Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1904-10-13
4 sTATEsMAN's LETTER

4 SThTESMhN'S LETTER
Judge Parker's Political Greed
Will Bear Scrutiny.
ABLE AND COURAGEOUS DOCUMENT
TaFt1 Reform. Imperialism, Econoln-
teal Administrations ard Honesty
In the Public Service the Prc-cni-
nent Issues.
The New York World, commenting
on Judge Parker's letter of acceptance.
says in part:
Both President Roosevelt aud Judge
Parker in the intervals between their
speeches aud their letters Of accept
ance have gained in clcarness, con-
fdence and force The difference is that
this increased vigor has carried Mr..
Roosevelt into reckless swashbuckling,
while it has taken Mr.. Parker just far
enough to free him from the charge of
undue caution and leave him standing
est public policy.
Mr.. Roosevelt's letter consisted large
~ Of ''dares" to the Democrats. we
have done tlis-do you dare to undo
it," I'VE intend to do that-do you
dare to DO anything different?' The
president evidently believed that the
mere statement of the issues in this
form would scare all the fight out of
his opponents. But Mr.. Parker has
quietly accepted the challenges.
"1f our opponents come into power
they can revoke the pension order,"
shouts Mr.. Roosevelt. will they au-
thoritatively state that they intend to
do this?''
"1f elected" responds Mr.. Parker, Il
will revoke that order.''
No shutting, no eQuivocation, here.
But the candidate adds that when the
law has been thus vindicated he will
try to secure the passage Of an act
under the provisions Of which pen
sion may be accepted with dignity be-
cause of the consciousness that it
comes as just due from the people
through their chosen representatives
and not as largess distributed by the
chief executive"
Judge Parker emphasizes his adher-
ence to the gold standard by declaring
his unqualified BELIEF in it, not mere
~ his acceptance Of it as an accom-
plished fact. Then, Diminishing the
money question as not in dispute, he
finds four pre-eminent issues-tariff re-
form, Imperialism, economical admin
istration and honesty in the public
service.
The tariff policy urged by the Demo-
cratic candidate is one not of revolu-
ation. but Of gradual reduction. Mr..
Parker shows that it was not expected
even by the trainers of the Dingley
tariff that its extravagant rates would
be maintained, but that they We're i'm
posed for the avowed purpose ''of fur
nishing basis for reduction by means
Of reciprocal trade treaties Such
treaties, he adds, "the Republican I'D.
ministration implicitly at least prom
Used to negotiate" That is an exam
pie Of Judge Parker's remarkable, al
most excessive, moderation of state
ment. There was nothing implied
about the Republican promise of new
reciprocity treaties. Nothing could
have been more explicit or more en-
phatic.
President Roosevelt insists that the
tariff has no connection with trusts.
Mr.. Parker meets him squarely with
the assertion that excessive duties
shave been and will continue to be IL
direct incentive to the formation of
huge industrial combinations, which.
secure from foreign competition, are
enabled to stifle domestic competition
and practically to monopolize the home
market
AS against the trusts the Democratic
candidate has three remedies to Mr..
Roosevelt's one. He agrees with the
president in favoring further legisla-
ton IL needed, but he believes that op-
pressive combinations can also be
reached through the tariff and through
the common law. And in support of
the last proposition, which President
Roosevelt has denied on the ground
that there is no federal common law,
he cites judgment Of the United
States supreme court deciding that
common law principles can be applied
by the federal courts in cases involving
interstate commerce in the absence of
appropriate statutes.
In his discussion Of Imperialism
Judge Parker again exhibits that ex-
traordinary moderation Of which we
have spoken. He says that the power
of the president has developed from
year to year until it almost equals that
of mary monarchs." Almost! There
are very. few monarchs whose power
can compare with that exercised even
by constitutional president There is
hardly one sovereign of civilized
/ nnv,nfrp xvho oyorfo tho v,QrSOn01 0rhi.