The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-30
JUDCE PARKER'S AUTHORITY
ron HORRIBLE CONDITIONS IN
THE PHILIPPINES.

II Wakes Many People In Washington Laugh
what is Known nj the National Capi-
IA, ot n. Park err Wlllis-IIis Brief Career
There-larred From q Department
V.suNGroN. Oct. 28--A great many peo-
Mo ., Nashin ct on laug hed to- day when they
road Judge Parkers statement in his
.neech Yesterday before the delegations
from Orange and Rockland counties that
,he nj. lority for his allie cations Of horrible
o,nditiiss in the Philippines was H. Parker
ylDjs They did not laugh merely because
u Paker Willis was -vouched for by
Cbs rlea Francis Adams, Carl Schurz Edwin
Burrett smith, HerLert WEIGH and Moor
Sold Story, although there was enough in
that to tickle the risibilities Of people who
are aware of the unbiased views OF these
Gentlemen concerning the Philippines ques-
,iou. But to those who knew or knew OF
Mr. Willis during his brief but skyrockety
career here, the statement OF Judge Parker
that his charges against the Philippines
were aSed on a report made by Mr.. Willis
was a soIutely ludcrous.
.hd1e Parker asked his auditors, and
through them the American people, to ex-
anime the telegram of the Democratic
Governor Of the Philippines in connection
with H. Parker Willis's report and then
answer this, among other questions DO
YOU believe the man thus vouched for by
six Of the best citizens OF this country"
There are more than six of the best citi-
gems OF this country having some personal
knowledge of H. Parker Willis and his
methods who would answer NO" to Judge
Parker's query. Among them may be
mentioned James Wilson. Secretary of
Agriculture: John Hyde, statistician of the
Agricultural Department; S. NJ D. North,
Director of the Census, and Henry Cabot
Lodge, Senator from Massachusetts,. Per-
sonal and not political reasons govern them
In believing that Judge Parker was unfor-
tuNata in the selection Of his witness.
There are many other persons who knew
Mr. Willis in acknowledgements as
well as Republica ms who would be glad
to oin in this negative. One prominent
Democrat, a man who is ca rnestly working
Tor Judge Parker's election, expressed
disgust to-day over the fact that the Demo-
cratic Gambia tie had founded his sensat onal
CHARGES on the testimony of H. Parker
Willis.
H. Parker Willis is reformer. You can
see it sticking cut all over him. II he can't
ind anythi9s to reform i n he s. qnh harry
enhlsia site and full of opinions. Ac-
cording 70 men who knew him here, it IS
foolish to take H. Parker Willis seriously.
Nr. Schurz and the other five anti-impe-
entire honesty, his skill as ira ined inves-
tigator. his Judgment in weighing evidence
and his relia bility as Witness; Men in
Washington whose standing is the highest,
issue with some, and perhaps all, Of these
euogistic phrases with reference to Mr..
Willis.
When Mr.. Willis arrived at the Capitol
last year 1t was as correspondent OF the
Springfield Republican. He had been here
about week when he discovered that the
press galleries of Congress needed reforming,
and he wrote a stirring letter to his paper
showing the Washington correspondents
to be everything that was not nice; That
letter fairly sizZled. 1t made plain that the
correspondents were persons to be avoided,
but 30 lost to shame were they that they
actually posted copies OF the letter in the
press galleries of the Senate and the House
and worse still found amusement in the
terrible picture presented OF Themselves,
When the Senate Committee on the Phil
ippines was investigating charges OF cruelty
against United States soldiers, represent
atiyes OF three press associations were
permitted to attend the hearings. The CON-
mittee room was very small and it was neces-
sary to limit the attendance, but through
the admission of the press association
representatives, all the daily newspapers in
the country were able to secure report OF
This did not suit H. Parker Willis He
demanded admittance to the committee
room He charged that the Associated
Press was sending out biased report Of
the testimony. He alone was capable, OF
giving an unprejudiced account OF what
went on inside the committee room The
committee declined to change its decision,
whereupon Mr.. Willis appealed to the stand
- 1TNFNYNf tnn1A
decided that the matter was none OF its
business Thus was the country prevented
from getting the true story OF the horrors
Of the water cure until the verbatim report
Of the testimony was printed pS the toV-
eminent Printing Office.
Mr. Willis was the author Of charges
affecting the integrity OF John Hyde, the
statistician Of the Agricultural Department
He printed things that brov ght about a
serious misunderstanding between that
Derartment and the Census Bureau. An
inve.tigation disclosed that there was no
truth in Mr.. Williss accusation. His per
soual conduct in the affairs was such that
Mr. Wilson, the Secretary Of Agriculture,
mittance to the Department building.
While he was serving here as corre-
spondent of the Springfield Republican,
H Parker Willis took an active personal
interest in the anti Aperialistio movement
He was supposed to be the Washington
agent of Charles Francis Adams and Edward
Atkinson That he went to the Philippines
prepared to make an unbiased report as
to conditions there is too ridiculous to lie
tax n seriously
If Judge Parker had gone to the trouble
Of making inquiries OF friends of his IN
Washington as to the reliability Of H.
Parker Willis he might have amended his
statement that Mr.. Willis was "a man hav:
ing no motive but to learn the truth and
have declined to swallow whole the tes-
tironial Of Schurz ct al. "a to Mr. Willis's
skill as a trained investigator, his judg-
ment in weighing evidence and his relia-
billy as witness"
Ihere is modern slang phrase that fits
H. Parker Willis. 1t is "Buttinski. He
is man who finds something wrong In
every odv who does not accept his views.
That i his reputation here, even among
men who are earnestly DESTROYS OF having
Judge Parker elected President,