The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-30
The Real Parker.


notification committee yesterday, and
Judge Parker. by fixing on Aug. 10
as the time for his committee to call,
has given himself two weeks in which
to peruse his opponents statements
and prepare reply to them. This
leisurely manner is hardly up to- the
promises which We're made for Judge
Parker by his friends previous to the
st. Louis convention. once nonnt-
mated, these friends said, he would
ask to be notified promptly, in order
that he might break his long silence
and acquaint the public with the
numerous views he is supposed to
hold regarding public questions. But
when he takes as much time after the
nominating convention as has been
taken by the president, he puts his
friends in a peculiar attitude, and at
the same time invites the feeling that
he is. a good deal Of a politician and
not so much Of statesman as has
been claimed for him.
All of which may be said without
taking from him any of the reputation
to which he is clearly entitled. Judge
Parker is not a saint, nor is he the
greatest, the bravest and the purest
man who ever wore the judicial
ermine in this country. AS a type of
the higher American manhood, he is
entitled to consideration, and this he
has received from republicans as well
as from democrats, but there should
be some limit to partizan praise as
there should also be to partizan
blame. Somewhere. below the ideal
lied Judge Parker will the true man
be found. It is to this idealization of
the man that we object, and in SO OBJ
jecting we will strike. a responsive
chord in many a breast. b CIR @
This idealization began with the let
ter which Mr.. Olney wrote Judge
Parker Immediately following the close
of the St. Louis convention, and it has
been continued since that time. Mr..
Olney addressed Judge Parker as if
he were jurist of worldwide fame,
who, inspired solely by "a sense of
duty was willing to leave the de-
Lucrative calm of the bench Of high
court for the, conflict Of partizan
politics. The letter called UP the
mental picture of a scholar, living in
the rarer atmosphere Of philosophical
thought impelled to, descend to the
lower levels by the voice of
terestlng, and Of the highest i'm
portance, if true. sss
What are the real facts? Judge
Parker's entire career, and this. state
ment does not imply criticism has
turned on politics of a very 'prac-
ticaP character. In 1885 and the
years preceding, he was in the thick
of it, giving body blows and taking
them like man. D. B. Hill owed
much to him at that time, as he has
frankly admitted, and gave him his
first judicial position, a place on the
supreme bench Of New York, to fill
the vacancy created by the death of
Justice Westbrook. During the nine
teen years which have passed since
then Judge Parker's course has been
slowly upward. That which, gave
him national reputation was ! his
race for the office which heaasnoW
holds, in 1897, when he was elected
by a plurality Of 10000 @r.1
4 One of the strongest statements
made by Tammany against the
Parker candidacy at st. Louis was the
statement that his election in 1897
y
titled to the prominence which il
brought him. This statement was
not replied to in any way by the
Parker leaders. Parker's election
was not an evidence of marked popu-
larity, for the democratic candidate
for governor of New York next yea,
received 10000 more votes than he
In 1900 Bryan had $4,000 more votes
than Parker received in 1897 land
Coler in 1902 had 1000 more
These facts are known ito every
student, Of politics. s.ts.t,zl4
AS matter of fact the Parker can.
didacy for the presidency probably
began years ago, and his friends were
only too willing to take advantage OF
the popular impression prevailing ii
1897 that he had reversed the repub.
lican tide in New York. Geography
did the rest.
AS a jurist he is no more distin-
guished than several of the eminent
gentlemen who. sit on the bench OF
the supreme court Of appeals with
him. Whatever Of prominence he
has had over them he owes to his
place sas chief justice, and he became
chief justice thru the operation OF
politics. His elevation to the bench
in the first instance was a political act
of Hills, and it was Hill who en-.
gineeredS the campaign which gave
him the 1897 nomination, and who
outlined the presidential campaign
this year and was it's active manager
Judge Parker is quite as much o,
a politician as any man who has beer
nominated for the presidency fol
years by either of the great parties
This isn't to his discredit, but in the
interest of the truth it should BIZ
known. The attempt to create al
ideal parsonage and palm it off on The
public as the real Parker will fail, al
all such attempts deserve to fail.
The republicans are not likely to b
short of good material at the primarie
this year out of which to make candi
date for mayor. John a. schlener ha
been regarded as a candidate for severa
weeks, and D. P. Jones will stand for TIL
nomination if a lot Of representative me-
I,r, have asked rim ssst1r