New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-19
THE HILL CONTENTION.

THE HILL CONVENTION.
/ Chief Judge Parker, however blank his rec
! ord and mysterious his opinions on any known
/ subject outside the law, IS at any rate an up
/ right Judge and a gentleman esteemed by all
+ who know him. What must be the feelings Of
+ such a man over his adoption ms the favorite
son OF the New-York Democracy The tribute
is paid so gracefully and so tremendously The
. Democrats Of the nation see for him such
! spontaneous outpourlng of enthusiasm on the
4 part OF the free and Embossed people Of the
Empire State! The districts which roll up Dem
ocratic majorities were rutblessy ridden over
( by the discredited worker of successive Demo
cratic defeats, and the Parker boom was
launched. in spite OF Tammany protests, by dele
gates from Republican districts.
The lip service OF the Albany convention was
TO Parker. but its real work was done for Hill.
He once more comes up smiling cynicay rs
the real power OF New-YoTk politics reaching
out 10 establish his domination in the councils
OF the nation That has been bis long cherished
ambition. Ever since the failure of his snap"
/ convention scheme 10 secure a Presidential
nomination for himself in 1892 he has been
/ playing desperate games 10 further his own
personal interests. slyly knitting his party ticket
when his opponents were IN control Of the or
ganization Two years ago. when there was a
popular Democratic demand for Judge Pnr-
ker's nomination for Governor, with the idea
OF demonstrating his strength in the Empire
State and making him a strong Presidential
possibility, Hin sidetracked the movement and
put forward the ridiculous COler. He evidently
wanted no rival for the Presidency, but events
have so shaped themselves that even he must
see that his own chance is gone at the end
he rushes forward to pose as the Moses Of the
Parker hosts
n Judge Parker had been elected Governor.
he would be now a formidable candidate. He
certainly would have had a better chance than
Coler; and as Governor he might have shown
something Of his quality and Independence as
a statesman. Now be is known simply as
accident. lie was elected chief Judge by
"fuke" owing solely TO the division OF the Re
publicans OF this city in 1897 and the failure
OF thousands of them who had no wish TO elect
Judge Parker, but were determined not to
lose their votes for Mayor by any ticket split
ting, to vote for Judge Wallace. If the mere
carrying OF the State by a Democrat constitutes
him a Presidential possibility, then John Gun
neen Is a much stronger candidate than Judge
Parker. He actually won when all his fellows
on the State ticket were beaten, and he per-
haps. could gain the help of the Prohibitionists
OF the country for the Democratic ticket But
the personality Of the candidate, after all. does
not much matter The important thing is that
Hill is once more IN the saddle and riding over
all his old enemies. Judge Parkers name is as
good as any other for his purpose. especially
the Democrats ia Washington are making a
point Of running some qualities rather than q
personality for President A strong personality
like Roosevelt be # understood, is bad thing
and as undemOcratic .as Andrew Jackson!
Shades of Old Hickory What would he think
OF fixing on n candidate because he was inof-
fensive and had no known opinions? What
would be think OF the Democratic party Of the
greatest State Of the Union being controlled by
deal between a inancier like Mr.. Belmont
and political trimmer Ike Mr.. HILL who now
appears as the apostle Of conservatism after at
the last convention outbryaning Bryan with
his socialstic coal plank? 1t was curious
incidence that the same Mr.. Raines, of Roches-
fer, who two years ago. as chairman OF the
platform committee, projected that coal plank
for Hill upon a startled convention, yesterday,
as Hills temporary chairman, INDUCED in
norous periods about the Democracy's conserva-
tism and devotion 10 State rights. We are per-
fectly prepared 70 believe that Judge Parker
is a man Of principles, whatever they are but
it is evident that these men who appear
his champions have no principles. They shout
socialism when they think an Industrial crisis
makes such an appeal promising and are all
for property and the poor well lost when Mr..
Belmont tells them that Wall Street is dis
gruntled with the President and may be won
over by a milk and water platform. The Hill
machine followers may be satisfied with any
principles no principles, but how about the
Hearst boomers who for years have eagerly
been absorbing information in large type about
the Democracy's love OF labor and hatred Of
trusts7 And how do the Tammany people, who
never bolt, feel about furnishing the bulk OF the
votes to put Hill where be can continue to ride
over fhemf