them have had
hearing, and their presence at Esopus has
been chronicled.
They are filed with the strategy of the
campaign and with the attempt that is to
be made in October to create a diversion
by spreading the belief that some of the
western and Pacific slope states are doubt
simple. To create this diversion 1t will
take money. So far the outgiving from
headquarters has been that they must make
1t without money: The democratic cam
paign fund IL TO be used chiefly for New
York, with a little for Indiana because the
chairman is from the latter state.
These democratic politicians are fairly
honest with themselves and with one an
other. A Pacific coast man of some promi-
hence stood in the HOFFMAN House and ex-
planned the situation to some of his newly
made New York friends We haven't the
ghost OF a show" he said, but well put up
"a good bluff II you fellows will do your
share" Their share is to supply the funds.
As to the democratic calculations about
the Pacific slope, Nevada is the only state
In which they think they may have a
chance.
an encouraging nod l was told that form
er Controller Eckels had assured Judge
Parker's friends that there might be a
chance of his carrying Illinois. Might is
an elastic word. When John p. Hopkins
got control of the party machinery in that
and then notified the eastern crowd that
they need not take the candidate for Vice
President from Illinois since 1t would do
TO good. He satisfied the state was
republican. At that time the idea of some
OF the Democrats was that labor unrest in
Chicago might give them a chance Hop
kins is especially familiar with the labor
element in city politics. and his Judgment
that the democrats couldn't carry the state
for their presidential ticket was based on
a pretty thorough knowledge of the labor
tel dencies. He not playing 'possum.
though he may now pretend that he was
and go into the scheme of making a blum
at an aggressive campaign in Illinois.
Some Are Hopeful.
There are democrats in other states in
the middle west who talk hopefully. you
would be surprised. said one of John RMc-
Leans neutenants, Ito hear that we have
chance in Ohio. wouldn't your" / con-
fessed that I would. So would everybody
else. But the Ohio man insisted Then
why didn't you nominate Harmon7" I
asked The depth Of the friendship OF the
Mclean following for Harmon, and the
earnestness with which they worked to
keep Harmon off the ticket are so well
understood that my question might have
seemed personal But Mr. McLeans lieu
tenant took II good naturedly I'VE kept
him off the ticket" he replied, because
we wanted chance to carry Ohio and