The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-20

k<etteT rom AlDany.
 While the country is calling for in- formation about Chief Judge Parker, to whom millions of Democrats are turning for safe leadership in the struggle for control of the Nation, the blathering politicians of both par ties who swarm over the hill on which the capitol of New York stands, the rat-eyed agents of corruption, rascals In and out of office, leaders of the bar and noisy pettifoggers all have daily sight of him as he strides be- tween the Hotel Ten Eyck. in which he lives, and the Court of Appeals, in which he presides. itE
 Even in this center of political and legislative intrigue, where the weak nesSes and selfish ambitions of public men, are so soon searched out, this strong. brave. modest man has not an enemy At the ton of tho Albany hil' he sits, black-robed, on the bench. At the foot of 1t is the, law office from which David B. Hill is directing the campaign to make him President of the United States. Yet men of all parties, including his associates on the bench, bear witness that Judge Parker. in the face of exceptional flat tery and against the pressure or thousand influences, has maintained the highest traditions of his great ju- dicial office by his consistent aloofness from politics, his simple, unpretending dignity and his devotion to his pub lie duties.
 It is not that he is colorless or with out ambition. There is no more warm blooded or aggressive man in the country. And he is known to be deeply attached to his party. His si- tence is the result of self-discipline and a conception of judicial proprie- et,o tra tc not a political posture, but deliberate line of conduct which he has followed for nineteen years.
 The kindly looks turned upon him In the streets, the deference paid to him wherever he moves, without res- pect to party; the frank admiration expressed when his name comes up in private conversation in this cynical and suspicious neighborhood, show how fully his sincerity, breadth of mind and modest Independence have impressed themselves upon those who have him under daily scrutiny.
 Kindness of heart, firmness of will, charity in the judgment of others, con- stancy in friendships, love of work for its own sake, neighborliness, a quiet scorn for demagoguery, self righteous attitudes or spectacular methods-these are his recognized
 
 sense of humor will not permit him to be pompous. It would be hard to find a man of more simple and wholesome manners-a cultivated jurist who has always been and still Is a successful practical farmer.
 Judge Parker is e feet tall 1nd a man Of great strength. His shoulders are broad and his chest deep. His mus cies, developed by hard work on the Far~ fv al ri eS are the muscles of an athlete. He slopes perfectly es a man should. from his shoulders tn his feet. and in spite of his nearly 52 years and his weight of 196 pounds his step is as light as a boys and he can vault into the sad de with ease.
 His face Is that of country bred man, strong and full of color. The eyes are large and of an agreeable brown: lion-iike eyes but for the kind ly expression. One notices the eyes first and then the immense jaws and formidable round chin The lower part of the face is heavy, but not brutal It has powerful line and outward thrust that suggests tremendous will power. The mouth Is large and mas culine, with a thick lower lip The upper teeth are big, fiat and white. The lower teeth are smaller. The coarse, tawny mustache goes we'll with the brilliant brown eyes and the red dish brown hair.
 The judges nose is aquiline He has high cheek bones. but the characteris- tic is not marked. His high, broad forehead slopes back without a bump It Is a singularly symmetrical brow showing penetration. observation, am bition and energy. The block head is not large and is somewhat straight, so that it does not balance with the great jaws and the fighting chin.
 Nowhere in the face or head is there a suggestion of craft. Nor Is there anything sidewise or sly in the eyes They look at you straight. The prac- tical and logical dominate the imagin- ative qualities-impulse Is a slave to will The lack of wrinkles between the eyebrows and the smooth forehead indicate a man who can concentrate his mind without the great effort which contracts the facial muscles.
 Judge Parker dresses well and al- ways in dark colors. usually grays. His ordinary attire is a cutaway coat of rough gray cloth and gray trous- CTS. He wears a standing collar and a simple black cravat held by a small pearl. Few men are more decorous or careful in their dress In spite of his passion for work and his many press ing duties, he usually dresses three times a day-for riding. for business and for dinner. And his clothes fit him, which cannot be said of most men in public life.
 Dignity Which Suggests Great Power
 There is a grave dignity and a sug- gestion of immense power in Judge Parker which go well with his black silk robe when he presides in the Court of Appeals. He is the youngest man in the row of judges. He is at tentive to argument and keeps his eyes steadily on the lawyer who may be pleading. His courtesy to lawyers