New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-06
SPEECH CAUSES ANGUISH.
HOURS SPENT OYER 1T.
NicoU, Sheehan and Parker Szeeat
Blood an Its Production.

Alton b Parker Delaney Nicoll and Will
lam f. Sheehan had a nerve racking experience
yesterday afternoon and early last evening at
the Hotel Seville in framing Judge Parker's re-
ply to President Roosevet's frank and fearless
statement calling them to account for circulate
ing slanderous stories about him and Chairman
Cortelyou. When they got through with the
speech the room looked like a waste paper junk
shop. The speech went through the wringer
three times and that accounts in part for its
limp condition.
Messrs Sheehan and Nicoll had, it learned
last night, tried to have the Judge include in
his reply to President Roosevelts statement a
reported affidavit from John d. Crimmins set
ling forth that he had been asked for cam
paign subscription. This seems to have been the
concrete instance" referred TO by of the
Parker organs. Mr. Crimmins was Mckinley
man in 1886 and 1900. and probably if he
asked for money to help the Republican cause IT
was on the assumption that he was ready once
more to support the Mckinley idea.
Nh. Crimrnins is vice-president of the City
Trust Company. d banking corporation-not a
trust-and this fact was to have served the pur
pose of fooling the public into believing that the
Republicans had been trying to coerce the
trusts"
Senator McCarren and Herman A Metz
reached the Seville at o'clock and waited for
the judge to join them and go to the Kings
County Democracy reception The Senator wait
ed half an hour The speech was going through
its refining process, and il proved to be of
fractory ore. Finally Mr.. McCarren joined the
trust busters on the eighth floor and lent his
valuable assistance. Then it was decided that
il would not be "dignifed' for the Democratic
candidate for President to bring forward an
affidavit tending to prove his contention.
The affidavit scheme was dropped forthwith
oaT1aF
best to disclaim any intention OF critcising the
President
Judge Parker and MS friends came down
stairs at s O'Clock. snatched hurried meal and
then hurried across the Bridge. The speech
was left with Arthur McCausand. the judges
secretary. who went to work making copies for
the newspapers. Two Of his stenographers got
tired and quit work leaving him with only one
machine operator.
Meanwhile the late editions of the Parker
evening papers went the limit in advertising
what the judges Brooklyn speech would con-
tain. One paper said that he might tell the
name of one trust that had contributed 81 0O0-
900 to the Republican campaign fund
This amusing TO the Republicans who
have understood right along that the total ex-
penditures of the campaign this year amount to
less than SlOOU,OOO. while the Democrats have
spent three times this sum
Another interesting thing brought out yester-
day was the fact that several trusts whose
presidents have been in the habit of spending
thousands Of dollars for lobbying in the inter
ests Of legislation at Washington and Albany.
tried TO get Chairman Cortelyou to accent Lib
eral contributions. and were turned down. nv
him. The Democrats welcomed these Darticulsr
trusts with open arms.
IF the Judge had not taken the lead In CON
veying the impression among Democrats that
the President and Chairman CorteIvou we're
practising practical backmail the feeling against
him would not have been intense. Nearly all
of his speeches last al he
He swung the campaign away from early issues
and laid nearly entire stress on the so-called
'CortelyoU scandal When he failed last night
In his Brooklyn speech To meet the Presidents
challenge in any way, after inviting it, there
vas widespread feeling Of disgust. Demo-
cratic hopes reached the zero mark last night