New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-04
ZAP RR0M THE BENCH.

-. r,r,-or IN his recent speeches, notWltn-
standing his earlier counsel TO ms lolio"e,'
- narsonaI attacks, has repeatedly made
charges against the personal honor anu lneee
r,tv of President Roosevelt and MT Cor'eisou'
without bringing forward the slghtest e'4
denee he has accused them OF using olhI,al
noyver over corporations an instrument lor
tsa oxtortion Of funds with which to buy the
presidency. These outrageous attacks leo MI
sir,eon r Chittenden, lawyer of this city, IN
latter which is published elsewhere IN TINS issue,
70 ask Judge Parker If, as judge, ne Wouiu
ruIe on the evidence before the pubic uiaI
these men were shown to have done any Wlohs'
Through his private secretary Judge "ihe
cont for renlv one of the most astonishing state
ments which one gentleman ever thought HIN
self privileged to make about announcer. iou
seem to forget" 1t says, that the Judge mas Iel'
1.-THE bench. He stands at the bar as the coil
"plainant He knows the charge 10 DC ~
'@The defendants also know it to be true you
..r,oy have noticed that neither defendant mas
onleaded mot guilty The people are the
Judges" -. ,ost
Judge Parker has indeed left the bench, leII
# so far behind that he has forgotten the neleSc
decencies of judicial procedure Inc ON VI
Rights of the Constitution, to when ne ana Hi0
clubs profess such superior devouon' ploNiuo
that every accused person shall nave the rlen'
ito be informed of the nature and cause Vi 'no
.occusation. 70 be confronted with the witnesses
against him." Judge Parker and his organs
have brought these atrocious charges against
the President and Mr. Cortelyou. He Is, indeed
tho comnlainant and the complainant as he
knows is bound to set forth specifically MS
co1npIaint and produce his witnesses. lie Gun
not come into court and say John oniln Is 4"
thief and ask the jury to convict on MS mere
saw so. He must say when and Wnere anu
from whom John Smith stole
Judge Parker says he knows his charge OIL eA
tortion to be true. Upon whom was eAtoruoh
nrac+ised? Let him produce one single instance
or confess himself a slanderer He and MS
followers have proclaimed these charges While
daAantiy refusing to produce a shred or evil
dence TO support them, and then because the ac-
cused do not prove they are not guilty or spe-
cifc offences when they have not been nformeu
of the case against them, Judge Parker mas 'he
effrontery to declare that they know his charges
TO be true He says they have not pleaded not
guilty" There is nothing to plead not gullty
10 No evidence which unrebutted would be
sufficient even for an Indictment has Deeh SUD-
nitted TO ANYBODY. There is nothing for them
70 meet. Nevertheless, their representatives
the Republican press, have answered Judge FAR
ker's representatives, the Democratic press VINO
brought the accusation for him, and nave en-
tered a denial as sweeping and general as the
charge and have demanded the constitutional
right TO be confronted with the witnesses against
them This right is refused. There Is peIote
the nublic nothing to disprove, nothing specihc
which anybody can deny. Judge Parker IS
enough Of lawyer TO know that, and he ought
to be enough Of a gentleman to act upon the
knowledge. If we should accuse him OF Delng
tied ND in private speculation with some OF the
trusts his advocates are most violent In de-
nouncing he would want bill of particulars
before entering on any defence.
The people are the judges OF his accusation
and they can be trusted to drive from their
conrt the slanderer who comes prating scan
dalous charges against honorable men while ut
terly refusing to offer the slightest evidence to
support them.