He ran on a platform of ridding the city of its moral ills, including prostitution and illegal drinking.

He clashed with City Marshal Joseph A. Moore, whom Parsons did not believe was doing an adequate job enforcing the law.

Once, while Moore was busy in court, Parsons took charge of the city's police force and launched several raids against Gloucester's brothels, which resulted in sixty arrests.

Once again running on the Citizen's ticket, he received 1,117 votes to Democrat Frank H. Gaffney's 806 and Republican Fitz J. Babson's 584.

[3] In 1896 he ran as an Independent for the 11th Essex District seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, which consisted of Rockport and Ward 2 of Gloucester.

[2] He also ordered his officers to arrest any person who appeared to be intoxicated and not to assist anyone under the influence of alcohol in getting home.

[6] During his tenure as City Marshall, Parsons clashed with the Clerk of the Gloucester Police Court, Charles D. Smith, over the issuance of warrants.

Parsons refused to resign and the Board of Aldermen remained supportive of him, rejecting Cook's numerous nominees for the office.

After one of the alderman who had opposed Cook's nominees had boarded a street car for home, the pro-Cook aldermen met with the Mayor and had him call an emergency meeting.

Parsons was accused of negligent care, wasting supplies, serving food that had gone bad or was poorly cooked, and abusing inmates.

[10] The investigation was eventually dropped, however, in 1905, the new mayor, George E. MacDonald, replaced Parsons with his brother, William E.