Middletown transcript., 1904-10-08
"HE WONT DO"
By J. 8. Henry

! WASHINGTON, OcT. 2.-They have al
expression in New York which is applied
to man who has been weighed in pub
lie opinion and found wanting.
They sa' he won't do"
This expression is now in common use
when Judge Alton B. Parker's fitness
for the presidency is discussed. The
verdict has been coming from all sections
OF the country, and it can be summed up
in three words, "He won't do"
Republican leaders and friends of the
Administration Eere have had week to
observe the effect of Judge Parker's let
ter OF acceptance. While Democratic or
gans have praised it in stereotyped phrase
as cable and statesmanlike" the practical
Democratic campaign managers of the
party have found it utterly deficient as
political textbook or creator of enthus-
lasm. Reports received here from nearly
every section of the country, rejecting
public judgemet, are to the effect that
the letter makes more pronounced than
ever Judge Parker's limitations in state
manship and in the knowledge requisite
In Chief Executor of the nation.
Lacking in Candor
One OF the severe criticisms made of
Judge Parker's letter is lack of canidor,
Its quibbles and indeiniteness. Demo-
cratic politics complain that not one of
the subjects dealt with has been handled
in such way as to stand the test of dis
cussion and investigation. One of his
main points was his criticism of Repub-
lican "extravagance." 1t did not require
weeks study of the letter to convince
even members of his own party that he
had not been frank in his comparison of |
expenditures under Democratic and Re-
publican administrations. He only took |
the expenditures of Mr.. CleveIand's first |
year in office. He did not take the whole
of his administration.
The official figures show that during
Cleveland's first administration, when
there was the check of Republican SEN
ate upon him, the total expenditures
we're 81 ,052, ,000, 900, or an increase over
The preceding Republican administra-
ion of $25, 100000. In Cleveland's Sec
md administration, when he had a
Democratic Senate at his back, the total
expenditures were 81, AL 900, 900, or an
Increase of $3.50, 100000 over his first ad-
and $6O,0OO,OO0 over the
harrison administration, which immed-
ately preceded it. His misapplication
1 President McKinley's Buffalo address
n reciprocity and his garble quotations
rom it, as exposed in ''The Press" are
egarded here as little short of pettifogg-
,g and utterly unworthy of an aspirant !,
'r the presidency.
The Common Law Question
Judge Parker's intended reply to r
resident Roosevelt's denial that the )
ommon law applied to the prosecution !
trusts was a quibble. If he has the ;,
gal knowledge that is attributed to him a
knew that the common law only ap- r
lies as between individuals in suits ;.
bere>there is no statutory provision of 9,
le United States Government. His ad-
erence to the theory that common law h
oplies is interpreted as meaning that he
Is no faith in the antitrust statutes and :,
in harmony with the minority judges n
the merger decision. ~
AS analyzed by lawyers of standing,
ID as Senator Knox SO brilliantly set it n
It, Candidate Parker's assertion, if hon. n,
!, reveals an ignorance of the principles r
the United States Federal law, and =. =.
at he is in accord with ex-senator Hills &c
ank in the New York State Democratic al
itform Of last April, that trust matters pa
odld be relegated to the State courts Gi
'ording to the advice given by Presi- w
Mt Cleveland i'll his last presidential
'ssage to Congress. m'
The Pension Order
A weeks discussion of Judge Parker,s gu
atment OF pension order No. 78 en- th'
aslzes the fact that he did not have the VIC
irage to declare it unconstitutional, wiz
by implication tried to create the i'm re.
'sslon that it was. He refrained from liz
ing into account that Congress indor- wa
the propriety and the legality of this VII
Ter oy an act appropriating money to cor
ry it into effect. eo'
The analysis of Judge Parker's Philip tm
e policy, as set forth in his letter, EN-
ich have been made bere reveal the ioil
ne nebulous and indeterminate condi- 49,
q of mind that he was in when be first Cav
kled. the subject, and when in his pos
ear Milburn" letter he tried to explain 00C
idess of 'self-government' and "in- req
'endence" and disclosed his ignorance ;.e
he organic law of Cuba by saying that il'
Philippines should be free from the ane
luence of outside Powers, just as Cuba owe
ha