The Irish standard., 1904-08-13
Says Parker Comes Before the Nation as
Leader Whom the Wise and Brave
Can Safely Follow.
Not Great Genius, But Sane, Courageous
Unselfish Patriot, of the Old, Pure,
Democratic Type.

The supreme mission of the Demo-
cratic party in the United States is to
keep alive the principle Of competition;
and, with that political and economic
idea accepted as the underlying
thought of our peculiar form of gov
ernment, Alton Brooks Parker emerges
into the struggle for control of the ma
ton as the undcniable leader of con-
servatism.
With the nomination of this strong,
brave, sober American - who has
risen, by sheer force of character,
from the obscure drudgery of farm
boy to preside, at the age Of forty-fve
years, over the highest court in the
great state of New Yorll-the Dem
ocracy once more takes it's place as
the advocate and guarantor Of govern
ment according to the written consti-
tuition and written laws, rs against the
personal and re dical policies which in
spire and control the Republican party
today.
At the root of Judge Parkcr's candi-
dacy is the contention that just gov
ernmcnt exists only for public pur-
poses, and that the use Of public
powers for private ends-as in the
tariff laws-not only violates the
spirit of our institutions, but leads to
favoritism, corruption, and perilous
disruption of the conditions which are
necessary to the equal development of
the moral mental, and material inter-
ests of the American people.
Judge Parker stands for experience
and precedent, as opposed to inspra-
ton. He believes in party RESPONSE
bility rather than in personal respon-
sibility for government. In that re-
spcct he is unlike Grover Cleveland or
Theodore Roosevelt. One must go to
the earlier American presidents to find
his like in character and temperament
For months before his nomination
for president, Judge Parker was nc.
cused of cowardice because he refused
to stain the traditions Of his great
judicial office by publicly discussing
political questions. He bore the strain
of open criticism and private pressure
in silence. Political leaders and
powerful newspapers, once urging his
nomination, grew faint in their sup
port, and showered him with mes
sages Of warning. With bitterness
almost unprecedented in American
politics, Mr.. Bryan attacked him as
"thc muzzled candidate" of corrupt
Wall street adventurers and sinister
politicians. The leader Of Tammany
hall fomented opposition to his nomin
alton on the ground that he was not
his own master, and that his silence
was due to the control of David B
Hill. Every device that human ingen
uity could suggest was used to sting
him into utterance.
The splendid mettle Of the man was
demonstrated by his dignified silence
in the face Of SANDER and undeserved
abuse Not even to gain the greatest
office on earth would he violate his
lofty conceptions Of judicial and civic
propriety. That ringing telegram tt
the st. Louis convention afterwar6
smote the Bryan and Tammany false
hoods into dust, and revealed Judge
Parker as statesman and leader OF
unshakablc convictions, independence
and lion-like courage. But, until his
party called him, he forbore to speak
Not only his opponents demanded a
statement Of his views. His warmest
supporters urged him to make his po
litical opinions known. The New
York World, foremost among those
who advocated his nomination, warn
cd him in series of powerful editor
ials that his silence gave color OF
justification to Mr.. Bryan's TRADES
and that he was rapidly losing politi
cal strength. In behalf Of the editor
of the World, the writer of this article
wrote to Judge Parker. This is part
| of his reply, which venture now to
publish for the first time:
"Albany, June II, 1904.
"You may be right in thinking that