The Irish standard., 1904-10-22

ment was that Mr.. Hill was elected by
small plurality.
When the campaign was closing
Judge Westbrook suddenly died, leav-
ing vacancy for Ulster county in the
supreme court. Governor Hill natu-
rally filed this vacancy by the appoint
ment of Surrogate Parker.
In 1856 an election was held to fill
the vacancy created Dy Judge West
brooks death, Judge Parker holding
by appointment only until his secceS-
sor was elected to fill the vacancy. The
Democratic nomination was, of course,
unanimously given to Judge Parker.
AS he had not been elected but ap-
pointed by Governor Hill, the rule Of
rejoicing faithful judge did not
apply, and the Republicans elected de-
legates to Il judicial convention to NOM
mate a Republican in opposition to him.
Among the Republican judicial dele
gates from Ulster county We're Judge
Kenyon and ]. Newton Fiero.
When the delegates met Judge Ken
yon, who had retired from the bench
and was one of the party sages, said:
"Gentlemen, l have watched the course
Of this young man Parker for several
years. He is Il child of destiny, and
believe that we would be wasting our
efforts and making Il needless fight to
nominate anyone against him."
Some of the other delegates from
other counties demonstrated, but Judge
Kenyon realized that it was useless to
battle against destiny and told the
above incidents about Judge parker's
two elections as surrogate and other
matters in the same line. Tho conven-
ton accepted Judge Kcnyon's advice
and made no nomination against Judge
Parker.
The returns that year for the Third
judicial district showed that Judge
Parker would have had to run over
1000 ahead of his ticket to have been
elected, and that if the Republicans
had made Il nomination the probability
was most strong that their candidate
would have defeated Judge Parker.
Shortly after Judge Parker's cleo
ton as justice of the supreme court
the crowded condition of the calendar
Of the court of appeals compelled the
creation of an additional division of
the court of appeals, to which Judge
Parker was naturally appointed, thus
making him one of the youngest judges
who ever sat in the court of appeals.
This service rs an appointed judge Of
the court of appeals naturally put
Judge Parker in line for the Democrat
ic nomination for judge of the court Of
appeals at any time that he desired to
take it.
There were vacancies several times,
the nominations for which were offered
to him, but he felt that his time had
not yet come and declined these NOM
nations. 1t was fortunate for him that
he did, for the men who were nomz
mated were all defeated by large ma
jorities, and the state government in
all it's departments went into Repub-
lican hands.
In 1897 there was a vacancy for
chief judge Of the court of appeals.
This was high honor for which a
number Of Democratic lawyers were
aspirants. Judge Parker was nom-
mated. The year before, in 1906, Bryan
made his first run, and the Democratic
ticket had been defeated in New York
state by the largest majority ever
known. The party was disorganized,
split, without money, without patron
age, and disheartened by overwhelm-
ing defeat. Not one politician in a
hundred thought that Judge Parker
had ghost Of Il chance.
What was left of the Democratic
state committee hardly attempted an
organized fight Judge Parker, Will
liam r. Sheehan, Thomas r. Benedict,
Charles M. Preston, Eliot Danforth and
a few other old friends We're almost
the only Democrats who took an act
i've interest in the campaign. There
were no other state offices to be filled,
and the Republicans thought it was
waste of time, money and effort to
get out their vote. The only question
was at what figures the majority
would turn out.
There happened to be that year the
first mayoralty election in Greater
New York The Republicans nominal
ed General Tracy. Seth Low was
nominated by the independent Repub-
licans and Independents generally, and
Tammany nominated Mayor Van
Wyck. Henry George was nominated
by the Labor party.
Under the election law, the name Of
Judge Wallace, who was Judge Par
ker's opponent, went on the Republican
ticket ahead Of General Tracy and did
not appear at all on the ticket headed
by Seth Low.
On the other hand, Henry George,
who was opposed to the principles of
the Republican party, asked his sup
porters to vote for Judge Parker. This
secured to Judge Parker both the
Democratic and the George vote, while