The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-11-04
A BELATED KEYNOTE
JUDGE ALTON 3. PARKER DE-
FAMES HIS COUNTRYMEN-
Quotes Unnamed Authorities and Mis-
represents History in an Attack
Upon the Honor and Honesty of His
Own Nation.

New York World. Abandoning for this
occasion his stand upon the archaic plat
form Of Buchanan and a petritied inter
probation Of the Constitution, judge
Parker parrots the imperious views of
Joseph Pulitzer. demanding the aban-
donment of the Philippines to the forces
OF savagery and reaction from which
American civilization has rescued them.
There can be no doubt that the oc-
casion for the sounding Of this belated
keynote" Of a iabhy campaign was
deliberately planned and carried out.
Two hitherto unheard-ot marching clubs
led by "Colonel' Charles X. Goldman.
of Boston. and Henry w. Harden. of
New York. fervent scuttlers both. APP
Icared before the judge on his porch at
RoSemount. and bombarded him with
"two extended addresses III the infamy
of American rule in the Philippines.
Then Judge Parker unrollcd the speech
that hears internal evidence in every line
Of having been written for him, and Went
them one better in classifying the record
and misrepreSenting the benetlcent ann
o. American control in the islands res
cued from the oppression of Spain.
To justify himself in his attack uppn
the American position in the Philippines.
Judge Parker quoted from an anony-
mons student Of conditions there
whose phrases also bear a striking re-
semblance to the balance of the address,
i'll which they We're ~ittingly embalmed.
This unnamed malignant. in the face Of
overwhelming testimony TO the contrary.
has the effrontery. to say of our officials
there. AT the best they have been in
pttitIaYf- at tho worst dishonest cor
rupt and despotic. The stands seem
TO nave succeeded in getting the very
dregs of our people This would CLASH
associates and successors in Manila as
among the dregs of our people.
Judge Parker further quotes from this
anonymous defamer of American rule in
the Philippines: "Agriculturaly, the
country is for the time ruined. Land
is going out of cultivation; the popula-
ton is lifted and in some places unable
to get work. The country is over-bur-
dened with taxation, disease is prevalent,
the farm animals dead. the towns in
many places in ruins, whole districts in
the hands OF ladrones. the price of prod
ucts poor and unremunerative."
If this were a true or even an approx
mately true indictment of the conditions
existing in the Philippines as the effect
of our occupation. what would be the
verdict of mankind? Would it not be
that the American nation was not fit to
govern itself. let alone a semi-civilized
and dependent race?
Affects the Whole People.
In this matter it is impossible to dis
tinguish between the Republican party
and the American people. The former
is merely the instrument Of the latter
III the Philippines. and if Judge Parker
were elected President in November, it
would not. could not change the char
acter of the American government in
the Philippines pending the time even
he would allow 1.-THE islanders to prepare
themselves for self-government."
During that period does Judge Parker
think that he could find. in the ranks
of Tammany, any men better fitted to
uphold the honor, justice and liberty &C
American rule, than the men who have
established peace. order. schools, and
courts Of Justice in the islands? The
question suggests its own answer-he
could not, though he were to draft his
own favorite counselors. David Il. Hill.
William r. Sheehan, Charles Murphy
and Pat McCarren to assist in the diff
cult task.
Upon such. absolutely false and malig-
nant premises Judge Parker proceeds to
arraien the American administration in
the Philippines III terms which from
the dawn of history demagogues have
employed in their attacks upon success
fnl government. Here 10 a specimen
passage:
But aside from the duty we owe the Phil
iPpines in preparation for the enjoyment OF
the blessed privileges we possess. we should
guard carefully against the danger TO our
selves OF an lmperialistic policy. History
teaches that from republicanism to iinper-
ialism the movement is gradual and I'M
perceived Of the people. Its ominous prog
ress, when discovered. leaves open but two
courses-submission or resort to violence.
We can picture Colonel" Codml;.
and Mr.. Harden and the serried ranks
of the Avon Beach Regular Democratic
Club of Long Island" shivering in awe
struck unison over this horrible a%lterna-
tive conjured out of the miasma of
Joseph Pulitzer's diseased imagination.
That Judge Parker should clutch at it
as a drowning man at a straw only
the desperation of his campaign.
Not content with citing history to sup
port VIGOROUSLY false testimony against
his countryInen in the Philippines, he
also invokes its aid in uppor Of the
generalization that there is mo instance
Of a nation receiving from her colonies
anything like an adequate return for
the blood and treasure spent" Eng
lands National debt" he solemnly but
ignorantly averred, was doubled by the
revolt OF the thirteen colonies it had cost
so much to secure. The American ex-
following European argument,
alleges that annexation Of the Philip
pines must promote progress. foster com-
merce and industry. and introduce the
heaven Of civilization into a backward
and inferior race. The evidence G"
tory is to the contrary"
However such appeals to history may
have tickled the ears of the avon
Beach Regular Democratic Club Of Long
Island" they must have made Colonel
Goldman and Mr.. Harden vince.
Truth of History.
The evidence OF history and Of contem-