New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-13
{ FOOLISH CONFIDENTIAL Friend.


There was transmitted on Monday evening
/ from Esopus and generally published on Tues
day morning a statement prepared by "a friend
of Judge Parker. entirely in his confidence"
which deliberately. and We might say lahori-
ously rehearscd Judge Parker's reasons for as
Stunning until after the ST Louis platform had
been adopted. his nomination secured and the
final business Of the convention reached that
there was no need of declaring his financial
views. Judge Parker was convinced" says his
confidential friend. that his attitude on the
monetary question was fully understood" If
some other confidential friend Of the Demo
cratic candidate is anxious TO render him
valuable service he should not hesitate to ad-
wise him to let that subject rest. To protest
too much is proyerbally dangerous.
What basis was there for full understand
ing that Judge Parker regarded the gold stand
ard irrevocaby established and would act
accordingly if elected? SO far AS is publicly
known, he had never said q word done a
thing prior to the sending of his beatrd tele
gram 10 the convention which revealed or even
suggested his present financial position. On the
other hand, he had done various things which
infallibly indicated his sympathy with the oppo-
site creed and policy. He had twice voted as
he took pains TO declare. for William !. Bryan
on a free silver platform. For almost three
months he had stood contentedly on the plat
form of his own Democratic State convention.
which The Evening Post says he revised and
attested, without an intimadon that he disap-
proved of Hills using its utter silence on the
money question to allay the distrust of silver
Democrats and secure their support for Judge
Parker a st Louis.
To pretend that Judge Parker did not know
what Hill doing would be preposterous
as 10 assume that he was ignorant of Hills
character. No man living is better acquainted
with that cunning schemer-has more thorough
II explored every recess of his dishonest mind
While Judge Parker was still young man and
free to choose the political leaders and asso-
ciates to whom he might look for preferment
he consented TO manage Hills first campaign
for Governor. and was rewarded with ap
pointment to the Supreme Court bench. In due
time he became Hills candidate for chief judge
of the Court Of Appeals. Two years ago. with
out protest on his part, Hill assumed charge
of his interests at the State convention which
had a nomination for Governor to make The
moment the search for q Democratic Presiden-
tial candidate began Hill took complete pos
session of the Parker canvass, and, having
managed il precisely as he pleased. he went
TO st. Louis as the Parker agent with creden-
tals which nobody dreamed of disputing.
To the end Hill played his game with all his
accustomed duplicity and more than his ac-
Cuslpultu sLLSNuuSSS. ny var eu representa-
tons suited TO different requirements he had
secured in advance the support of more than
half the delegates for his silent candidate, whose
actions had naturally been speaking louder than
words in many ears. Then by consenting to a
platform without financial plank, by person
ally assuring anxious inquirers that Judge Par
ker was perfectly willing to leave the issues
10 the wisdom of the convention and by putting
up Littleton TO nominate him as a man who
does not believe that policies should be die
tated," and whose policy "will he that policy
which finds expression in tie platform of his
party" he secured the ado" nal votes neces-
sary to make twothirdS and give Judge Parker
the nomination.
Such is the history known to all men. Of the
way in which Judge Parker's preliminary can
vasS was conducted and OF the intrigue, attested
by the records of the convention, which sue
ceeded at st. Louis. In the face OF facts the
man who makes a long argument to show that
Judge Parker could not have agined that his
financial position was not fully understood as
being what he now announces it to be, though
a confidential, is assuredly foolish, friend of
the candidate.