Mexico weekly ledger., 1903-12-03
made

He came into the Office OF the Cir
cult Attorney of st. Louis not by his
own seeking, but by the earnest so
ucitation of those who thought his
name would add strength to the ticket.
He did not seek the nomination. IL
was a sacrifice to him to take 1t, but
he took It for the good Of the party,
and his name helped to elect the
whole ticket. For years past corrup.
ton had run riot in the Municipal AS
sembly Of st. Louis, Circuit Attorneys
had come and gone and been forgot
ten, either winking at the crime which
was undermining the very fabric OF
society, or deferred by the powerful
influences Of illgotten wealth and
prostituted politics.
This man entered upon the duties
Of that office with only one pledge
that he would do his duty and exc
cute the laws. The result is known
the wide world over. The most pow
erful combination Of wealthy Grim
inals that ever infested civilized 80
ciety threatened to destroy him II
he exposed their villainy He boldly
took his life in his hand and threw
down the gage Of battle. The story
Of that patient, persistent and unre
Ienting war on crime reads like the
thrilling narrative OF Knight-Errantry
Twenty-Five out Of twenty-eight mem
bers OF the House of Delegates are
proven to have received bribes oi
$4,000 each on one single proposition
and members OF the Council from five
to fifteen thousand dollars. Public
franchises were sold to the highest
bidder, and the city Court House and
city water works and everything else
above ground were about to be sold
ali to fatten the purses OF these pub
lie plunderers. But where are they
to-day? Nineteen OF them sentenced
10 the penitentiary, one hiding in the
mountains of Mexico, one In Canada
and one beyond the seas, and all with
badges OF infamy branded on them
The impetus given to reform has
extended to the legislative branch Of
the state government. Bribe giverf
and bribe takers have been hunted
down, and the public conscience sc
aroused that deep seated determine
tion among the people now demands
that the lobby be expelled from JET
ferson City and practical reform shall
take the place of plausible pretenses
What are we going to do about III
Are we in dead earnest or not? This
| is the issue. In the next campaign
| we must talk about what the people
are thinking about Our platform
cannot ignore the very thing that Ii
paramount in the minds of the people
All parties will declare for reform and
prosecution of corrupt officials. Ther
the issue is: shall we put at the head
of the ticket to stand on that platform
a man of fine speech and good prom
ises or the man who has done things'
Everybody understands that thu
race is between Mayor Reed Of Kan
sas City and Joseph w. Folk of st
Louis, although some people still hope
| that a third candidate will enter the
field and complicate the situation
But the lines are drawn; there will bt
no compromise, and no self.respectins
man will wish to complicate natter
by trying to butt into the game as Q
"harmonizer."
It Is straight fight on a clean cui
issue, and that issue is this: VIII the
people be able to nominate a man oi
their own choosing who makes nj
claim to the Office. but whose name
stands for something and is a guar
antee to all the world of what Mis-
souri, Democracy stands for; or viii
they be forced to accept the nomina
ton of brilliant pyrotechnic pollti
clan, who has been running for Of
flee or holding Office three.fourths o.
the time since he landed In Missouri
and now tells the people, in substance
that he has earned the GovernorshiJ
of the state by the fine speeches he
has made for the party? applause.
Here Is the most marked contrast
that I have ever known In Missouri
politics. am in favor of rewardinl
party service. especially when II ha,
been rendered solely for the good o.
the cause and no claim made for re
ward. II this matter of party worn