Idaho Springs siftings., 1904-11-05
A BELATtD KEYNOTE
JUDGE ALTON g. PARKER DE-
FAMeS HIS COUNTRYMEN
Quotes Unnamed Authorities and Mia
represents History In an Attack
Upon the Honor and Honesty of HE
Own Nation.

occasion his stand upon the archaic plat
| form of buchanan and n petrified inter
| probation of the Constitution, Judge
| Parker parrots the imperious views of
Joseph Pulitzer, demanding the aban-
donment of the Philippines to the forces
OF savagery and reaction from which
American civilization has rescued them.
There can be no doubt that the oc
casion for the sounding of this belated
Keynote" of a tlabby campaign was
| deliberately planned and carried out.
Two hitherto unheard-of marching clubs
led by Colonel Charles Il. Goldman,
| of Boston, and Henry w. Hardon, of
New York. ferveHt scuttlers both. APP
peared before the judge on his porch at
| Rosemount, and bombarded him with
two extended addresses" on the infamy
| of American rule in the Philippines,
Then Judge Parker unrolled the speech
that bears internal evidence in every line
of having been written for him. and went
them one better in falsifying the record
and misrepresentinG the benehcent aim
oS American control in the islands res
cned from the oppression of Spain.
To justify himself in his attack upon
| the American position in the Philippines,
Judge Parker quoted from an anony-
nous student of conditions there"
| NHVse purdses also Dear stflklnS re-
| semblance to the balance of the address,
| in which they were fittingly embalmed.
This unnamed malignant. in the face of
| overwhelming testimony TO the contrary,
has the effrontery TO say of our officials
there. "At the best they have been in
efficient; at the worst dishonest, cor
rupt and despotic. The islands seem
10 have succeeded in getting the very
dregs of our people" This would classi-
fy Secretary William ii. Taft and his
| associates and SUCCESSORS in Manila as
| among the dregs of our people.
Judge Parker further quotes from this
| anonymous defamer of American rule in
| the Philippines: "Agriculturally, the
| country is for the time ruined. Land
Is going out of cultivation: the popula-
ton is ill-fed and in some places unable
to get work. The country is ovcr-bur-
dened with taxation. disease is prevalent,
the' farm animals dead. the towns in
many places In ruins, whole districts in
the hands Of ladrones. the price Of prod
ucts poor and unremunerative"
II this were true or even an approxi-
mately true Indictment OF the conditions
existing in the Philippines as the effect
OF our occupation. what would be the
verdict of mankind? Would 1t not be
that the American nation was not fit to
govern itself. let alone semi-civilized
and dependent race?
Affect. the Whole People.
In this matter II is impossible to dis
tinguish between the Republican party
| and the American people. The former
| il merely the instrument OF the latter
| in the Philippines and il Judge Parker
were elected President in November il
would not. could not change the char
aeter OF the American government in
the Philippines pending the time even
he would allow .the islanders TO prepare
themselves for self government"
During that period does Judge Parker
think that he could find. in the ranks
OF Tammany. any men better fitted To
uphold the honor. justice and liberty OF
American rule. than the men who have
established peace, order. schools, and
courts Of justice IN the islandsy The
question suggests its own answer-he
cculd not. though he were to draft his
own favoriie connsclors. David Il. Hill,
William +. Sheehan. Charles Murphy
and Pat MeCaFreu TO assist in the dim
cult task.
Upon such absolutely false and mnlig-
nant premises Judge Parker proceeds to
arraign the American administration in
the Philippines in terms which from
the dawn Of history demagogues have
employed in their attacks upon success
ful government. Here is a specimen
passage:
But aside from the duty we owe the Phil.
ippiGes In preparation for the enjoyment Of
the blessed privileges possess. we should
guard carefully against the danger TO our
selves Of an imperialistlc policy. History
teaches that from republicanism to inper-
ialism the movement Is gradual aud
perceived Of the people; Its omlnous prog
ress, when discovered. leaves open but two
courses-submlssion or resort to violence.
We can picture Colonel" Goldman
and Mr.. Hardon and the serried ranks
OF the avon Beach Regular Democratic
Club of Long Island shiYering in awe
struck unison over this horrible alterna-
tive coniured out of the miasma of
Joseph Puitzer's diseased Imagination.
That Judge Parker should clutch at IL
as a drowning man at a straw only
proves the desperat tion of his campaign.
Not content with citing history to sup
port notoriously false testimony against
his countrymen in the Philippines, he
also invokes it's aid in support of the
generalization that there is mo instance
of a nation receiving from her colonies
anything ike an adequate return for
the blood and treasure spent" ENG
lands National debt" he solemnly but
ignorantly averred, was doubled by the
revolt OF the thirteen colonies ii had cost
so much to secure. The American ex-
pansionist, following European argument,
alleges that annexation of the Philip
pines must promote progress, foster COM
merce and industry, and introduce the
leaven of civilization into a backward
and inferior race. The evidence OF his
tory is to the contrary"
However such appeals to history may
have tickled the ears OF the avon
Beach Regular Democratic Club OF Long
Island" they must have made Colonel
Goldman and Mr.. Hardon vince.
Truth of History.