The river press., 1904-10-19
Democratic Candidate Began
His Career as a Boss
A PR0TEGE OF DAVID 3. HILL
''Practical Politician" Who Is Now
Surrounded and Supported by Tam
many Hall Leaders Brief Glance
1t His Political Record.

Ever s;:cc that July day when the
Democratic National Convention of 1904
adjourned. after nominating for Pres
i'lcnt or the United States Alton B.
Parker Of New York, the people of the
country have heen trying to find out
something about the man for whom they
are asked to vote early next November.
1t has been hard work. Outside Of
the State of New York Alton Il. rark
or was practically unknown before the
meeting OF the Democratic convention at
st. Louis. He still remains, to the vast
| ma jority Of voters throughout the cou1l-
;ry. unknown, except by his name and
place of residence, with such additional
Light as has been thrown upon him by
newspaper portraits. 49,
in the matter of supplying pictures
of Judge Parker, his home. his wife,
children, grandchildren. son-in-law and
other relations there has been 10 stint.
The country has gazed it's fill upon news
paper cuts representing Judge Parker,
| trimmed, SO to speak, with various and
| assorted young relations, and in all of
these pictures Mr.. Parker has present
ed that bland, open and somewhat pa
troIizing front with which mankind
faces the world when it is striving to
look pleasant and at the same time
| keep some infant prodigy still under the
process of photography.
10 be sure the voters have seen pic
| lures Of Mr.. Parker galore, and pictures
of his house and of his family. They
! have heen told that he was, when nomi-
| mated. judge, high up on the bench of
! tho State of New York, and ''the rest
is silence" 1t is true that Mr.. Parker,
when notified of his nomination. pro-
nounced speech of acceptance" but
! that proved such a merry -go-round of
| fiat and meaningless words as fairly
stunned the unterritied in their lairs. 1t
gave no linking as to what kind Of
man the Democratic nominee might be,
except that he possesses the not uncom-
mon faculty Of talking great deal and
saying nothing.
Searching the Record.
| And so the American people sat down
and studied, by such means as they had
| at hand. the man who asks their votes
for the office of Chief Executive.
| ut seems like a sort o 'unsght and
unseen game" said an old Illinois farm
CT. II guess we'd better not trade, this
timer
There remained and remains for the
awakened gaze of the American people
the record of Mr.. Parker's life. so much
of it as has been in the public eye. With
his private life let it be said, once for
all. there is no reproach.
Alton Il. Parker was born at Cort-
land New York. in the neighborhood
where he now lives, more than fifty
years ago. lie grew up in Ulster county,
and began the practice Of law there as
Il young man. From the beginning he
was known as a politician of the kind
which gains ends rather as a manager
than as a candidate. In plain language,
he was Il County Boss in the Demo
cratic fold. While a very young man
he directed campaign for Judge Shoon-
maker. in whose office he had studied
; law. Encouraged by his success in this
effort he sought for himself the post OF
Surrogate as the Probate Judge is call
I'd in New York State. He was elected
and held the Office for many years.
In this Office Judge Parker continued
, his silent and underground activities il
politics of the New York variety; j;
variety in cities cxcmplitied by Tam
, many. and in the country districts no.
; one whit behind Tamnany in zeal, Gun
: ming and unscrupulousncss.
T. Favored by Hill.
: Says Il recent writer. speaking of thi
Y period of Judge l'arkers life:
politics in New York is hard and iron
bound: it is without sentiment. and ha
no principle save the principle Of success
true true Of the cornfsd* as Of rammany iia!i
rrtei Hery New ' YORK. % judge ''r,' i"rker .r' knew
). these things: he saw no visitors. cOurtc,
n no dreams. lapscd into no frances. Pa
- ticntly. practically. he added one man t
!. til the result of hi; additions was the con
troll of the county OF Ulster.
The steady success of Judge Parker
: his even. business methods. cold an
Elcodless in calculation and results, at
l. ltacted the attention and the favor 0
David Bennett Hill. In 1885. when MI
llill was about to make his first can
vasS for the governorship Of New Yorl
= he chose for the practical manager o
his campaign Judge Parker. Thus a
,r the age Of thirty-lhree years Judge Park
y or became Hills political manager. II
ia elected his man.
e Mr.. Hill, early in his atlmnistratio
o as NtOStflOI, EtNiIueu HIS ii!l III III
II aycr by appointing him to the Suprem
. Bench OF the State of New York. Judg
II Parker has. practically speaking. occl
V. pied the Supreme or the Court of Al
T. rrals bench ever since.
II There is Judge parker's public recor,
G \ practical politician. Il manager Q
:: campaigns, /, discovery and protege q
y David Bennett Hill.
And now. at the end of this plain. II.
n vanished tale. it remains to be note
y that from beginning to end there is nt
y set down in all the pages devoted t
# Judge Parker and his candidacy on
r. single utterance of inspiration. enthuS
h assn. patriotism. or even one word Su!
# gcSting Il broad and generous appreci;
tion of public needs and public interc>t
small or great. in all the years dnrin
V which Judge Parker has handled loc;
i campaigns.