The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-08-18
THE SPHINX HAS SPOKEN.

words were looked forward to by the
thinking Democrats of the East-the
real conservative Democrats who are
ashamed of the excuses Of their party
in the past and its cowardice as shown
at st. Louis-as the hope of the par
ty. The now famous telegram to the
st. Louis convention, regardless of
its real origin, was taken to indicate
that the Democratic candidate for
President would, as soon AS he stood
untrammeled by judicial office, de-
Glars himself to the country in a way
that would show himself to be man
of great independence of thought,
great force of character, and great
fitness for the leadership of a party
with millions Of members 1t was
hoped by those men that Judge Parker
would prove to be man whose per-
sonslity would be strong enough to
lift the party from the depths to
which it has fallen, supply plat
form, and make the people forget the
makeshift which was foisted on Dem
ocracy at st. Louis.
But the great unknown has become
known and the hopes of these men
have gone The great strength, the
great independence, the indications of
great fitness for leadership have faded
away into the realm OF fancy. In
stead of conservative candidate of
the aggressive kind they have con-
sentative candidate without the ag
gressiveness-co sentative to such an
extent that he has buried himself be-
meath the platform of his party in
stead of rising above it. With the
sole exception of his declaration with
regard to the gold standard his speech
of acceptance in no part partakes of
the desired individuality. He might
Just as we'll have substituted for the
rest of his speech simple declaration
that he was perfectly satisfied with
the st. Louis platform, and let it go
at that. The elements indicative of
constructive craftsmanship were alb.
sent. The calm, dispassionate, clear
ness OF diotion was all right. But
the speech leaves the candidate col.
to be man of aggressive thought-a
man of deeds-it shows him as one
who desires to secure votes by not do
ing what may hurt somebody's feel
ings.
Judge Parker stands even more in
contrast now with President Roose-
welt than he did. The President is
above all a man of aggressive, indie
pendent, fearless, accurate thought
and sction-a man of progress, who be-
lieves not so much in looking dignifed
and calm and saying soothing words
as in moving-ever onward. He
stands on his record-a record which
even his enemies are forced to admit
is remarkably strong and remarkably
satisfactory. The President has made
some enemies, but no really strong,
progressive man can fail to do so. He
is ready to stand or fail by what he
and the Republican party under his
leadership have accomplished.
Contrasted with him is Judge Park
er, now stamped as man without
strong individual ideas-a party man
to the core playing for the votes of
the people by fine sounding phrases
that can hurt nobodys feelings but
which when digested do not give the
feeling of satisfaction. His party
platform lodged and straddled the
great questions of the day, or declared
on them in words that were intended
to sound right regardless of their
meaning or the consistency or incon-
sstenoy which they showed. He fol-
lowed the course of the platform.
The Democrats admit their only
hope of success to be in the independ
emit voters. Are the independent vot-
ers to be caught with that kind OF
bait? They are likely to look TO the
records. That is where the Repub Bill
oans want them to look. If they dc
so, the result will be as in the case
of the New York Sun, which has il
it's course as an independent paper fire..
W
Roosevelt, but which, since Judge
Parker's speech of acceptance, has de-
clared its position as follows:
GAS the case is now made up, we
prefer the impulsive candidate of the
party of conservatism to the mildly
conservative, temporizing, opportu
mist representative of the Hun vote
in the background. We have more
faith in the distinct promises of the
Chicago platform, not ignoring th'
many serious defects Of that docu
ment, than we have in the miserable
hellbroth of dishwater and dynamit,
concocted at st. Louis a month ago b,
a party afraid to renounoe its crimina
follies, and tasted yesterday at Esopu
by respectable candidate who de
olares with gusto that its flavor is ad
mirable. We shall therefore advo
cate the election of Roosevelt AM