Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-10-09
Mr. Folk. ths Law and ths Press.

MI. FOLK, the Law ana n fress.
From the ST. Louis Mirror.
Mr.. Joseph W. Folk, OF this city, is
one Of the most famous men in the
land to-day. He is justly famous. He
has donea great work in exposing mu-
nicipal corruption. He has done this
work against great odds = against
wealth and influence and hoary Gus.
tom OF the place. All honor to the
young man, and may he never lose his
present modesty. For here, now, 1
would say unto him that those who
live by newspaper fame invariably
perish of the newspapers. l would
have Mr.. Folk beware Of the danger
lurking in his frequently printed pho
tograph, Of the poison in the editorial
pat on the back, Of the traps, pitfalls
and gins that Turk In an oficial's lend
ing a to the temptings Of the news
paper crusader. The sensational press
will constantly urge him on 10 big
thlngs-for them. They will always
expect him to be doing the grand
spectacular. They will try TO use him
to boom themselves and their o~ircula-
tions. They are doing IL now, and
they will press harder, later. A day
will come when he can not go with
them, when his sense Of duty may
cause him to differ from them. Then
they will turn upon him and rend him
with a savagery as great as their pres
ent fiatulent ~flattering. Mr.. Folk, so
far, has done his duty and has pro
fessed to have done no more. Along
that line Of procedure lies the safety
of this bravely brilliant young mans
future. He must guard against fall
ing into a course Of action prompted
by desire to stand well with the news
papers. He does not represent parti-
san clamor, mob clamor, or newspaper
clam0r for victims" The Circuit
Attorneys duty is to ascertain truth
in causesin which he participates, and
it is as much his duty to ascertain in
nocence as it is to ascertain guilt. He
is a prosecutor not a prosecutor, This
he knows and feels, but the press calls
loudly upon bis convictions. He must
convict. He must get results" The
press all about him hammers away
upon the assumption that everyone
accused Of anything in connection
with municipal legislation is guilty.
This assumption blasphemes the fun
damental law. The law does not want
victims 1t wants justice. 1t wants
men tried by forms of law, not sacri-
feed to hot public clamor. The law is
not concerned TO provide newspapers
with material for scare heads" big
half-tons cuts and other devices to
produce thrills. The inceSsant demand
is: "Convict, Convict. Conyict.!H"
The cry before any evidence is sub
mitted is: Guilty" And yet, in
actual fact, the only established guilt
is that OF the States witnesses, who
confess to having bribed officials. 1t
is not fair to infiame the public mind
against men to be tried by memberso Of
the public for their liberty, II is not
Just TO create a public feeling Of which
1t may be said that It is such that 1t
win convict anyone on any evidence,
or none. Yet this is what the news
papers appear to be doing every day.
They praise Mr.. Folk for n convic-
tion obtained, for two defendants fed.
They will damn him heartily for the
first failure to convict. They have
tried and sentenced everybody, and
they expect Mr.. Folk to "deliver the
goods" Mr.. Folks simple duty is to
present the facts against the accused
and show their bearing upon the
charge. AS said above, Mr.. Folk
knows all this, and knows it we'll.
Hitherto he has borne himself equally
as States counsel. tits 10 be hoped
that be will so continue and that he
will be especially wary Of newspaper
~adulation, for it Is sure to cease the
very moment Mr., Folk is brought to
the point at which he must, as a law
yer and a gentleman and a Christian,
refuse 10 deliver scalps to the press
CLAIMANT. Mr.. Folk must do his duty,
and he will do it all the better IL he
viii remember that the very newspa-
pers so ready now to use him praise
fully, to further their own self-adver-
tisement, are equally ready TO asperSe
his motives, ridicule his abilities, and
rip open his reputation, the moment
he may appear to falter in the course
they mark out for him. MI. Folk
must beware Of the newspapers. They
are beginning to make too much of
him, and thus are iDjuring him. They
are beginning to tell him what, how
and who he shall do. He had better
not heed them. He will do well TO
keep himself close TO the fact that his
duty is to the State, TO himself as .
citizen, and 1t is no part Of his duty TO
be a sort Of tool Of the newspaper TO
give official stamp to their, often pc
culiar and sometimes atrocious, forms
/ of e~nternrfge