Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-10-13
Parker AND LABOR.
JUDGE rARkER'S LAE0a RECORD
SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.
His Decisions Have Been Of lnsStimable
Value to the Cause OF Labor
Throughout the Union.


ident of the United States. he could
be safely trusted to uphold the interests
of labor rs against those who would
Cypress and degrade the American
wOrkiugman. His record on this sub"
| iect is clear aud straightforward
There is no duplicity about 1t; no
beating around the bush: no carrying
water on both Shoulders-the taNorite
method by which Mr., Roosevelt evades
personal responsibility, and seeks to
conciliate the trusts, while trying At
the same time ITO catch the labor
vote"
Judge Parker made his record on
the labor issue long before hr was
thought of for any other than judicial
office. Doubtless his sympathy with
labor and his keen sense of the rights
of those who have to toll for Il living
are rooted in the fact that from the
first he had to earn a living for him
self, and worked for years at humble
compensation while building up the
reputation which helped to raise him
to the highest judicial office in the
State of New York. In Republican
campaign literature it is stated of
Theodore Roosevelt, as something To
brag of. that The never needed to do
days work" This cannot be said of
Judge Parker. He is Il poor man to-
day. and from hoyhood he has had to
work for living. The Republican
boast that their party has nominated
for President man who never
needed to do days work" while the
Democrats have nominated man who
has always had to work TO maintain
himself and his family, illustrates the
difference between the parties as well
as the men; between the party OF
aristocracy and oligarchy, which has
named Roosevelt for head of the Ma
tion and the party,of liberty and equal
ity, with Parker for standard bearer.
Roosevelt, the ariStocrat, who Il Re
publican campaign document says,
never needed to do a days work." is
never able to speak of workingmen
without Il sheer, as when he said IN
his book, Ranch Life" that they
cowboys are much better fellows and
plcaSanter companions than small
farmers or agricultural laborerS; nor
are the mechanics and workmcn of Il
great city to be mentioned i'll the same
breath"
How different the tone which runs
through the numerous decisions of
Judge Parker in cases before him af-
fecting the rights of labor-the rights
of his fellow citizens, whom, unlike
Roosevelt, he does not regard as in
feriorS, but as equals in every respect
to himself!
Labor, i'll the State of New York
and in the United States, owes large
debt TO the broad-minded decisions of
Judge Parker, who has steadfastly re-
fused to be swayed or warped from
his consistent maintenance of every
measure tending to secure to the work
ngman the rights of which men of the
Roosevelt stamp who, as boosted in
Republican campaign literature, never
needed to do a days work, would like
to deprive him. But for this attitude
of Judge Parker, as Il member and
Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals,
laws intended to promote the interests
of labor would have become dead let |
tiers, and the workingman striving to
better his condition with the aid of
wholesome legislation, would have |
been at grave disadvantage.
1t is not necessary, therefore, to |
guess at Judge Parkers course toward |
labor, should he be elected President.
1t is also certain that with his
strong regard for the Constitution, and |
the rights which it guarantees TO every |
citizen, Judge Parker, as President, |
would not be inactive, as Roosevelt |
has been, while the Republican Coy
ernor of Colorado, or any other State, |
used the military, at the will of I'M |
scrupulous employers, TO deprive citi- |
ZenS of their constitutional rights, and |
to dcpOrt them from their places of |
residence. Roosevelt has by silence |
and inaCtion tolerated these ontrageS |
and given encouragement to Republi- |
can Governor Peabody and Republican |
militia General Bell, of Colorado, TO |
persist in their course of violence, OPP |
preston and persecution Of labor al |
though his sworn obligation as Presi |
dent leaves no doubt Of his duty 10 in |
terfcre. With Parker in the Presi |
dental chair Peabody and Bell would !
never have dared to depOrt miners |
from the State because they belonged !
to labor union.
Judge Parker's vigorous advocacy of !
the rights and dignity of labor is IL |
Illustrated in his whole judicial career
In strong dissenting opinion, case
of Rodgers v Coler, 1866 \. Y. ], Judge |
Parker argued in defense Of the right |
of the Legislature to require that pre- |
vailing wages lie paid to those en- |
ployed upon State and municipal work !
Never has a Judge used language clear |
er, or more direct and earnest than !
Judge Parker used in this case. which |
in great State like New York. paving |
out in the behalf Of the state and it's |
municipal divisions millions of dollars |
yearly to workingmen, was Of the ut. |
most Importance and value to labor |
throughout the Union.
The New York State law providing |
that all stone used in State and mn
nicipal works, except paving blocks |
and crushed stone. shah be worked !
dressed and carved within the State,
Judge Parker took the side Of labor
and delivered an opinion in favor Of !
the law. which was needed to prevent |