Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-11-01
Character Sketch Of The Democratic
Standard Bearer.
ALTON BROOKS PARKER'S CAREER
Descended From Farmers and Pat.
riots, Judge Parker While
Ma ntaining High Ia
rcer on the Bench
HAS lung to
His arm.

His father, his grandfather before
him, and theirs before them, were |
farmers, honest men VINO lived their !
lives on their farms, cultivating the |
soil, raising crops and cattle. His
grandfather, John Parker, passed /
from the old homestead in Massachu- |
sets and bought farm in Cortland
County, New York, i'll 1903; and here |
was born John Parker, and on May II, !
1852, Alton Brooks Parker, the DEM |
ocratic candidate for President. Love |
of the soil, of crops, of cattle, of pure
air and clear well water are Unborn
traits of this sterling American citi-
zen.
One day John Parker, who was a
man of studious habits. widely and
deeply read and gifted with rare mem
DRY for the best passages in the works
of best authors was summoned to do
jury duty in Cortland. He took Alton
with him. The boy was so greatly
impressed with the proceedings that
he determined to become Il lawyer.
Overcoming by diligence, persistency
and ability all obstacles, he not only
became a lawyer, but was elected by
81 .OCO majority Chief Judge of the
Court of Appeals, the greatest gilt III
the legal profession that can be be-
slowed by the people c. the Empire
State.
AS soon as circumstances permitted
the Judge bought himself farm at
Esopus, N Y. Here he began raising
his now famous herd of Red Polls,
hornless cattle good in the dairy and
i'll beef.
In the fine old house he has great
library. Out of doors Alton Brooks
Parker is the farmer who seeks to win
from nature every gift sought by the
husbandman; in his library the same,
rugged, hearty man seeks i'll volumes
OF yellow calf parallels and precedents
to guide him in his decisions. And so,
by reason of his dual occupations, his
many friends call him the Farmer
Judge.
MEN AND THE CONSTITUTION.
To every man who loves his country
"a country made great and powerful
by virtue of institutions rooted in the
Constitution, guarded and shielded by
the Constitutional is pleasing, nay,
inspiring, to behold in this age OF
wealth and corrupt political and tinan-
cial organization, a man of simple ORR
gin, removed from every favorable
condition save those of honest and in
duStriouS parentage, so battle all oD-
stacles and so rise in the esteem, affec-
ton and admiration of men that he
be called upon to resign Virtually Il
life position, the most commanding at
the bar of his or any other State, TO
become the standard bearer of one OF
the great political parties. And when
it is borne in mind that the great
grandfather of Alton Brooks Parker
was one of those farmers who left his
farm when the War of the Reyolu-
tion broke out to shoulder musket,
that by the work done by these en-
battled farmers i. erty and independ-
ence was won for all Americans, and
that the Constitution was the direct
outcome of the self-sacrifice, heroism,
patriotism and blood OF those farmers,
it is not to be wondered at that Alton
Brooks Parker, the great-grandson, is
now engaged i'll the battle to preserve
that Constitution from usurpation and
destruction. AS the eat-grandfatner
fought that liberty might be secured,
so the great-grandSOn fights that lib
erty may ever be preserved by the
Constitution.
What the Constitution has enabled
Alton Brooks Parker to become, so will
the undefiled Constitution enable al
other farmers sons to become in the
future years.
HIS EARLY STRUGGLES.
But what of those early days?
Young Parker was greatly i'll earn
est TO become a lawyer. His father
did not possess the means to educate
him thoroughly for the profession; not
withstanding, Alton perseyered in hi
purpose. He was graduated at TIT
Cortland Academy when sixteen year
of age, and on that very day he start
cd out 10 obtain n school to teach am
he obtained one in Virgil, thirteel
miles from his home. His first eXperi
ence as a teacher was extremely try
ing. Some of his pupils were neari.
as old and as large as he. More :hal
one conflict of authority was neces
sary before he could subdue and cor
troll his scholars. but this is the~en
he accomplished. The year followin
the young teacher obtained licenS
or degree from the normal school
his town, and through this credentis
secured a position in the county j
Wllcn ne now EeSlGeS, OlSlet Nouht.
n. Y. His salary was three dollar
per day, and the position was q
principal of the school, which gave hll
some leisure in which to study Law
and, in fact, so industrious and enc
getic was he that he held this pos
ton but year, wien he became twel
ty-one years of age and was read
10 be admitted 20 the bar, having no
supported himself for the five yea
just past.
AS soon as he was admitted to pra
tice he became the junior partner
the office of SchoonmIker & Harde
bergh. of Kingston, \. y. He had
strong friend in augustus Schoonma
er, who took an interest in him al
encouraged him to take course at Z
Albany Law School, The friendSh
between Sehoonmaker and Parker
came still closer. Youns Parker W
hardly partner in the firm when
took lively interest in the polite
fortunes of Shoemaker, who b
been county judge, but was defeat
for reelection, and was so discourag
by this that he was about to give
politics forever. Young Parker q
l,f,,, from, ,lafpo ca and no