Middletown transcript., 1904-10-08
MIDDLETowN, DEL, OCT. 8, 1904.
JUDGE PARKER,s BACKBONE

uQSo Hdfkef mas gone Odli
for his party, not only on the
gold standard, but on all other
issues on which Democratic
majority in Congress would mean
danger. No one would take the
Democratic party with NJ r.
Bryan or any other man stand
ing on the Democratic platform
unanimously adopted atSt. Louis.
Everybody admits, Democrats as
we'll as Republicans, that there
is no safety in Democratic sue
cess unless the Democratic can
didate can control his party after
he is elected.
"Can Judge Parker What is
the strength of his backbone :?
Can he stand up against party
pressure and resist a majority
in his own party when there is
"politics" in it F? He can stand
by his principles when every
newspaper that he reads tells
him that he must act or be beaten
before he begins to run. The
"gold telegram" to st. Louis
shows that. "Politics" was all
for the telegram. 1t took cour-
age, but it was paying kind of
courage.
"How about the pressure Of
ordinary vote-making politics ?
What is Parker's backbone under
that? His declaration for ser
vice pension shows what? 1t
proves the man pliable. No one
believes that Judge Parker is
personally for service pension.
He is a consistent Democrat. His
party has always opposed a SER
vice pension. 1t was not SO
much as mentioned in the st.
Louis platform. 1t could not
have been adopted in the St.
Louis convention. By his ira
ditions, his training, his princi-
pies, his personal temperament
and the drift, texture and logic
of his mind, Judge Parker was,
in the nature Of things, opposed
to a service pension.
"But when the political pres
sure Of a political exigency came
Judge Parker yielded. He was
in a tight place. President
Roosevelt challenged him to say
he would revoke the pension
order. He had TO say something
and the only thing he could say
was that he would revoke it.
eff he had stopped there it
would have been an act of cour-
age. But he did not stop there.
He went on. He said:-
"But l go further and say that
that being done, I will contribute
my effort toward the enactment |
of a law to be passed by both
House of Congress and approved
by the Executive that will give
an age pension without reference
to disability to the surviving
heroes of the Civil War
"This is not much of a promise.
A President can contribute my
effort, if he does nothing more
than make recommendation in
his first message and then drop
the matter. But, as it stands,
this promise is made for votes.
No one thinks it anything else.
It is a promise made contrary to
all Judge Parker's general, per-
sonal and party record.
''In it he yields to political
pressure. He comedies what |
party exigency seems to demand.
The measure of the strength of |
his backbone is clear. When |
need comes and votes must be
won it gives. His backbone
would be no stronger at the |
White House. Judge Parker |
would yield to political pressure
and party demands there as he.
has in this case. If he cannot
control his own utterances when
he is seeking the presidency he
could not control his party if he
were elected. 1t would rule him.
He would not rule his party.
What the Democratic majority
in Congress did he would accept.
If he resisted it would only be,
as in this case, a step to more
complete surrender. He would
again ssgo further. Phila Press.
a COMPROMISE
"'rhe proposition made public