Milford chronicle., 1904-09-23
SAID 81 A.DAF ENOUGH
Judge Parker's NeighbOrs Tell
Story That He Made This
Statement Two Years Ago.
Political Workers In Ulster County Say
the Democratic Candidate Won't
Win His District.
tEsopus dispatch in New York Globe,


tEsopus dispatch in New York Globe
Sept. 81
= There is a good deal Of talk in UIste
county to the effect that Judge PArkei
will not be able to carry his own dis
trict despite his great personal popu
larity and the natural pride his neigh
bors feel in having a presidential
candidate among them. The Republic
an leaders are working tooth and nail
to roll up a good majority, and in the
last week they have been making much
use of story going the rounds about
the judges views on the subject of
wages. In substance it is nothing
more than that he remarked two years
ago that an unskilled labOrer was en-
titled to 81 a day and no more.
The amount of gossip started by this
revival of an offhand contribution to
economic discussion in a corner gro
Gerry store is indicative Of rural senti-
ment, and the precise details with
which the story is embelished in its
| campaign garb show the Importance
attached to it by the bucolic managers
of the campaign In this part of the
world
Here is the form in which the story
is given:
81 think that a dollar a day is
enough for any man provided that his
work is steady. Any man can live on
that, and that is all unskilled labor is
worth. am sorry have to pay more
than that and wouldn't If we had a
better supply of labor hereabouts."
This statement was made by Judge |
Parker in Emory Freers store one Sat
urday morning about two years ago |
and made an impression on those that |
heard it from him directly and on those |
that heard 1t from others that has not |
yet died out The remark was called |
forth by a discussion in Freer's store.
Freer is the groceryman, dry goods
man and general merchant of the vii
lage, and his store, which is on the
corner of the main street, is the gath
ering place for the men hereabouts to
exchange news, gossip and political
views. On the day in question a crowd
Of men was there. There were Emory
Freer, Sam +. Mott, who runs the
butcher shop and livery stable; Lew
Booth, the barber; Carl Wismer, who
Is now a baggage handler in the West
Shore station in Kingston, and several
farmers from the vicinity who were in
the village for their Saturday trading.
The topic was the scarcity Of labor in
he township and the high wages that
we're being paid, unskilled labor get
ing at times as high as $1.60 a day.
While the talk was going on Judge
Parker happened in, and appeal was |
made to him Immediately. He answer {
ID without hesitation that dollar a d
lay was enough for any man.
The talk Immediately rose to a high +
itch of excitement. Everybody in the I
tore took hand In it, and none agreed O
With Judge Parker. Even the farmers. ''
rho in that part of the country are a h
cry thrifty class, could not accept b
uch a proposition. A dollar and a n
uarter day was the bottom price G
Or day labor. The judge stayed some :
me in the store, listening to the talk
nd taking considerable part in it, but
o arguments were able to move him
'om his belief that a dollar was all
lat days labor was worth. with the
lrther statement that he never paid
lore than that if he could help il.
hich was often the case.
Mr.. Wismer, who was one of those
resent, says of the incident:
Il remember it as plainly as if It
as yesterday. 1t was in Freer's store.
mory Freer was there, Lew Booth
e barber, and Butcher Mott. Those
en-, remember. We're there, and there
ere Others, farmers.
1T made lot of talk at the time. be
use we liked and admired Judge Par
It, and we We're surprised to hear him
y such a thing, and a lot of people
ound Esopus have held it up against
m. Everybody is remembering il ~,
w. The judge is a fine man, but he
way off on that proposition"