Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-07-15
The ST. Louis Nominees.

Probably nothing will be more
interesting to our readers than a brief
biography Of the two men Just now
posing SO prominently in the public
eye as candidates of the Democratic
party for President and Vice President
OF the United States-Judge Alton b.
Parker, of New York, and Henry
Gassaway Davis, of West Virginia.
The Judge might have been better
known to the people had lie not so
modestly hid his light (politicaD under
bushel, and Mr.. Davis would proba-
bly, have been better known had there
been the slightest indication that the
lightning's flash could be diverted
from our own George Turner, whose
political rod had been giving forth
such brilliant spray of sparks denot.
ing that he was in the electric field.
Our people seem to think that it
would have been good politics" to
have nominated Mr.. Turner, and thus
kept up the political equipoise; to
have conciliated the Hearst followers,
as we'll as the many personal admirers
of ex-senator Turner, whose marked
individuality ha. made him many
friends over the middle and far West.
Be that as it may, here are your
candidates, fellow Democrats:
THE NOMINEE FOR PRESIDENT.
Judge Parker was born on the 14th dav
of May 1852. in Cortland county, New
York. Judge Parker's grandfather was
an officer in the continental army during
the Revolution, and after that struggle
settled where the present Judge and his
to the district school, working on the
farm outside of school hours. lie was
anxious to obtain an education and at the
age of II obtained position as a school
teacher at NapanOch, Ulster county, his
object being to earn money enough to
complete his education.
At Napanoch he met Mary l.. Schoon-
maker, the daughter Of Augustus Schoon-
maker, one Of the prominent LAWYERS in
that part of the state, who gave the young
pedagogue position as clerk and general
utility man in his office. From this clerk
ship he went to Albany to attend the lee
lures at the Albany Law School, gradu-
ating from that institution in 1872, and
being admitted to the bar during the
same year. President Mckinley attended
the same school. graduating i'm 1867. After
his admission TO the bar Parker went To
Kingston and opened an office. soon az
forwards marrying Miss Schoonmaker.
the daughter of his legal preceptor There
| were two children of the marriage, a son
who died in infancy, and daughter. who
is the wife Of Rev. Charles Mercer Hall.
an Episcopal clergyman at Kingston.
Five years after his admission to the
bar Judge Parker was elected Surrogate.
or Probate Judge of Ulster county and i'm
1883 was reelected for a second term, In
| 1884 he was delegate to the National
Democratic Convention at Chicago. and
he was offered the position OF First AS
sistant Postmaster General by President
Cleveland, but declined the appointment.
| He became member OF the Democratic
State Committee and was the chairman OF
| the Executive committee when David b.
Hill, who succeeded to the Governorship
upon Mr., Cleveland's election to the
Presidency, was elected Governor in
1885. Governor Hill appointed him to fiji
] q vacancy on the supreme Court bench in
/ the Third judicial district of New York
upon the death of Justice Westbrook of
| Kingston, and he was at the next election
elected for the full term of fourteen years.
He then abandoned active politics for
judicial work, but in 1897 WAS nominated
for Chief Judge of the New Y ork Court of
| Appeals and elected by plurality of GO,
OOO. His term does not expire until 1911
but he will resign.
Mr.. Parker is farmer as we'll as a law
yer and Judge. He owns and cultivates a
| farm Of several hundred acres at Esonus
| Tho west hank nf Il
he resides and spends most of his time
when not actively engaged with his ju-
dicial duties as Chief Justice of the Court
of Appeals at Albany.
The judge is said to be both scientific
and practical in his farming Operations.
1t Is his aim to secure the largest crops
| possible from the land and is us,aIiy
| much more successful in doing so than
| his neighbors. He has the reputation of
being himself willing worker, too. and
IL not above working with his employees
when occasion demands. DAYS of work
| Oh the farm are followed by nights in the
| library, for Judge Parker is a close stu.
dent and In his colonial mansion has a
great library which for size rivals that
once owned by Samuel j. Tilden, a states
man, Dy the way, Tor whom Judge Parker
always had great admiration.
| THE NOMINEE FOR VICE PRESIDENT.
| Henry Gassaway Davis, the nominee
|
in 1923; received q limited education: in
1913 became q brakeman on the Balti.
more and Ohio Railroad; was soon adj
yanced to higher positions on the road
settled in West Virginia; in 1858 become
President OF q bank; in 1865 was elected
to the Legislature; in 1868 was q delegate
to the Democratic National Convention
in same year was elected to the State
Senate; reelected in 1910; was elected =
Senator in Congress from West Virgi mia
for term ending 1877, serving on the com
mlttees on Appropriations and Agricul
ture; was reelected for the term ending
in 1888. He was a delegate to the Pan
American Congress; In 1880 became q
member of the International Railway
Commission. He has been connected
with many railroad enterprises and i.
Presi dent of the West Virginia, Contra
and Pittsburg and the Piedmont and
Cumberland Railroads. He married, in
1883, Kate A., daughter of Gideon Buntz
of Frederick, Md, and has a family o.
five grown children, one of whom is wife
OF Hon. stephen b. Elkins. delegate tc
the 4Sd and 44th Congress from New
Mexico.