Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-05
HEART|LYCOMMENDEO
Presidents Reply to Parker
Meets Republican Approval.
MANY CONGRATULATE
TELEGRAMS RECEIVED FROM
MANY QUARTERS.
Generally Felt That the Democratic
Candidate Must Present Something
to Back His Charges.
lis up to Judge Parker. 9"

| IT'S up to Judge Parker
That's the opinion of every visitor who
| has been to the White House today. There
were naturally not many visitors because
nearly every prominent politician is IN hts
| own home working for his ticket. But a
| number of men dropped in on the President
during the day. These included Secretary
| Hay, Postmaster General Wynne, ex-Sena-
tor Cameron of Pennsylvania. Gen. John e.
Black of the civil service commiss Oh. n.
| A Mcseiy, secretary of the interstate COM
merce commission; Justice Peele of the
| Court of Claims, Col. Wallace and Chaplain
| Pierce of the 18th Cavalry and L. A
| Pradt, assistant attorney general OF the
| Department OF Justice. They did not tax
| TO the President about the statement is
sued by him last night, but nearly all OF
| them had their opinions as to the effect the
statement would have the political
| situation.
THE statement of the President is a
masterpiece of vigorous, personal and po-
litical defense, and will strengthen him with
| the voters of the country" was the asser-
tlon OF a prominent man at the White
| House. About the same view was taken
by practically every republican.
| Its up to Parker, was the comment
| heard on every side, and republicans did
not believe that Judge Parker would be able
| to make good" In fact. they were con-
| fident that the ringing declaration of the
President was made upon the certain
| knowledge that nothing could be said by
the democratic candidate I'm the way of a
reJoinder that would disprove anything that
| had been I'D.
The overwhelming belief was that the
| President had characteristically acted at
| the right minute and just i'm the right way
! Anything less than the vigor he DISPLAYED
would not have suited the character of the
| charges h1V hoe Il. H..
cratic nominee. To have waited longer
would have been to render possible the
| charge of taking advantage of Judge Par
ker by making a statement too near elec-
uon day to give him chance to reply In
stead OF doing that the President acted so
as TO give his opponent time to prove his
Gharges II he could do so. In fact the
| IN the time for his rejoinder.
Many Messages Of Congratulations.
kilograms and letters of congratulation
| have been reaching the President all day.
all telling him that he had once again
| shown the kind of stuff of which he is
made, and that his statement would add
thousands of votes to the immense majority
he would receive. The feeling was strong
that Judge Parker would be unable to do
anything except to reiterate the general
charge that the trusts are contributing TO
the republican campaign fund and that
they are not doing so for their health's
Presidents q
friends know that the democratic nominee
Will have to swallow and tone down much
of his fnsinuation that the President Sc
iected Coitelyou for national chairman be-
cause OF his knowledge of trust secrets
Messages are said to have reached tine
White House today to the effect that DEM
ocrats in all parts of the country are ad-
hitting that if Judge Parker cannot come
up to the mark that is expected in his re-
| joinder tonight he will lose many thou
sands OF votes. especially in New York.
where the sense of fairness of the inde-
| pendent voters will be called into play for
| the republican nominee.
There could be no better evidence of the
popularity OF the move of the President
| than in the kilograms that are reaching
| him. Several telegraph operators have
done nothing all day but take messages of
commendation and cheer from men high
and low in the political scale of the world
He has been assured that no political blum
der was made in his action. although he
cares little for that phase of the question
SO long as he has defended from calumny
and insinuation his integrity and honesty
which ne had never thought il would re
necessary TO do.
Discussed With Friends.
1t has been known for many days at the
White House that the President did not
relish having to remain quiet under the
charges of Judge Parker. AS these charges
grew bolder and more fragrant in their ma
ture, the President consulted his friends
and advisers freely, and they finally agreed
with him that his statement was the proper
and commendable thing. and expressed the
belief that the American people would la clx
him in his action Three DAYS ago there
was an intention to permit James r. Gar
field, commissioner of corporations to
make statement showing that the bureau
has not collected facts that could be used
in blackmailing corpora tions as alleged
This intention was changed, and then the
suggestion was offered that Chairman Cor
telyou be permitted to make a statement
The President decided that no answer from
Mr.. Cortelyou would receive the same at
tention as one from himself, and he de-
sired to rid himself for all time to come of
the insinuations that have been made
Secretary Morton's View.
The Presidents statement met with uni
versal approval among republicans not
only at the White House, but throughout
the city. The vigorous language used by
Mr.. Roosevelt was generally thought to fit
the occasion perfectly. Nothing else II is
declared, would have been a sufficient reply
to charges that, If true, would brand the
President as unfit for the high office he
holds.
Secretary Morton, young enthusiastic an
admirer of the Presidents personality and
defender of his official acts, heartily ap-
proves Mr.. Roosevelt's course. In fact it
was Mr.. Morton who first suggested to
President Roosevelt that he should reply
to Judge Parkers accusations. And now
that the statement has been made and is
before the public for judgment. Mr. Nor
ton is firmly convinced that nothing but
good can come of what he terms President
Roosevelt's straight from the shoulder
letter The Secretary said this morning. in
discussing the matter:
II certainly approve most heartily the
course taken by President Roosevelt I'm re-
plying in the manner he did to Judge Par
ker's accusations against himself and
Chairman Cortelyou of the national COM
mittee. / think the Presidents statement
covers the whole question raised by Judge
Parker and it covers II in his usual sim
cere vigorous ar d determined way"
An Insult to Intelligence.
high official of the administration. who
is very close to the President, remarked
this morning: THE democratic candidate
must make good tonight IL he does not
wish to be entirely discredited. along with
his accusations against President Roose-
welt and Chairman Cortelyou. Personally
1t is my opinion that the charges made by