The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-10
Leads all North Carolina Dailies i'm News and Circulation

person more familiar with the details /
of the politics of the various counties
should be chosen. But when the APP
peal was made to his chivalry and
when it was presented to him that APP
peal to him was the last recourse-in
the nature of a forlorn hope-he yield
ed, and you will find in this incident |
an insight into the man. He accept
ed the place. What followed is now
history. He was a masterful leader |
Waging not only a brilliant; but most |
successful campaign AS an organizer |
he discovered a rare ability. AS an |
aggressive battler he was quickly re- |
cogniZed by his opponents. He changed |
the character Of the opponents cam |
paign from that of the offensive to |
the defensive in ten days, and kept it |
on the defensive to the end. And this |
he did without those abundant means |
which have usually been the posses |
sion of the successful campaign man |
ayers. 1t was a campaign of discus
sion and persuasion. 1t had to be, for
he had no other means to employ.
The campaign which began in Octo-
ber under the black shadow of i'm
pending defeat ended in November un-
der the bright shining sun of victory.
And among those who accredited the
brilliant young manager with the sole
triumph none was more emphatic
corded him a degree of gratitude lat
ter day politicians deny it is in his
composition to feel. And when the
shouting was done Parker went back
to his law books, asking nothing at
the hands of the man he had piloted
to victory. subsequently, however,
there occurred by reason of the death
of Judge Theodore Westbrook, of the
judicial district of which Ulster Coun-
tNy ic rf IL
preme Court bench, which it fell to
the lot of Governor Hill, in the dis
charge of his duties, to fill by ap
pointment. And he appointed Alton
B. Parker, who was then 33 years
old. Stories that Parker hesitated and
debated over this appointment are
idle 1t was quite within the line of
his aspirations. 1t was within the
line of his profession and he accepted
it promptly and gladly Nor in this
day shall any one arise to say 1t was
not an eminently fit appointment
Whether the motive of Governor Hill
was that of gratitude or desire to
pay political debt the fact is that in
the result a young man of high legal
| attainments and of the highest moral
character, of strong and forceful
mentality, was elevated to the bench.
There were those at the time who
insisted that the appointment should
have gone elsewhere in the district,
but it belonged to Kingston, and King
ston got it. A year later he was nomi-
mated for a full term of fourteen years,
and let this be thoroughly understood:
the opposing party made no nomina-
ton against him. Judge Parker was
chosen by a practically unanimous
vote of the district, thus confirming
i'm most positive way the wisdom of
Governor Hills appointment.
For twelve years Judge Parker sat
on the bench of the Supreme Court,
In 1883 a second division of the
Court of Appeals was brought into eX-
istence for the purpose OF clearing up
the choked and encumbered calendar
of the court. 1t was provided that
this second division should be appoint-
ed from the members of the Supreme
Court bench and the selection was to
be made by the Governor. Among
those selected was Judge Parker, and
at the time he was but 3S years old.
! Four years later the Second Division
| having finished the work it was APP
pointed to do, was dissolved, and it's
members returned to their courts. BY
| Governor Flower he was almost imme-
diately appointed to the general term
| of the First District, that is to say,
of New York, and was appointed by
| Governor Morton later, and so con-
| tinued to serve until the general term
| was abolished and the Appellate Divi-
| sion came into existence. In 1897 he
was nominated to be chief justice of
the Court of Appeals, and was elected
| by majority exceeding 10000. The
previous year the State have given the
| Republican Presidential candidate
| plurality of 212,000 The election of
Judge Parker the following year in
volved a reversal in pluralities of 272,-
| 600. 1t is explained by those who
seek explanations on the ground that,
through a blunder of Republican
management, Judge Werner, his op-
ponent, was deprived of votes he
otherwise would have had. This is
speculation, however, and the fact
remains that the State of New York,
which in 1896 went Republican for
Mckinley by 212, 900, went Democratic
for Parker by 10000 in 1897.
Urged For the Governorship.
1t is insisted that in 1891 powerful
| leaders offered the nomination for
Governor to Judge Parker and that he
declined. That he was urged by cer-
tain leaders to permit the use of his
name is no doubt true and that he
respectfully declined is no doubt as
true. But it is also true that those
who urged him to this course could
! no more guarantee his nomination
| than they could his election. The ur-
gency was only made by certain lead
erS to serve their own ends and
strengthen their own positions before
the party. In fact, there had been
change of control. A com bination
| between the elements represented by
| Edward Murphy, Jr., and Richard
Croker had been made and the control
wrested from David B. Hill. That
combination controlled a majority of
| the delegates and was from the first
affirmatively for Roswell p. Flower.
The campaign for delegates had been
a vigorous one and on the Murphy
Croker side Waged on the means fur
nished by Flower. Judge Parker ap-
preciated the situation and would be
no party to an undignified scramble
for delegates when party sentiment
was not calling for his nomination.
| In 1902, however, there was such
a demand within his party for his
nomination as Governor as was never
made before in it's history. Had he
said one word indicative of his will
ingness to accept such nomination at
any period of the campaign up to
| the moment of nomination, no other
4 no,1oo would I,auo baar heard in thP