Bisbee daily review., 1904-04-07
THE MAN MOST
 TALKED ABOUT.

Since Judge Parker seems to be making such headway, and is being so prominently talked about for the pres idency on the Democratic ticket. the Republicans show a disposition to speak of him as the Great Unknown. As against the present occupant of the White House, the greater part Of the Democracy seem disposed to vote for any eligible man who can receive the endorsement of two-thirds of the representatives of the party in the Ma tional convention. Judge Parker is not altogether so unknown as the fol- lowers of the Terrible of the White House would endeavor to have the people believe. He has been in pub lie life for many years, although not in a position to attract the attention of the politicians in all parts of the coun- try. His public career has been de- voted to the law, and principally to the judicial arm of it, in his presiding over the highest court of the Empire State. He has had several oppor- tuniies to accept high governmental offices, and which would have carried him into greater prominence before the country, and where the emolu- ments of office would have been to his financial benefit, but these he has en- phatically declined.
 Judge Alton B. Parker was born in Ulster county, New York, in 1851, 50 that he is ffty-three years old, fair medium between our younger and old CT presidents. He taught school for a time, studied law, was graduated at .h Albany Law School, and was ad mitted to practice in 1872. He drift ed into politics, and first held office as clerk of the Ulster County Board of Supervisors Soon afterward he rep resented his county in an important suit, which he won, receiving fee of $3,600, which was regarded as wind fall for so young 8 lawyer. In 1877, though his party was in minority, he consented to take a nomination for Surrogate, a judicial office, and. though the rest of his ticket was defezted, he pulled through. in 1883 he was re- elected. When MT. Cleveland became presicent he offered Judge Parker a position as First Assistant Postmaster General, with salary of s5,000. AL though he was receiving only 5000 as Surrogate he declined the offer He also declined a proposition to nominate him for lieutenant governor. h the fall of 1885 he was chairman of the Democratic Executive Committee in the State campaign, and won decis- i've victory. In December of that year he was appointed Judge of the Supreme Court, which is not, however, in New York, the court of last resort. h 1886 he was elected to this position without opposition. In the year 1892 he became a Judge of the General Term, an appellate division of the court, and later of the Appellate di- vision. which succeeded the General Term on the reorganization of the court. h 1897 he was elected Chief Jucge of the Court of Appeals, the highest State Court, by a majority of e0,00e votes, though in the previous year the state had given a Republican majority of more than a quarter of a million.
 Judge Parker's tendency is to hold private litigants to the strict letter of their contracts, and to refrain from relying upon general principles of poll cy to nuliify legislative enactments. That this tendency Illustrates the true