[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 205 (Wednesday, December 20, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2425]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           H.R. 1804, THE JUDGE ISAAC PARKER FEDERAL BUILDING

                                 ______


                         HON. Y. TIM HUTCHINSON

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 20, 1995

  Mr. HUTCHINSON. Mr. Speaker, recently the House passed H.R. 1804, 
which would name the Federal building in Fort Smith, AR, after Judge 
Issac Parker.
  While this legislation was overwhelmingly supported by 373 Members of 
the House, there were 40 Members who voted against H.R. 1804. It was 
subsequently reported that a number of Members who voted against the 
bill did so because they believed Judge Parker was a racist and one was 
even quoted as saying Parker ``Hung blacks because they were black.''
  This past year our country faced the issue of race in ways it never 
had before. It is a sad and unfortunate fact that racism is alive and 
well in our society today. It is also a fact that racism knows no color 
or ethnic boundaries. People of all races are subject to their own 
prejudices. We must all fight to overcome our own personal prejudices 
and biases.
  That is why I cannot allow the statements about Judge Parker to go 
unanswered. I think it is important for people to know the real Judge 
Parker and the man that he was. He was a man who was ahead of his time. 
He was a man who freely gave of himself to his community. He was a man 
who had a deep respect for the law and a deep concern for those who 
came before his court. His reputation is so respected that 100 years 
after his death the citizens of Fort Smith, AR still want to honor him 
and his legacy.
  I would, therefore, bring to your attention letters which were sent 
to me from the Department of the Interior the day after the vote on 
H.R. 1804. One is from the superintendent of the Fort Smith National 
Historic Site and the other is a letter to the editor by the park 
historian. I hope this information is helpful to Members' understanding 
of the real Judge Parker.
                                   U.S. Department of the Interior


                                        National Park Service,

                                 Fort Smith, AR, December 6, 1995.
     Hon. Tim Hutchinson,
     U.S. House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Hutchinson: We have been following your 
     efforts over the last few months to rename the Fort Smith 
     federal building in honor of Judge Isaac C. Parker with great 
     interest and support. I read the news article in this 
     morning's paper and was surprised and disappointed to read 
     the statements calling Judge Parker a racist and the 
     unsubstantiated remarks that he hanged blacks ``just because 
     they were black''. There is no historical record supporting 
     these statements. In fact the record proves just the 
     opposite. Our historian has written the attached letter to 
     the editor to hopefully clarify the issue. She also received 
     a call today from the AP service in Little Rock about this 
     and she provided the same information to them. We are 
     forwarding similar letters to Senators Bumpers and Pryor in 
     the hopes that they will also support your efforts.
       I am sorry that we did not offer you more substantial 
     support earlier in the process. I was frankly surprised that 
     there would be much protest. If we can provide you any 
     further details or information please call on us. Thank you.
           Sincerely,
                                                 William N. Black,
     Superintendent.
                                                                    ____

                                  U.S. Department of the Interior,


                                        National Park Service,

                                Forth Smith, AR, December 6, 1995.
     Editor,
     Southwest Times Record,
     Forth Smith, AR.
       To the Editor: In response to criticism of Isaac C. Parker 
     leveled by lawmakers opposing the House bill to name the 
     federal courthouse in Forth Smith after the judge, I would 
     like to make the following comments. The statement that 
     Parker hanged African Americans ``just because they were 
     black'' is simply not true. Of the 87 men who were executed 
     on the Fort Smith gallows (79 of those while Parker was on 
     the bench), 33 (38%) were white, 36 (41%) were Indian and 18 
     (21%) were black. Of those 18 African Americans, 17 were 
     convicted of murder and one of rape in jury trials. Federal 
     statute at that time ordered that anyone convicted of rape or 
     murder was to receive the death penalty. Parker had no choice 
     except to sentence these people to death.
       Furthermore, Parker provided opportunities for African 
     Americans that otherwise would not have been available. He 
     appointed Bass Reeves the first African American deputy U.S. 
     marshal west of the Mississippi in 1875. Other blacks served 
     prominently on the deputy force throughout Parker's years in 
     Fort Smith, including Grant Johnson, Zeke Miller, Robert 
     Fortune, John Garrett and Bynum Colbert. Parker's personal 
     bailiff while he was in Fort Smith was a former slave named 
     George Winston. Other African Americans served on the staff 
     of the federal jail at Fort Smith.
       Nothing in the historical record supports the idea that 
     Parker was a racist. The Ohio native, Union Civil War veteran 
     and Congressman from Missouri used his position as a federal 
     judge to empower African Americans. Yes, there were black men 
     hanged on the gallows, but these were convicted criminals 
     guilty of severe crimes. By the time they reach Parker's 
     courtroom, there was little he could do but provide them a 
     fair trial and then, if necessary, sentence them as the law 
     provided.
           Sincerely,
                                               Juliet L. Galonska,
     Park Historian.

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