Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-08-04
DEMOCRATS HITTING PARKER.

Nobody ever before saw such queer
support for presidential candidate
as is some OF that which Is being ex-
tended to Alton B. Parker by Demo
cratic newspapers and politicians.
Hearsts New York American warns
Parker that Belmont, one OF the props
of the judge in the st. Louis conven-
ton, Is a typical Wall street and rae
ing man." and, "as the agent OF the
Rothschilds. ii was his business 10
United States bonds as far below
their actual value as possible" That
paper calls McCarren, VINO is also Il
Parker boomer, another gambling.
race track man, but OF lower stripe
than Belmont. who. as the American
says, played the role in the New Yotn
legislature OF n true advocate; and
was universally recognized at Albany
as the spokesman and agent OF the
gas trust. the sugar trust and any
other trust wanting advice and assist
ance" The same paper makes a saw
age attack on Bourke Cochrane on
somewhat similar lines, and on Law
son. another OF Parkers present
chums.
William Il. Hearst promised, before
the st. Louis convention took place.
that he would support the candidate
to be nominated here. This is the
sort OF support that he is giving Par
10 h.,
men who are at the head OF his clique
are the kind of men who repel in
stead of attract popular confidence.
No direct attack Is made upon Parker
by the Hearst papers. but the attitude
OF condescension and contempt which
culated to take more votes away from
him than any direct assault by them
could do. But some Democratic pa
pers OF a higher class than any ui
Hearsts are expressing very serious
distrust of Parker. The Democratic
Chicago Chronicle, for example, came
out against Parker just after the ST.
Louis convention, and came over to
Roosevelt. 1t Is now assailing Parker
and the Democracy as vigorously as
are any of the old-time Republican
newspapers. Other Democratic jour
mails in various parts OF the country
are following the Chronicles lead
The number of prominent Democratic
workers who are abandoning Parker
and the Democracy is too large to be
enumerated. One OF the most recent
OF these departures from the De
mocracy Is that of Oscar S. Straus OF
New York, well known gold Demo
crat. a writer of note on political sub
1ects. and minister to Turkey under
Cleveland.
This abandonment of the Democ-
racy by many of its old.time stall
wart supporters is decidedly signfi-
cant. Nor Is the hegira due to any
one cause. Mr.. Straus says that IA
party which cannot unite, or which
has not the wisdom or the courage to
unite, In putting IA sound money plank
In It's platform. is not sufficiently re-
to be intrusted with pow
err" This is the same view that the
demn the Democrats for dodging the
money issue. Both see that Parker's
course In keeping silent on the money
Issue until after he had secured the
was cowardice, and ought
10 be punished. On the other hand,
Parker is losing supporters In the
West because of his leaning. or
assumed leaning. toward gold. Thus
he Democracy is being deserted by
gold men and silver men. When the
Wings deserted their candi-
late. Gen. Scott, in 1852, because they
hought he leaned too far against
'layery, and when the northern Wings
lbandoned him because his platform
eaned too far in the other direction,
he country thought that that luck
ess nominee was in very bad fortune
Assailed in both sections for opposite, !
easons. he carried only four states
'ermont, Massachusetts, Kentucky
md Tennessee-in the country, all
he rest going to Pierce. his Demo-
ratio antagonist. Poor Parker Is be-
ng hit In the same way for the op-
'osite sort of things. Parker will car
y more states in 1904 than Scott got
Ialf century ago, but tho chaces are
hat the majority against him in
he electoral college. Will be big
'nough to give 1904 a. prominent nlace
lmong the tidal wave years OF the
history.