The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-10-14
AN ARTFUL D0DGER
JUDGE PARkER'S DExTERlTY IN
THE ART OF EVASION.
A Few Reflections Upon the Demo.
cratic Candidate's Letter of Accep-
tance Document that Does Not
Convince the Reader.

Few people outside Of those POLITICALLY
interested will be found who claim to
have waded through all of Alton b.
Parker's letter of acceptance. Those
who have performed the feat must adj
NIT fatigue. Although the tone Of the
letter is more clear and emphatic than
that OF the nerveless and insipid speech
Of acceptance, it is without that supreme
quality which fixes attention. As one
reads the mind wanders. The perform
ance, in short, is not convincing.
In some passages there is marked evil
dence of the foxy cleverness of David
Bennett Hill. Here is the voice Of
Jacob indeed. but the hand is the hand
Of Esau. But. even with the injection
Of Hill there is little in the document
to ward off the gentle influences Of
cumberland
In his remarks upon imperialism"
intended to be impressive, the judicial
candidate succeeds only in being solemn
and dull. and lis long words and long
sentences lead nowhere, for he gives no
instances Of the violation of the liber-
ties and constitutional rights he is 50
anxious to uphold. He merely winds
round and round the subject he has
introduced with a flourish, as "Consti-
t,itional VS.. Imperialism" and ends
abruptly with a general and scattering
fire upon an imaginary determined am
bilious and able executive" who might,
could. would or should do something
real devilish" some day, if the Repub-
leans are retained in power.
Will Not Follow Democrat.
And the statesman of Esopus forgets
a good many things. or, possibly he
doesn't forget. Perhaps he never knew
much about the history of the people Of
the United States.
SHALL WE FOLLOW THE
FOOTSTEPS OF OUR FATHERS
ALONG THE FAITHS OF PEACE,
PROSPERITY. AND CONTENT
ME\:' he asks.
NOT UNDER THE LEADERSHIP
OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY,
comes a many-voiced reply.
When has the Democratic party ever
led among the pleasant fields of peace,
along the streams of prosperity where
fed the fat locks of co~ntentment?
PEACE.
What party plunged this nation into
such "A war of Rebellion as the world
has never seen, and kept it there, at
untold expense of blood and tears and
treasure for four long years?
PROSPERITY.
What party undermined the wealth
and productive force. the credit and the
industrial life of the United States TO
the appalling conditions Of 1893, con-
ditions which SO worked upon the minds
OF men as to render them easy victims
to the schemes and visions of the silvee
craze of 1SD6
CONFINEMENT.
What party has fostered within its
bosom all the tireleSs agitators, the dis
turbers, cranks and misanthropic pessi-
mists. who have had a full HAND in .
full country.
Save us from the Democratic version
of peace. prosperity and contentment!
urther Evasions.
In his utterlnces upon the 'Imperiale
bogy Mr.. Parker is gushing. When Il
gets to the tariff he settles down into
the jog-trot of party dullaess and fog.
Ia his discussion of pension order, No.
IS. he begins lodging questions with
neat dcxter;ty. and he keeps this up,
with varying success throughout the ht-
ter, executing Il grand summersault whom
whiZZing by the trusts.
IL :AuiSiiiS dNNtiIlyLIoA u AtCPuOLD
can ideas Oh the Panama Canal, tho
irrigation of arid lands. foreign relations
and American citizenship need no COM
! ment. They constitute what is an old
story to Republicans. but may come
as Il revelation TO Democrats.
Following President Roosevelt's ex-
ample. Mr.. Parker winds up his letter
with eight or ten questions. but in select
ing the questions Mr.. Parker departed
from the excellent model at first chosen
and asks only questions which answer
themselves.
1t is comforting to be assured that
the Democratic candidate and his asso-
ciates await the peoples verdict with
calmness aud condolences"
SO do the people themselves, especial
ly the Republicans among them. There
is really nothing to get flurried about:
nothing to scare the most timid Demo
crat in the bunch Of scary brethren.