New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-03
QUESTIONS FOR PARKER.
HOWARD PYLE ASKS THEN
attacks on the President and COrtel
you Resented.
fEr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE

tET TELEGRAPH TO THE ThiBbNE.J
Wilmington. Del. Nov. Howard Pyle, the
we'll known author and artist. has addressed the
following letter to Judge Parker:
Hon. Alton B. Parker.
Dear Sir: 1 am of that class of skilled
artisans who depend upon the work or thelE
large class, and it goes far to make up that pody
of independent voters concerning whom so much
is said at election time.
Now it is very necessary for us who have the
real work of life to do that the administration
of national affairs should be run upon business
principles. For if the country Itself is not
prosperous from a business point of view, 1t is
clear that of the working class cannot De
prosperous as individuals. So when we vote for
q candidate. or when we vote for party; we
apt to inquire, quite outside OF party INES
whether that candidate or party is properly
equipped to administer the affairs of a nation
to rule a commonwealth wisely. ABOVE all
things we feel that when vote for President
we should vote for we'll balanced man VINO can
successfully conduct the enormous business IN
cident to national executive.
Now in your speech on October 81. before a
great audience at Madison Square Garden, in
New-York City. you gave utterance to most
astonishing accusation against the present ad-
ministration. What you said In effect was this:
That the President of the United States had
created a Department of Commerce and Labor
and appointed a private agent as secretary OF
that department. so that he might possess him
self of the business secrets of corporate indus
tries You then further insinuated that the
President made the same private agent chair
Of the Republican National Committee, so
that he, the agent might levy blackmaH upon
those trusts and corporations with the conn.,
vance of the President.
This, l take IT, is the gist of your accusation,
stripped of its clothing Of rhetoric, and it is
very grave charge for any man to make against
another-far more for plain citizen to make
against the President of the United States.
So far a calm observer can see, there does
not appear to be any ground for such charge,
and | ask you, not a private citizen or
Presidential candidate, but as man TO man.
what would be your j. lgment in a legal case
that brought before bench in which
one man publicly accused another of blackmail,
Dasing his accusation only upon the ground of
malicious talk and partisan gossip? believe.
sir even as private citizen, that have right
10 ask you that question, and to ask it in such
an open letter as this For the man you accuse
Il President. and he is my President as we'll as
yours.
No one will pretend to accuse you of DELHI
crate and malicious falsehood, for every man be-
leves you to be an honorable gentleman. But
great many plain thinking like myself will
feel that your prejudice has outrun your tudg
nent. and has led you to make a cruel and ex
tFaVagant accusatlon against political oppo-
nent This believe. will not recommend you
to the independent voters of the nation as
man Of calm and deliberate Judgment. Both
President Roosevelt and Mr.. CortelyOu are hon
oFable men, and people OF common sense know
that honorable men in real life do not lay
ming plans for months ahead for the purpose Of
levying backmail upon rich corporations. Nor
Is II easy for practical workman like myself,
to believe that the President of the nation could
be so lost TO the commonest sense of decency as
to create a department of state for no other
purpose than to possess himSen CT the business
secrets of industrial enterprises.
You must surely know that the Department
of Commerce and Labor was created, not as q
secret bureau Of information. but to meet GER
tain industrial conditions that have arisen in
the last decade. AS for Mr.. Cortelyou's cOnnec-
ton with that department. every man who has
ever employed another man to help him with
his work knows very well that he was appointed
to the Secretaryship, not because he was the WILL
ing tool of a blackmailer, but because the Presi-
dent had found him to be energetic and eff
Client in his duties Finally, any reasonable
man knows that Mr.. Cortelyou was made chair
man of the Republican National Committee, not
because of his rascality, but because of his sup
posed ability as an organizer. And, sir, ii must
be acknowledged that the President was as wise
IN this selection he probably was In the
other; for it is generally conceded that Mr. Cor
telyou has managed to convert the Democratic
prestige that appeared to belong 10 the early
days following your nomination into an &C
knowledged defeat OF the Democratic candidate
before Election Day has arrived.
The fact Is that the accusation which you and
your party make against the President and his
advisers has no real existence in fact. Indus
trial enterprises have contributed to the Re
publican campaign fund because they mstrust
your business qualifications You have simply
allowed your imagination to run away with
your Judgment. In so doing you have lost the
confidence of many. and have injured. not your
opponents but yourself; for you will find that
YOU have only confirmed the opinion of great
many plain thinking men that you and your
party alike are not equipped for the position to
which you aspire.
II is not likely that your speech will az all in
lure your chances. for you appear to be already
a beaten candidate. II is extremely likely. how
ever. that you will find, when the independent
vote of your State comes to be cast, that your
New-York speech will have tipped the beam
against you, and that the great commonwealth,
which now hangs In the balance. will be lost to
the Democratic party. Very truly yours.
HOWARD PYLE.