The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-24

After much hesitation and several false
starts it is now evident that the conserva-
tive Democrats in this State will unite on
Judge Parker. of New York. as their choice
for President. The imminence of the Hearst
boom makes it necessary for them to unite
on somebody. and Judge Parker seems To
be the most available candidate. because
he is acceptable to Tammany, and David
b. Hill is managing his campaign.
Western Democrats who are looking for
some person to head off Hearst have been
made to believe that Judge Parker is
great vote getter and particularly strong in
New York. If this were true he would be
the man they looking after. for they
will need every possible adventurous aid in
the coming campaign. But it is not true.
Personally, Judge Parker is cold and
austere man of judicial temperament and
devoid of personal ma gnetism attractive
qualities. He is not an orator and could
not stump the country by telegraph. as Ben
jamin Harrison did by his inimitable and
unapproachable speeches to visiting dele
cations in 1883, nor fire the popular heart as
Mckinley did by his rear-platform speeches
But how about his record as vote getter
in New York?
In 1896 the Republicans carried New York
by 26S,O00 and the next year Judge Parker
was elected judge of the Court of Appeals
by nearly $1,000 majority. On their face
these figures seem to indicate great personal
popularity, or vote-gettng ability. but they
are subject to qualification. In 1897, when
Judge Parker was elected by the handsome
majority above named. Seth Low headed
the Citizens Union ticket for mayor in
Greater New York and there was no candi-
date for judge of the Court of Appeals on
that ticket. Judge Parker's name was on
the regular Democratic ticket in Greater
New York. on the reform Democratic ticket
in Brooklyn with Seth Low for mayor, and
also on the anti-Tammany ticket in New
York county with Mr.. Low. In short. he
had very little opposition for judge of the
Court of Appeals in New York city or coun-
ty. From the way party lines were drawn
and the tickets made up in that election,
it is evident that Judge Parker received
many thousands of Republican votes in
Greater New York. This was not because
of his personal popularity, but because his
name, besides being on the regular Demo-
cratic ticket was two tickets which car
ried the name of Seth Low for mayor.
But a more remarkable showing regard
ing Judge Parkers vote-getting qualities
appears in the fact that he ran behind his
ticket in ffty-one counties of the State.
The only other State candidates voted for
in 1897 besides judge of the Court of APP
peals were members of the Legislature, and
in fifty-one of the fifty-iive counties above
the Harlem bridge Judge Parker ran be-
hind the Democratic candidate for the Leg
islature. In one county he ran 22S votes
behind the candidate for the Legislature on
the same ticket, in another county 335 votes
behind, in another "a votes. in another IA
votes, and so on. Altogether. outside of
Greater New York. he ran nearly 5000
votes behind his party ticket. He owed his
election to the extraordinary combination
of circumstances in his favor in Greater
New York
David Il. Hill has organized literary bu-
reau at Albany, which is booming Judge
Parker for the nomination the ground
of his extreme popularity. The claim is
| groundless. 1t may do to fool Democrat Is
with but ii need not scare Republicans
Judge Parker may be very good man to
beat Hearst with, but when it came to run
ming against Theodore Roosevelt he would
nor no danoerous