The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-09-13
Strong Drift of Business Me to Judge
Parker.

If there were any further evidences
needed to attest the rapid drift of bus
mess men to Judge Parker than the
daily press reports of last month it is
furnished most ~conspicuously by The
Herald's careful poll OF the New York
Produce Exchange. In that honored
body there is a large reputed prepon-
deVance of republican members and dur
ing the Bryan campaign their influence
was powerfully directed to the support
of Mckinley. though the organization,
as such, took no direct action. But
The Herald's poll shows that whereas
the exchange voted almost sOlidly for
Mckinley and Roosevelt in 1900, about
one to every four and one-hdlf will
swing this year from the republican to
the democratic ticket Out of the six
hundred and siXty-five members who
have sent replies to The Herald's in
Quiries (as 70 how they will vote next
NOVember) there were one hundred II
f~orty-One who voted for Mckinley il
1900 but now announce their determlnd-
ton to vote for Judge Parker AS the
pTOduce exchange includes 3,0OO MEM
bers, it is impossible to determine FROM
these data now 4 majority OF lis MEM
bers will vote III coming elections, But
a ''StrawS show which way the WING
bs-WS," it is evident from the replies
OF a fraction of the exchange that the
democratic members who were for Nc
Kinley are now largely flocking to the
democratic standard bearer. Their
course is similar to that of the great
body of New York's lawyers. including
about six hundred members of the bar,
who have formed the Parker Consti-
tuition Club.
The eminently safe. sane and conser-
Vative candidacy of Judge Parker par
ticuiarly c~orlnendS itself to the BUSH
ness men of the country in a critical
epoch in our national life when the dam
gerous imperialistic Tenderness and bold
innovations Of the party IN power
threaten the very stability OF our con-
stitutiOnal government. The first condI-
ton upon which domestic trade and
commerce with foreign nations deDo~
for prosperity always have been and
must ever be a maintenance of law and
order at home and the avoidance OF
every complication which can possibly
lead to war. The restless ambition of
4 president 10 create a great world
power can My the widest
form OF jinSoiSm, which may peco1re d
greater menace to the stability and
prosperity of business than ever the
free silver OF 1S90-1S96. If the perilous
policies OF expansion which have been
passed by the president since 1902 are
- -~O PNORAS ia
Der s. and carried out on an extended
Scale during the next four years. it Is
impossible to foTeSee how the business
interests of the Whole country can eS-
cape great disturbance and disaster
That this is no idle fear is evidenced
by an enormous depreciation of all Sc
cUritieS which invariably occurs when
ever u relations with foreign powers
are seriously strained and war cloud
lower on the horizon. AS every One
knows the mere uncertainty or
in the public mind as to the continu-
ance Of peace has a whitening effect
upon all mercantile interests.
Republican orators and s~pellbinders
are busily trying to create an impress
sion in the public mind that the election
OF Judge Parker would mean business
depression and panic similar to those
brought about in 1898 by the previous
republican silver purchase act-iegisla-
tion which was naturally followed By
the agitation for free and unlimited
coinage of silver. AS the panic came
when Mr.. Cleveland was in office his
tariff reform movement was held res
ponsibIe for il by his political foes, and
they are still claiming that no demo-
cratic president shoul again be elect
ed, because, If this calamity" should
befalI the country, their sacred tariff
schedules would be disturbed and BUSH
ness depression would follow. But 1t
should be needless 20 remind any intel
Iigent business man that this silly bug
e has ceased to serve the purpose
of its inventors, even among the least
educated classes of people, and that
the earnest but judieious tariff reform
so powerfully urged by the present
democratic platform and heartily en-
dorsed by Judge Parker would be hail
ed with delight by the great mass of
throughout h country. IN
stead of creating a depression such a
tariff reform would instantly inspire
confidence n joy among a tariff-rid-
den people by relieving trade every