Arizona republican., 1909-10-09
The Parsons Charges.

The lion. Herbert R. / Parsons member of congress and chairman of the New York county republican committee, complains that in under taking campaign against Tammany in New York city the republican or ganization is handicapped because the law requiring each voter to make his signature both when voting and registering. was not perfected at the last session of the legislature, it's im- perfections being permitted to stand as favor granted to Tammany by New Yorks republican legislature.
 He charges that this failure to per feet the ballot law was part of a bargain between Speaker Cannon and New York state politicians on the one hand, and the Tammany delegation in congress on the other. whereby the speaker obtained the support of the democratic congress- men from New York city in his con- gents over the revision of the house rules.
 It has never been clearly explained why Governor Hughes, in his efforts to secure a thorough reform of New York's ballot laws, failed to get the support of the republican legislature It was manifestly in the interest of the republican party to lessen Tam r,r-fc :, e..
 That the Tammany congressman did stand with the speaker on the occasion mentioned is, of course, a fact. Whatever their motives may have been would be difficult, prob- ably, to establish. But, on the face of it, Congressman Parsons story does not sound reasonable. Granting. for the sake of argument, that Speak CT Cannon would have been willing to enter into such a bargain the Par sons charges fail to reveal any con- sideration to the "up-stat poli- ticians of New York, who are al- legged to have betrayed Governor Hughes and his party in New York. It is scarcely conceivable that they would have consented to a deal be- tween the speaker and the Tammany machine unless there was something in it" for them. Professional poli- ticians are not built that way. Speaker Cannon, as was to be ex- pected, denounces with some pro- fanity the Parsons charges and the author of them, and says the whole story is a lie.
 Charges of this character, when made by a congressman of the stand ing of MT. Parsons, cannot be dis posed of, however, by a mere denial They have already created a pro- found sensation throughout the coun- try, and public interest will increase as the full significance of the charges is appreciated. Everybody, of course, knows that Tammany is corrupt, and that there are not a few republican politicians in New York who are quite as corrupt as the democratic politicians who control the Tammany organization.
 But the Parsons charges amount to a grave indictment of the Hon. | Joseph G. Cannon, speaker of the | national house of representatives. | That is why we say they will not 1 be disposed of by a mere denial. | But meanwhile there will be no dis | position among fair-minded people | anywhere to believe that Mir. Cannon | was a party to any corrupt deal | Uncle Joe" may have his faults. but | his upstanding honesty is as famous | as the man himself His integrity | has never been questioned, and we | don't believe it ever will be, success fully.
 But the facts will not be long in | coming out. MT. Parsons charges necessarily mean that a considerable l number of men were parties to the alleged deal, and all of them will | not remain silent The charges will be disposed of in due course by pro- duction of the facts.
 Incidentally. MT Parsons has thrown a wet blanket over the re- publican campaign in the city of New York