River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-08-25
Parker and Purity.

ed sections in the high pedestal Of
purity upon which the Wall street
stock gamblers enthroned Alton B.
Parker as ''the only man who can
defeat Theodore Roosevelt" in the
pending Presidential race. The
money power does not like Presi-
dent Roosevelt, because it cannot
coutrol him. For this reason it set
tied upon a judicial officer as its
Presidential candidate in the hope
that his alleged eminent respectable
ty as Judge would successfully ap-
peal to the voters of the country
Throughout the pre-convention
campaign Judge Parker kept his
halo of purity shining resplendently,
absolutely refusing to stoop SO low
as to express political conviction
upon any subject.
But alas for the frailty of human
nature. The gold Democrats of the
east sent gold plank to be framed
into the St. Louis platform. After
a vigorous struggle of sixteen hours,
Bryan succeeded in convincing the
convention that the gold plank was
altogether too rotten for platform
timber. At this, three or four of the
big New York dailies threatened to
bolt the ticket, unless the candidate
nominated should take an unequivo-
cal stand in favor of the gold stand
ard already adopted by the Republi-
can party. Then it was that Judge
Parker suddenly threw off the yoke
of reticence and jumped down into
the so-called political mire with both
feet. His nomination was the result
of as bold political trick as was ev
er played, and he as a politician
fastened in an effort to placate the
gold Democrats who waxed wroth
over Bryan's success in kicking
aside their gold plank.
1t has been the proud boast of
Parker's friends that he is not a
trucking politician, but the facts do
not sustain such boast. In the AL
bany convention, held for the pur-
pose of electing delegates to the St.
Louis convention, the Parker men
were in absolute control, and utterly
ignored all claims for recognition set
up by the Tammany wing of the
party. The Tammany tiger growl-
ed, and awaited further develop
ments. He had to wait but a short
time. The Parker men, flushed by
success at St. Louis, commenced
their preparations for debating the
state ticket in New York. The
Tammany chieftain, conscious of his
power, in unmistakable terms, gave
the Hill gang to understand that if
they persisted in their evident pur-
pose to ignore Tammany the Demo-
Gratis must carry New York without
the aid of Tammany, if they carry it
at all. A Tammany bolt would
blast the hope of Democratic success
in New York, and when such bolt
was threatened, Parker "truckled"
with the zest and skill of profess
sional politician who was never cloth
ed in judicial ermine. The Tamma-
nv boss was invited to confer with
Parker, and the fact that the result
of the conference was entirely salts
factory to Mr.. Murphy is convinc-
| ING evidence that the sstrooly good
iurist who heads the Democratic ma
tional ticket is not above "truckling
to Tammany. We do not speak OF
this in protest, but simply "mention
it in passing" as illustrating the fact
that with all the virtues attributed to
Mr.. Parker he is much the same as
other politicians when it comes to
fixing up things in the interest of q
political party whose success means
the advancement of the fellow who
does the "fxing up"