New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-15
4 "HERO'S" PROMpTERS.

4 "HERO'S" PROMPTERS.
Some Of our esteemed contemporaries are in
danger of doing themselves great injustice in
the zeal with which they magnifying the
valor of their chosen hero. They are uttering
resouHding dithyrambs upon Judge Parker's
bold initiative, his calmly heroic act which
was 80 bold in conception" and which "burst
so startlingly upon the country" his ''act of
splendid Remuneration" which called for Eek
traordinary courage" But they seem strangely
forgetful of the men behind the pens, who sug-
gested and urged and prompted-not 10 say
prodded, though it really seemed like lt-lnelf
candidate TO do that very thing. Just recall Tor
a moment the things they said TO him ana about
him just before the curtain was dropped ana
this real man appeared above the American
horizon" Said The New-YOrk Evening Post
on Friday, July s:
on anything but affirmation OF the gold
standard. Judge Parker cannot stand. Short OF
it, the PARTY has not a CLEAN of hope before it
Again, on Saturday, July 8, little before
Judge Parker sent his dispatch TO Mr. Sheehan,
The Evening Post" declared:
Let there be no mistake about the effect of
what has been done unless Judge Parker shows
a high quality OF manhood and leadership at
this juncture. If Judge Parker is not
the man 10 show this stern quality of the states
man unafraid, the campaign both for him ana
his party ends before it begins
1t may be that Judge Parker did not see this
latter utterance before he sent his dispatch
But. having made that utterance, why should
..The Evening Post have been startled" at
Judge Parkers bold conception" when he did
only what it had suggested and demanded he
should do? How could his act have burst
startlingly upon the country" when at least the
whole vast constituency of The NeW-1 ork
Evening Post" had been told in advance that
that was what he ought to do and must do:
Still more marked were the prOmptingS of The
New-York Times" After repeatedly demanding
for several days positive recognition of the
gold standard in the Democratic platform, it
said on Saturday morning, July 3:
on Bryans platform Judge Parker will never
be elected He must make his own, and he
must maze it promptly. If he would stay the
tide OF detection. By casting out the platform
declaration recognizing the gold standard the
Democrats at st. Louis have in effect reaftirmed
the platforms of Chicago and Kansas CITY.
The blunder can be amended. so far as II is
amendable at all, only by the candidate. He
must at once declare. sound money Democrats
will demand that he declare, that the goid
monetary standard is permanent and no longer
open to question We do not say that by such
a declaration Judge Parker can avert DEFEAT
we fear it is too late for that. But he
will save his personal reputation.
In other words reduced to the phrases Of 1.-The
man in the street. if Judge Parker didn't
want 10 be beaten out of his boots and to be
personally disgraced before the country, lie
must do something right away, quick! FER
hans that was sound advice. But then when
Judge Parker. after due deliberations followed
that advice, why should our esteemed contem-
porary wax so eloquent over his 'act of splen-
did remuneration" and his extraordinary cour-
age? Does it require extraordinary courage
for a man TO do the only thing that can save
him from defeat? Is it an 'act of splendid re
nuncatiOn" for a man to save his personal
reputation? Nor is that all. The New-Aork
World" went a little further and told Judge Par
ker not only what he should do but how he
should do it. On Friday, July s. if said:
Ten words from Judge Parker to the chairman
Of the New-York delegation Will insure the
adoption of a resolution that Will make the
platform safe and sound.
But he did not say those words, and the plat
form remains absolutely as it was. The con-
vention has merely told him his gold dispatch
made no difference, since that wasn't an issue
The platform stands, with the party on It; and
that platform, instead of being safe and sound,
lodges gold leaves the silver lunacies Of the
platforms OF 1896 and 1900 still the official law
of the party, declares for a revenue tariff, etc,
etc.
From THE New-York World" Of July IL we
learn, however. that this suggestion TO Judge
Parker about requiring changes IN the platform
was telegraphed to EsOpus, and was laid before
him by The World correspondent on Saturday
morning, three hours before his dispatch was
sent TO Mr. Sheehan, and that he read ii care
fully and thoughtfuly. and afterward went to
the telegraph office and sent his dispatch. We
shall not emulate the Judgment Of Paris" by
trying to decide which of the three papers we
have quoted did most to influence Judge Par
ker's action. But we really must say that, ac-
cording TO their own advance estimates of it,
they now seem to be greatly overratng his
merit in taking it. and greatly undertaking
their own share in directing him into the right
way and in screwing his courage TO the sticking
DOint.