Milford chronicle., 1904-11-04
A BELATED KEYNOTE
JUDGE ALTON 8, PARKER DE-
FAMES HIS COUNTRYMEN
Quotes Unnamed Authorities aud Mis-
represents History In an Attack
Upon the Honor and Honesty of His
own Nation.

! those OF the hired anti-imperialist Of the
New York World. Abandoning for this
occasion his stand upon the archaic plat
form of Buchanan and a petrified 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 habby campaign was
deliberately planned and carried out.
/ Two hitherto unheard-of marching clubs
/ led by Colonel" Charles r. Goldman,
4 OF Boston, and Henry W. Hardon, Of
! New York. fervent scuttlers both, ap.
| 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
4 that bears internal evidence in every line
OF having been written for him. and went
! them one better in falsfying the record
/ and misrepresenting the benehcent aim
| OF American control in the islands res
cued from the oppression OF Spain.
To justify himself in his attack upon
1 the American position in the Philippines,
1 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 hUtingly embalmed.
This unnamed malignant. in the face of
overwhelming testimony to the contrary,
/ has the efrontery to say Of our officials
1 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 classi-
fy Secretary William II. 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: "Agricuturaly, the
country is for the time ruined Land
is going out OF cultivation; the pOpula
tion is ill-fed and in some places unable
10 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 lulS were true OF even Al dppINAA-
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 a semi-civlized
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
we're 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 islands2 The
question suggests its own answer-he
could not. though he were to draft his
own favorite counselOrs. David B. Hill,
William Il. Sheehan, Charles Murphy
and Pat McCarren to assist in the diff
cult task.
Upon such absolutely false and malig-
nant promises 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
ful government. Here is a specimen
passage:
But aside from the duty we owe the Phil.
ipplues 10 preparation for the enjoyment OF
the blessed privileges we possess, we should
guard carefully against the danger TO our
selves Of imperialistic policy. History
teaches that from repubcanism to imper'
iallsm the movement is gradual and un-
perceived Of the people Its ominous prog
ress, when discovered leaves open but tive
courses Submission or resort 10 violence.
We can picture Colonel" Goldman
and Mr.. Hardon and the serried ranks
of the Avon Beach Regular Democratic
Club Of Long Island" shivering in awe
struck unison over this horrible alterna.
tive cOnjured out Of the miasma of
Joseph Pulitzer's diseased Imagination.
That Judge Parker should clutch al it
as a drowning man at q 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 no 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 |
leaven Of civilization into a backward I
snd inferior race. The evidence Of his
tory is to Sic c9atre "
However such appeals 10 history may
have tiekled the ears Of the avon /
Beach Regular Democratic Club of Long /
Island" they must have made Colonel
Goldman and Mr.. Hardon vince.
Truth OF History.
The evidence OF history and Of contem
noraneoi1s conditions afford incOntroyert