New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-12
PRICE THREE CENTS.
THE PARKER TELEGRAM.
STORY 4 FRIEND TELLS.
Shechan Reaches Esopus- Judge to
Resign Soon.
tBY -ELsGEAru TO THE rn1srxr.I

ESopUs, y, Y July 1I.-From a friend ot
Chief Judge Parker, entirely in his confldence.
a statement cf the history of the sending Of the
famous telegram to William +. Sheeaan was Oh
tanned by a Tribune reporter to-day = tells os
the circumstances that led up 10 the message
being sent.
When Chief Judge Parker badc farewell -
his friends on their way 10 St Louis" his friend
said. he neither asked nor Insisted any PLANK
appearing in the platform lie regarded the con
vention a fight between the radical and con-
servative elements in the Democratic party.
and his nomination could only come together
with a triumph OF the conservative wing. He
believed that the fight al ST Louis clear
cut and decisive, and that he could not be named
except by the complete overthrow OF the silver
radical element No thought OF a compromise
of a shifting evasion ever came into his
head.
Judge Parker was convinced that his attitude
on the monetary question fully understood.
He voted for Bryan twice. but never for n single
instant shared the silver heresy- Regarding the
issue between the two wings of the party
clear he made request for any plank. When
on Friday night reporter showed him a tele-
graph dispatch announcing that the platform
COMMITTEES was considering the issue. he received
his first intimation that a compromise was even
possibility. Then this merely sus-
gestion. Neither Hill. Belmont nor Sheehan sent
him the slightest warning of the action while
1T was pending after it agreed upon
The reason. or. rather. the excuse. for this lay
in the fact that the chief Judge had never IN
sisted any individual plank. for the reasons
aLCve cited.
AT FIRST MEANT TO BE SILENT.
Early Saturday morning fash bulletin in.
formed the chief Judge of his nomination But
he was still in the dark about the disappearance
of the gold plank. It was fully o'clock when
the newspapers reached Rosemount. conveying
the first definite information OF the ignominious
straddIe. For two hours the Judge sat buried
n the story of the betrayal there narrated.
amid the outburst OF editorial denunciation by
Democratic, Republican and independent papers
alike. But even when he was confronted with
the situation. which he recognized critical In
the extreme. the Democratic candidate did not
| Immediately decide on action He realized that
| Grover Cleveland had faced a similar situation
| and had remained silent for six weeks In 1892
| before he finally demolished the Democratic
| platform. and in his action the Judge found In
| stant precedent.
This you see after all he had at the outset
| resolved upon an attitude OF silence. He be-
| lieFed that it at once impregnable and the
only course consistent with judicial dignity. and
| long before his nomination even appar-
ent possibility this policy commended itself to
him. Thus II was that when he was suddenly
and without warning from his friends con-
! fronted Dy a critical situation his first inclna
tion was TO remain silent He had not sent any
message TO Hill or Friday. paper has
with other untruths disclosed. He didn't know
enough OF the ST. Louis situation at the time 70
do 1t. even If he had wanted to. and the story
OF the telegra ph messenger is pure invention
Half resolved to remain silent. following the
Cleveland precedent. the chief judge went out
for horseback ride at 10 o'clock on Saturday
morning 1t during this drive that the
situation suddenly dawred upon him in it's real
significance. 1t struck him that IL he remained
silent he would simply make trrefutable the
charge that Bryan had time and time again
reiterated. namely. that he had by his silence
tricked the party. that he had obtained the
nomination under false pretences and without
due regard 10 honor.
ABRUPTLY ENDS HIS RIDE.
- was when this idea struck him that Chief
Judge Parker abruptly ended his ride and gal
lo2ed post haste back to his house Not even
then did he consider the possibility OF asking the
acvice OF his friends in ST. Louis or elsewhere.
I am telling you the absolute truth when tell
YOU that the entire action was taken irrespec-
tfye of any advice and without any consultation.
tust as it was taken without any friendly warn
ing of the action OF the convention from, his
friends Within hour after he ar-t de-
cided to send message II was In the hands
Of the telegraph company.
The controlling thought IN the mind OF Chies
Judge Parker he sent it was that he must
az anv hazard avoid the charge that he had
obtained his nomination by hitch. and was
willing to get the nomination by holding his
peace despite the precedent Grover Cleveland
had given him. That is the history of the events
at Rose1nount between the time when Judge
Parker for the first time learned OF the action
Of the convention and the time he sent his tele-
graph dispatch
.sIt Ia naturally a matter of surprise. perhaps
even TO the judge. that his representatives az
St Louis did not instantly Inform him OF the
convention's action. but the judge is inclined 70
excuse this as due To his error in Judgment.
AZ he has said over and over again. he regarded
the convention as q straight fight. in which
Brva0ism or safe and sane Democracy must
triumph. and that only in the event of the vic
tory of the latter Cculi he be nominated That
HIS partv should adopt compromise platform
never for a single instant GawEed upon him. and
for such contingency ne made no preparation.
Technically. therefore. he has no complaint
against Hn1 Belmont or Sheehar for their
silence. whatever his personal View OF u may
be"
CHRONOLOGY OF THE MESSAGE.
TIE exact chronology OF the famous telegraph
dIspatch to the convention. is known here.
is as follows: The message was sent to New
York City from the Esopus station az noon. Is
reached ex-Lieutenant Governor SheehaE az s..
Louis at 30 p. m. AT j D. the Western
Union man at Esopus questioned Rosamouac
and asked Judge Parker if the message wac
authentic. telling him that = had been delsv-