The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-10-08
MODEST JUDGE PARKER.
His Letter of Acceptance Assumes a
Monopoly of Honesty.


Monopoly of Honesty.
No one can read Judge Alton B. Park
>er's. letter of acceptance without being
struck with it's temerity and Self-suns-
cheney in making an issue Of atlmnistr:-
tive honesty between the Republican and
Democratic parties. Evidently this
progeny Of David E. Hill and Tannany
Hall is one Of those rare men "who can
hear the Decalogue and feel he self-re-
proach.'' Written primarily for Demo
cratic consumption this letter presnmcs
that members Of his party possess mon
opoly of the qualities of honesty, sinceri-
ty and economy necessary to run gov
eminent without corruption, crookedneSs
and extravaganza.
So far as Judge Parker is willing to
admit the Republican party of this gem
GRAFTON included but one honest polltl-
clan, and he is dead. With ostentations
recognition of the axiom de mortus nal
nisi bonum, it recalls and garDles Il pass
age from the last address Of our mar
tyred President. William Mckinley,
who had won the affection OF his conn
trymen,' in order to convey the impress
sion that with his demise all that WAS
honest and trustworthy had passed ONT
of the Republican party. This from the
candidate who was discovered ana
groomed for the presidential race by Da-
vid B. Hill, William II. Sheehan and Pat
rick II. McCarren, argues colossal I'M
prudence or an ignorance of the Slt'Iail"'
so dense as to be almost beyond belief
How Judge Parker harps upon this IS
sue Of honesty may be judged from surh
passages as these:
Among these GSsues) are tariff re-
form, imperialism, economical ahminis-
tra1ion and HONESTY in the public ser
vice.
"Whethcr the purpose Of the bin Ito
reclaim arid lands) will be fully accom-
plished must depend in large mea
independence and HONESTY of the Off
GERS Of the Interior Department having
his great work in charge. The
magnitude Of the conception and the
enormous expense it's carrying out in
wolves makes MS realize the Overwhelming
Importance Of a broad, capable and
HONEST administration Of the work
authorized by the statute.
Both (he army and navy, however,
have suffered from persistent injection Of
personal and political influence. Promo
lions and appointments have been fire.
Quently based on favoritism instead OF
merit Trials and courts-martial have
been set aside under circumstances ind.
eating political interference.
"a return to the constitutional princi-
pies, frugal expenses and administrative
PURITY of the founders Of the republic
is the first and most imperious duty OF
the times-the commanding issue now
before the people of the Union Quoted
from a Democratic platform of 1876 as
expressing the demand Of the people in
1902
The postal frauds, in which the guilty
raScals were exposed, tried and convict
ed, are made the excuse for the nnSup-
ported assertion that "a widespread i'm
preston exists that a thorough invcStiSa~
ton may discover other cases of miSfeas-
ance.' 1t would be interesting to know
whether Judge Parker conjurcd this IN
founded impression up out Of the ''vasty
Deep Of his own unfamiliarity with pub
lie affairs or had it thrust upon him by
the INSCRIPTIONS cock of Wolfert's
Roost.
lie charges a 'Violation Of national
SOOu lHlCl Ill the uloLLOuS Dy WIlcu Lut
executive acquired the Panama canal
route and rights" without one iota Of evil
dence to support the assertion, which is
an indictment not only Of the executive
but of the American people, as the votes
ratifying the treaty and apprOpriating
the money to clinch the ''violation of ma
tional good faith" were practically unani
nous.
The entire letter invites a comparison
of the honesty. courage and adlninlstra~
tive capacity of IT'S author and his party
with President Roosevelt and his party.
Fame has already taken the measure Of
Theodore Roosevelts qualities. No one
has ever questioned Judge Parker's hon
esty, but whether he possesses high civic
courage and administrative capacity no
one knows.
AS between the two parties such a
comparison would be odious to the party.
which to-day rests its entire hopes OF
success upon the favor Of Tammany
Hall. Investigation and punishment OF
crime has been the position of the Repnb-
lican party; the attitude Of the Democ-
racy to crimes committed under its rule
has too often been illustrated in the in
sOlent and brutal question Of Boss
Tweed, what are you going to do about
it:''