The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-08-04
THE CANDIDATE or THE PARTY


as a Presidential candidate There
has been no disposition to withhold
whatever measure of personal credit
was due him for either the manliness
or the shrewdness of his telegram TO
the Democratic convention. There
were three distinct facts back of the
act which must inevitably affect any
cool and dispassionate judgment
upon it, and which might have been
instantly pressed with greater force
but they have not been crowded home
with any persistency.
The first fact is that Judge Parker
had twice voted for Mr.. Bryan on
the free silver issue. He had thus as 4
citizen gone as far as he could to es.
tablish the silver standard. Tens of
thousands of patriots and High mind
ed Democrats had refused toacquiesce
in that folly and peril and had joined
not one of them. 1t is inconceivable
that he could have believed in the
Bryan madness, and the only conclu-
sion is that even behind the veil and
ermine of the bench he preferred TO
preserve his party regularity rather
than unite in hating its dangerous
wrong.
The second fact is that Judge Par
ker had been made candidate for
the Presidency on a silent money pro-
gram. The New York State Demo
cratic Convention was held in April.
That convention formally presented
his candidacy. Its platform was pre-
pared under his immediate direction,
and was universally understood to
embody the treatment of public ques-
tions on which he wished his candi-
dacy to rest. That platform, which
was, so to speak, his prospectus, was
as silent on the money question as
the national platform. Yet for three
months Judge Parker stood on it as
his special creed while his friends
were busy gathering delegates, and
he felt no necessity to speak.
The third fact is that, which the
act Of the platform committee in ex-
punging the money plank by vote
OF 80 to 10 was taken at ) o'clock on
the morning of July s, and was known
all over the country during the fore
noon of that day, Judge Parker did
not send his telegram till "a hours
later. Meanwhile all of the great
Democratic papers of New York which
fall under his eye had treated. the de-
termination of silence as political
suicide and as destroying any posi-.
bic chance that the nominee of the
convention might make even u respec-
table fight. 1t was in the light of
that situation-30 hours after the sui
eide of the committee, IS hours after
the suicide of the convention, not less
than four or five hours after the ques-
ton of the suicide of the candidate
was raised-that Judge Parker reach
ed his commendable determination at
least not to commit suicide and
despatched his message.
We say that all of these facts might
be urged with great cogency as bear
ing on the character of Judge Parker's
course from the beginning, but we
repeat that there has been no inclina-
ton to detract from the personal
merit of his decision to extricate him
self from what was confessedly fatal
situation. If it indicated manliness
to speak when he had so long remain
ed silent, if it indicated shrewdness to
find a way out of difficulty, that was
certainly far better than paralysis in
the face of fatality. But we are
not inclined unduly to disparage or
unduly to magnify this individual
act because it does not change the
fundamental fact that it is the Demo
cratic purpose, tendency and capacity
for government which is on trial.
If Judge Parker was elected he
would not control the Democratic
party, but the Democratic party
would control him. In 1896 and 1900
he made it plain that he would rather
be regular than right. Regularity
was his ruling note. Even his boosted
telegram does not contravene this
principle. His nomination having
been fixed without inextricable con-
fusion, he telegraphs the convention
that he believes the gold standard
settled and that the convention ought
to know his view in order that, if not
acceptable, might make another NOM
nation. He would still be regular.
The convention answers that the
money standard not being a present
issue, he is at liberty to believe ABOUT
it as he pleases. What is ther here
beyond a declaration on the one side
that it is not now pending? What if
with Democratic success it were un-
settled who would control-the regu-
lar Parker or the regular party.