The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-08
BUTLER WHO HAS CONVERTED
BOODLING INTO A SCIENCE
He Lifts it Out of Politics and Though Convicted He
Still Rules the St. Louis
Assembly.

Court House, and nothing else" 'In
fact" Mr.. Steffens goes on, "all the
possessions of the city were listed for
future sale, the list was in existence, and
the sale was only postponed on account
of an accident-the occurrence of Mr..
Folk"
THE ACCIDENTAL CLOG.
Joseph Folk was a bolt from the blue.
He came in on Buffers own reform"
ticket and the first thing he did
after taking office was to prosecute But
lers "repeaters" who had helped elect
him. Butler was dazed. He thought he had
thoroughly drilled the voters of ST. Louis
in his theories concerning the legitimacy
of bribery. Members Of the ring have
testified in the witness stand that they
had never had any suspicious of its being
wrong to take a bride. 1t had grown so
common in ST. Louis that it appears to
have been looked on by all parties as
perfectly permissible transaction; and
members of the ring, when bills to which
they were committed failed of passage
have even gone and virtuously returned
the "unearned" fees they had received.
There might, of course, be some old
fogies left, but that a young, intelligent
and capable lawyer like Folk with every
thing to lose and nothing to win by it,
should adhere to the old-fashioned ideas
Of bribery, and of a public prosecutors
duty toward it. this passed Buffers I'M
derstanding. Butler pleaded for a while,
then threatened, but with no result. Folk
went on prosecuting the repeaters and,
before Butler could realize what was
up, had actually broken into his council
ring and was indicting members of it,
not for political crimes, but for engaging
in the strictly private occupation Of
boodiing!
And at length an indictment was served
IN Butler himself; he was tried, and he
vas convicted. But the trial took place
IN the little town of Columbia, where the
State University is located, and the jury
were countrymcn. Butter on entering The
town had asked what its business was.
and being told it was education replied
hat that was a hell Of q business. Per
haps this speech gave offense to some
Of the jury. Perhaps, again, Mr.. Folks
speech in this trial, with its peroration
If Missouri Missouri, | am pleading Cor
.hec," influenced these men, one of whom,
after the trial, said to him. Mr. Folk,
HUI HSlSHiES TO IHdt SUeCCn Oh yours
we were ready to go through hell for
YOU" At all events, Butler must have
recognized that in securing a change Of
venue from a st. Louis court he haG
made a grave blunder. For what was the
verdict of ST Louis, cynically overruling
that of the twelve Columbia rustics
Butler will never wear the stripes
BUTLER AND TWEED.
IL st, Louis is right, if Folk is only an
Incident. momentary check. there will
be no further question of Col. Ed. But
ler's place as a boodler He will stand
at the top. Others may have made more
money out of it who have operated in
bigger cities but Butler will have given
10 it the dignity and the security OF
legitimate business enterprise. City adj
ministrations in st. Louis will come and
go-Republican and Democratic-but But
ler's syndicate, the controlling minority
n the city legislature, will remain, do
ng business at the old stand, with
new line of franchises and privileges and
city property for sale to the highest bid
der that will make the parched mouth OF
Tweed water in the other world.