The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-12
FOLK OF MISSOURI,
Is Doomed for Presidential Nomina.
 ton,

ton.
 The following is a part of leader in The Louisville Courier-Journal: The latest dark horse to edge his way. as it were, into the paddock, has still a year before him to make record. Neither MT: Illden nor Mir. Cleveland had much more. If the Hon. Joseph W. Folk of St. Louis, be nominated and elected by the Democrats to the Governorship of M,s,sGiuri' nns,,io ] he VII occupy very much the Whether Mir. Folk and his friends are able to improve the opportunity, as MT. Tilden and his friends were able to do, Whether MT. Folk. himself, is another Iilden, or even approximately up to the Presidential attitude, Is a question we nave no means yet of deciding. But, in that he may come to he in the running even without a nomination and election as GoVernor of Missouri. MT. Bryan had nc no such ,daa lead, or backing, in 1896. That from the following, which we find in me Republic of St; Louis. Democratic newspaper supposed to have Governor Francis as it's first choice. We quote:
 Politicians, both Democrats and Re- publicans, are figuring on Circuit At torney Joseph w. Folks future There is who, is not wondering what effect the poodle prosecutor will have upon his own prospects,.
 Most of the gossip has to do with
 
 cratic nomination for Governor. or rather Of It's being offered to him by a movement which Is active in various parts of the State So far he has not announced his candidacy, and it is not probable that he will do so. He refuses to be quoted or to acknowledge that he is anticipating a he has enough to keep him busy at the present time, without worrying about the future.
 Vet his friends are interested in the nn1ifinal In To in F. haps, not so far removed from human susceptibilities that he is not thinking of the years possibilities. .'
 Between the lines there is some sug- gestive reading here. No one can ever predict just what body of dscredited politicians will do when scared into the need of doing something which will look Folk has been thus far exceptional and pears the earmarks of having a future before 1t.
 If not kind of destiny, in his election to the Circuit Attocneyship. We are as sured that he did not want the office. He wished for nothing better than to con tinue successful .aw practice. But in spite of this. the gang which ruled St. Louis. feeling that he would be an easy going official, forced the nomination up- on him. He accepted 1t only after the declaration that if elected he would dis charge his duties fearlessly, without dic- tatlon rom any quarter. This the gang
  three weeks after MT. Folk took the ca tn he discovered that the grossest corrup- ton prevailed 'n almost all departments of the city government. So inured were the officials to the practice of bribery that It was considered joke. Folk did not see any humor in it. On the contrary, he set himself to work to procure evidence and to prosecute the guilty. friend and foe alike. The politicians laughed at the idea, but the Circuit Attorney persisted As he got nearer the seat of rottenness the boodlers began to advise, coax and finally to threaten him. Finally, he dis covered the great Suburban Railway con spiracy to manipulate traction franchises so as to shake shake down" the traction com completed, the money was put in safe deposit boxes for delivery to >the ring members. when Folk. armed with fun authority. raided the boxes captured the funds, compelled the companys s agents to divulge facts in the case and began a slngle-handed crusade against the gang" that has commanded the admiration of law-aoiding citizens the country over Councilmen and Assemblymen fled from the city only to be captured, returned and convicted The magnitude of the corrup- ton staggered belief, but the Circuit At torney went right through with 1t, even convicting the arch ringleader and en- gineer of bribery, the Bill Tweed of St. Louis corruption, a person by the name of Butler.
 No opposition, no threat, no bribe, could dissuade him from his course, so that now HIS lHHueuCc Is Ieil m State as well local affairs Charges of corruption in the Missouri Legislature aroused inves- tgation and as a consequence 1t was found that Jefferson City the State Cap ital, was quite as rotten as St. Louis, it's commercial metropolis. All this may be fairly said to be the work of one man and that the young man of the name of Folk.
 It certainly recalls Tilden, and who shall say that 1t may not furnish the political history of the time a duplicate page, the present Hero of the Four Courts repeating the story of the Sage of Grammercy Park? If we study the story of the White House we shall find it replete with romance. Presidents seem to be born almost as surely as the Lords anointed." What in the range of heroic notion could be more extraordinary than the tour de force which carried the pres ent head of the nation from a desk in the Navy. Department to the Executive Mansion inside of less than four years?
 MT. Folk is to be Tammany's orator the coming Fourth of July. If he makes a good impression. count him thereafter as one at least of the possibilities. In American politics nobody can tell what a year may bring forth.