Arizona republican., 1903-02-25

wisest plan is not to worry. It Is for- tunate, however, that MT. Folk hap pens to be one Of those rare men who do their duty in office regardless of public arathy.
 In an article in McClure's Magazine fer March Lincoln Steffens, writing on "The Shamelessness of St. Louis,' re- calls the astonishing revelations Of official corruption, the conviction of fourteen boodlers, aldermen, capital ists and the city boss" Ed" Butler. He asserts that to all this the people of St. Louis are indifferent and the Butler ring is still in control. He writes:
 When Butler was caught and con- victed and sentenced fer bribery, what did St. Louis do? The first comment I heard in the streets when we all got back that day was that Butler would never wear the stripes" I heard it time and again, and you can hear it from banker and barber there today. Butler himself behaved decently. He stayed indoors for a few weeks-till committee of citizens from the best residence section called upon him to come forth and put through the house of delegates a bill for the improvement of street in their neighborhood: and Butler had this done.
 ''One of the first greetings to MT. Folk (the district attorney) was warning from a high source that now at length he had gone far enough, and on the heels of this came an order from the police department that here after all communica tions from him to the police should be made in writing This meant slow arrests; IL meant that the fight was not to go on. Well, Mr. Folk had meant to go on, anyway.
 Officer he said to the man who brought the message, go back to the man who sent you, and say to him that I understand him, and that hereafter all my communications with his de- partment will be in the form ot lndict- ments'
 That department -retreated in haste, explaining and apologizins, and offer ing all possible facilities.
 MT. Folk has work ahead of him for the two years remaining of his term, and he is the man to carry it all through. But where is it all to end :? There are more men to be indicted many more to be tried, and there is much more corruption to be disclosed But the people of St. Louis know enough. What are they going to do about it?''
 They have had one opportunity al ready to act. In November last, just before the Butler verdict, but after the trial was begun. there was an election some of the offices to be filled might have to do with boodling cases Mir. Folk and hoodling were the natural issue, but the politicians avoided it. Neither party claimed MT. Folk Both parties took counsel of Butler in rnak- ing up their tickets, and they satisfied hlm. The democrats did not mention Folks name in the platform, and they nominated Buffers son for the sea t in congress from which he had repeat edly been busted for fraud at the polls. 'Why?' l asked a democratic leader who said he controlled all but four districts in his organization. Because I needed those Butler dis tricts,' he answered.
 But isn't there enough anti-bood- ling sentiment in this town to offset those districts?'
 " I 6on't think SO
 Perhaps he was right. And vet those juries and those prayers must mean something
 MT. Folk says: 'Ninety-nine per cent of the people are honest; only 1 per cent is dishonest. But the l per cent is perniciously active In other words. the people are sound. but with out leaders. Another official, of ire proachable character himself, said that the trouble was. there was no one fit to throw the first stone However this may be, here are the facts:
 Tn the midst of all these sensations, and this obvious, obstinate political rottenness, the innocent citizens. who must be at least a decisive minority. did not register last fall Butler. the papers said, had great furniture vans going about with men who were said to be "repeaters," and yet the regis tration was the lowest in many years When the ButieriZed tickets were an- nounced, there was no audible protest IL was the time for an indepenGent movement. A third ticket might not have won, but it would have shown the politicians (whether they counted them in or ouD how many honest votes there
 were in the city, and what they would | have to reckon with in the force of
 public sentiment. Nothing of the sort
 was done. St. Louis, rich, dirty and
 despciled, was busy with business |
 1