Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-03
PERSONAL COMMAND
Judge Parker Now at the
Democratic Helm.
CANVASS STIFFENED
SITUATION IN NEW YORK INTER
ESTING AND COMPLICATED.
Democrats More Heartened by the Key
note of Harmony, but Roosevelt
Will Have the State.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star
NEW YORK, October 2. 1904.
The New York situation is fulfilling the
| promise of being interesting and also COM
| plicated. After so many weeks of the
petty gossip of the troubles at the demo-
| cratic national headquarters it is an I'M
| disguised relief to find that the democratic
| campaign at last has been started. The
| chickering's are Still going on there, but re-
publicans ceased to discuss them fort
| night ago, and democrats who were going
1 to vote their party ticket had lost some
| of their concern.
| Judge Parker is in personal command and
| is giving further evidence that he is an ex-
| pert political manager. 1t is just as well
| known that Judge D. Cady Herrick, the
| democratic candidate for governor, is also
| keen campaigner. With these two men
as candidates, ambitious politicians are be-
| ginning to look to the New York bench as
the best training school for mastering the
party machinery.
Herrick's Nomination Of Benefit.
| Every one knew that at some stage the
| democratic canvass would be stiffened.
| That always happens, but I'm bound to say
| that the nominat ton of Herrfck for gov
| ernor, whether accidental or carefully
| manipulated, has been of unusual benefit TO
| the democratic national ticket. 1t helped
| to get the party in motion at the right
| time.
| Democrats say that Judge Parker's letter
| of acceptance has been help to them.
| After few days reflection / found repub-
| leans conceded that the judge, by showing
| some spunk, had given little life to his
| canvass, and might receive many votes
| throughout the country as Bryan did. in
| politics all things are comparative, and by
comparison with the judges tiresome
speech of acceptance and his f1abby ad-
| dress to the democratic editors, his letter
| is a gain for his party. The democrats
| don't remember what is in it, but by turn
ing to the text they feel that they will find
! something in 1t. Hence they are more
| brisk In their talk about the issues.
Chairman Cortelyou's Plans.
All this had been anticipated by the quiet
| self-contained man who is at the head of
! the republican campaign. During the period
of democratic uncertainty Chairman Cortel-
you went quietly forward with his plans
| closing up the weak points and strengthen
| ing the organization for the final week of
| the canvass. The view at republican head
! quarters is philosophical one. 1t takes
| note of what the other party is doing but
| Keeps steadily in the path marked out for
! itself There would be the less reason to
| change this course since nothing which has
| happened in the last ten days has altered
| the reasons for believing that President
| Roosevelt will carry New York state. The
| new element is the doubt as to the effect of
| state issues and the campaign for the gov
ernorship. In other words the question now
I is how far President Roosevelt by his own
| prestige will be able to help the republican
| candidates for state offices.
Harmony Judge Parker's Keynote.
Recurring to the national campaign and
/ re he a
Parker in taking personal command has
| shown he believes in Cancellation and he
wants votes whether they are of gold demo-
| Gratis, free silver Bryanites, or widowed
| socialists. Harmony is the keynote which
he lmpresses on his followers. If the dis
| tnctly Bryan factiOnists have a compact
| organization of 1900 voters as has been
Gained, the judge does not hold the opinion
| that his gold standard candidacy will he
| strengthened by driving them into revolt
II stead he seeks to coax them within the
| fold, where they can iced on husks and he
| patted on the back
1t is SO well known that the New York
| canvass is to be shaped chiefly with
| view to the effect On other states that this
| Phase OF 1t hardly needs more than
! paragraph. In another Letter 1 shall have
occasion to note wherein this plan is weak,
| but for the present it answers party pur-
| pose. one OF the democratic newspaper
| editors whose journal has been quite Sc
| we're in its criticisms of the campaign man.
agement asked me if the simultaneous ac-
| ton OF several newspapers in telling how
the democratic prospects in New York
were Frightening would not be sure to
| hearten the democrats In Indiana and
| West Virginia. 1t would have that effect
! If the democrats of Indiana and West Vir-
gfn1a believed all that is printed for their
| benefit, but the greater effect will be the
| funds which Chairman Taggart takes to
| Indiana and the amount of Henry G. Davis
contribution In West Virginia.
| Another feature of the New York "a nva &c
| is the prompt temperance of David b.
/ Hill after his magnanimous self-effacement
| at Albany, When he nominated his old-time
| foe, Judge Herrick. Mr.. Hill is still very
meek, but his grip on the campaign man.
| agement, both state and national has not
been loosened Strategically he scored
point in diverting attention from himself
and getting an issue raised against Govern
| or Odell.
| Attacks on Gov. Odell.
| No one yet can tell the full result of the
| state canvass on the national campaign,
4 but no republican is foolish enough to pre-
tend that the democrats did not gain an
| advantage My own notion is that the
| yirulent attacks on Governor Odell will run
! their course within the next two or three
| weeks, and by The latter part of October
! the campaign will be moving in the usual
| groove; that is, the choice between the
| candidates and the issues of the two op-
| posing parties. Whether 1t was wise for
| the governor to remain in office after he
! became chairman of the republican state
| committee is not now an open question.
| The attacks made on him render it impos-
sible for him to resign either position. When
/ Senator Platt was displaced as leader Gov
ernor Odell assumed the full responsibility
| OF carrying New York for the republican
state and national tickets.
| I was told today that when Mr.. Higgins
| makes public his letter accepting the re-
| publican nomination for governor 1t will be
shown that he is not figurehead and the
| state campaign will take a definite shape.
! It Is one of the anomalies of the present
| situation that Higgins. who has credit
| able public career and who is unexception-
| able as a man and as a citizen. is meeting
! the opposition Of some republicans who see
i nothing wrong in the machine influences
! which made Herrick the democratic candf-
| date ard which will control In case he Is
| elected governor. But this undeniably Is
l the fact. Set over against 1t IL the attitude
of District Attorney Jerome and others who
decline to commit Themselves to what they