The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-10-22
Politicians in His Home County of Both
Parties Feel That Somehow Parker
Will be Elected.
They Do Not Base This on Any Table Of
Electoral Votes But on What Might
be Called Hunch

10 Judge Parker's many old friends
in Ulster county there is nothing sur
prising in the quiet, self-contained, 81
lent manner in which he is conducting
his presidential campaign. 1t was the
same way in his other campaigns in
1877, 1888, 1885, 1886 and 1897, says
the New York World
While his old personal friends and
political associates are unanimous in
their desire that Judge Parker should
so into every doubtful state, they have
been in no uncertainty rs to his ac-
tion after his public statement that lie
would make no speccll-malling tour.
Their appeals to him since that state
ment have been simply that he would
hold series Of public receptions and
let the people see him and shake hands
with him.
Among the old Ulster county poll
ticians Judge Parker is known rs "The
Child of Destiny" In every campaign
he has won the result has come not
from a political tidal wave or from
any of the ordinary issues which de-
eide elections, but from some fortuit-
GUS and unforeseen happening. Based
OH this long line of preccdcnts, the
feeling is even stronger among the old
Republican politicians than among the
Democrats that somehow or other
Judge Parker is going to be elected.
They do not base this on any table Of
electoral votes or on any of the ordi
nary election predictions, but on what
might be called Il "hunch."
In 1877 Judge Parker was first
elected surrogate of Ulster county.
The Democratic county slate that year
did not contain his name. He was a
young lawyer poor, hard working and
not brilliant. His reputation was ra-
thcr that of a faithful ploddcr, cautious
for his age, than an orator or a strong
jury lawyer. His advice was regard
cd as safe and sound, but nothing won
| ucrful or StartInS
When the delegates to the county
convention in 1877 were selected every
body thought that Parker was beaten
for the nomination. The majority of
the delegates were against him. He
made his own canvass OF the delegates,
and to the surprise of the politicians
when the ballot was taken in the con-
vcnton he had vote to spare.
Two old Democrats who had been re-
lied on by the leaders who made up the
slate, said, 1--WE are going to give the
| young man Il show" for Parker was
then only 25 years old. Without the
two old delegates taking personal
fancy to him he would have been beat
en- for the nomination.
Everybody said that the whole Dem
ocratic county ticket would be beaten.
The Republicans were united in max
ing strong fight. parkcr's opponent
was q popular man and strong with his
party-Peter Cantne, of one of the
old Ulster county families and well
known lawyer. The Democratic party
in the county was badly split in fac
tions. Parker did not make brilliant
campaign. He simply went from place
to place looking up old friends and
making new ones, and asking them all
to do what they could for him. This is
exactly what his Ulster county friends
have been wanting him to do this year.
Election night the returns came in
and the Democratic ticket was
swampcd, as everybody had expected.
Parker had run away ahead, but the
returns indicated his defeat, too. The
feeling was so general in the county
| that Parker had no chance to win that
his friends found it easy to poll big
complimentary vote for him. The
Democratic headquarters closed and
Parker went home to bed.
The next morning after breakfast
the full returns came in to the county
clerks office. They showed Parker's
election by a few votes. He had run
ahead almost everywhere, and al
though the state ticket lost the county,
the friendly votes here and there ag-
gregated enough to pull Parker
\ = L. ~ sa i