The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-10-24
His speech last night in full:
Chairman and NV Erienns.

III oRCCCH AdSt night VI Auls
Mr.. Chairman and My FRIENDS:
1 have been long enough in politics
to know and DO CONVINCED that per-
sonal attack by one Candidate on an
other amounts to very little. The votes
show that the people take no interest
in mud singing The man who has a
Dad case generally abuses the opposite
counsel, and the man who has a bad
platform generally tries to abuse the
opposite candidate. / know nothing of
what has been said except statements
in the newspapers. but they have been
in such a shape as to affect my honor,
and show so little knowledge of my
record that l cannot help giving you
a chance to be able to contradict them.
/ have taken this opportunity, In the
presence of the county committee, when
men from all parts of the county and
district are here, to say a word.
1t Is stated in the papers that Mr..
Townsend asked the question: Are
you, Mr.. Parker, who are a represent
tative in the Congress of the United
States, a representative of a corpora
ton, the Erie Railroad Company, which
the Federal government is suing as
part of the notorious coal trust?"
Ever since 1 came to the bar, in 1870,
I have been a lawyer In the State of
New Jersey. I have had cases for the
Erie Railroad Company. I was with
my father. These cases had nothing to
do with coal lands or anything of the
sort. They were such local cases as. a
lawyer tries from time to time. They
do not affect my place in politics In
the slightest. I might stop there.
While I was such attorney for local
business I went to the New Jersey
Legislature and was there for two
years. I have been in Congress four
teen years. Never in all that time has
the Erie Railroad Company asked me
to look into. object to. or pass a bill,
or do anything in connection with legis-
lation. Is 1t insinuated by this that ]
am a railroad man? Look at my record
in the Legislature.
Mr.. Townsend does not know that
l opposed the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company with all my might and main
as to the Jersey City bridge and a. tt
the Plank road bill, and that I opposed
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad witt
reference to he bridge over the Sound
When I went down to Congress n o.
the first things I did was to take actor
against the Union Pacific funding bill
and 1 believe I was Instrumental II
defeating that bill and making then
pay the whole amount due to thu
United States government. Ever sine
the year 1900 and continuously to THU
day I have been pushing a bill to en-
able the United States to sue for thu
value of unlawful rebates and discrimi
nations by railroads and penalties
therefor, which would apportion tn,
punishment to what Is done and enabl,
the question to be tried in h courts
1 am pressing that still.
AS to the coal business; I voted a
the last Congress for the rate bill con
tanning a provision that hereafter NJ
railroad should deal in coal or sell it
What difference does it make whether
the Erie Railroad owns coal lands o.
not? / vote for what is right for tn
people! I am sorry that the Suprem'
Court of the United States has de
clared that particular provision uncon
s%titutional. In some way we shall de
wise a fair and constitutional provision
which shall divorce transportation fror
trade in the same commodities that tn
railroads transport. 1t Is right.
e tn1Ilh l. nave ulSpOScu Ol Llidl. L WOul
only add that I make no cross-attacl
but the opposing candidate who ha
been a newspaper correspondent i
Washington, and has my record befor
him. ought to have known better thai
to impute such motives as these AM
I will say further. hat 1t Is unusua
that a man of pure motives. as I be
lieve him to. belt is unusual that
man who has not something wronl
about his own motives should seek 70
bad motives in another. That is no
all.
I am told that Z am a proxy TO
Mr.. Cannon. I wonder If any one VIII
knows me, Democrat or Republican
believes I am a proxy for any man.
am asked whether I will vote for MI
Cannon for Speaker. I m asked t
pledge myself not to vote for hin
When we meet in a new Congress l
March we shall have to get all goo
Republicans together, If we a v a ma
iority, In order to select tho best ma
in a Republican ucu TO lead tn
majority and see that the people rul
through their majority n that tn
minority do not rule. That is the bus
ness of the Speaker. He Is the servan
of the majority. 1t is hard to get tim
| to do business. There are 400 members
and each wants to say something
|, There are less than 400 o in tn
short session, and the great appropria
ton bills AXE most of the time of tn
House. Among the 10000 bills Their
!, are a lot of small bills that do not TAX
much time, for which a short time
given on call of committees, to be pr
over Il unfinished. or in special littl
matters it is done by consent or b
moving for suspension of the rules.
Great matters, changing of h Law
must first pass through the main CON
mittees of the House, and then b
brought up by a special rule by tn
committee on rules, of which the Speal
err is only one, who bring them befor
the House as important matters tina
need to be determined. The committee