The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-07-21
THE PARTY is NOT SAFE.

Judge Alton B. Parker is undoubt-
eddy reasonably conservative man,
one quite different from Bryan, or
Atltgeld. or Hearst. In that respect
he can be trusted by the voters, and
should he be elected President, it is
not in his personal lack of conserva-
tism that he would be feared He is
without executive experience and
would undoubtedly make mistakes If
let alone, but probably not so many as
with his advisers.
A fountain can be no nearer pure
than is its source. A pirate captain
cannot be other than pirate himself.
II he attempts to reform, he will be
knitted and find himself no longer
captain. Judge Parker can be classed
as safe and sane'' for President
only in so far as the party behind
him is safe and sane." 1t would be
nonsense to claim that, with even the
most perfect intentions and most wise
Judgment, he could make the Demo-
cratic party other than it is today.
He might make some trifiing improve
ments, but as for any such reform as
would be required to clean it from the
faint of radicslism, and recreate
1t, make it a wholesome political
body, he would be helpless.
The Democratic party is still the
same party that it has been for half a
century. The same radicalism, the
same socialism, the same sentiments
almost akin to anarchy, are rife in
the party. An effort has been made
TO cover up some of the manifesto
tions of these dangerous elements but
they are still there. They are to be
seen in the platform, in the declara.
tions of many of the Democratic
speakers, in the very names of many
of the still influential Democrats.
Bryan's wing of the party can never
be other than radical. The Democ.
racy of his style will never be safe
and sane. The part of Democracy
that D. B. Hill will control may be
sane, but never safe, for it means
corrupt politics. He is in politics
for what he can get, regardless Of
what he has to do. He may have
lost direct control of Judge Parker,
but he has not lost control Of New
York politics, and the idea that
Parker can get along without Hill, at
present is all wrong. Parker can.
not reform his party. He is better
than the average of it's leaders but
he cannot lift the party up; he will
have to sink to it's level in order to
accomplish anything.
The Globe and Commercial Adver.
tiser thus speaks on this matter:
But although Judge Parker is
entitled to full credit for his manli.
ness, and although it be freely con-
ceded that he has amended his plat
form, and although he has shaken off
Hillism, a discriminating public can
not shut it's eyes to the fact that the
party behind him is still far from
being either sane or safe. 1t is still
a semi -socialisttic organization which
evinces strong desire to run amuck.
1t may have separated itself from
further advocacy Of free silver, but
Organism in other respects still per-
meates it. Judge Parker has been
able to clean but one stall OF it's
Augean stables; and it is in view Of
this fact rather than of Judge Park
er's personality that the vast major
ity of ballots will be cast this fall"
The party that gave a circus exhi-
bition in st. Louis and called it a
convention, that dare not declare for
sound money, that so constructed
many of the plsnks in it's platform
hat they have double meanings, that
has record for lack of common sense,
pannot be considered safe and sane
oven though its candidate in sense
pc SO.