New-York tribune., 1903-05-01
MISSOURI CORRUPTION.
National Political Interest IN Deuel.
oDmemtS There.


gate Senate for bribery. are OF national politi-
cs1 Importance. and give Missouri greater In
,srest 10 the managers Of both parties than has
ertached TO that State for many years It IS
serted by Republicans and dreaded by Demo
Gratis that the exposures now being made by the
Grand juries at jefferson City and ST. Louis spell
Te-,oc-atic defeat in Missouri in 1904 It is true
that about half Of the State Senator's thus far
indicted are Republicans. but it is also true that
she trail Of corruption lead past the door Of the
Democratic Lieutenant Governor. who has just
-esigned TO the very citadel of the Missouri De-
-nocracy-the State Central Committee Of that
7a-ty. Indeed. II does not even end there, for il
goes on Up 20 the latest idol of the Missouri
Derocrats. William Joel Stone, who has just
raken his seat IN the United States Senate. who
Is vtce-chairnan Of the Democratic National
Committee, and who only few weeks ago was
esllogized by William Jennings Bryan as one Of
the most likely candidates for the Presidential
domination in 1904. Senator Stone resents with
great indignation the insinuation that he has
Participated in any form IN the corrupt methods
that have been employed through the lobby at
Jefferson City TO influence legislation. though
.he fact that he confessedly accepted a fee to
act as attorney for a concern whose agent
bought votes for the measure in the legislature.
-or which Mr.. Stone also pleaded with the law
makers before he elected 10 the Senate, Will.
it is believed, effectUzIly put stop TO all talk Of
hin es a Presidential possibility What effect.
Il any. 81 viii have upon his standing in the
Senate at Washington remains to be seen as
anyhow he IS yet TOO new 70 the Senatorial toga
for his stature TO have been taken and his rating
fixed in that body.
John A Lee. who has Just resigned the Lieu
tenant Governorship after a sensational disap-
rearauoe from the State under charges and his
-eappea-ance under dramatic circumstances. for
years has been q close personal and political
friend OF Senator Stone. When the Senator was
Governor Of the state he appointed Lee vice
president Of the Board Of Police Commissioners
q ST Louis-a place Of great prestige and in
fueuce. Since then Lee has been one Of Stones
chief Ieutenants and advisers It was Stones
influence that forced Lees nomination for Lieu
tenant Governor the ticket with DockeTy
orer the Iatters protest and il is an open secret
.-7ong Missouri Democrats that the Stone ele-
r-ent. which has dominated the party in Mis-
souri, since 1895. was looking favora bly, upon Lee
for Governor next year In fact when Senator
stone was last il Washington he told friend
that Governor Doczery would be succeeded
either by Lieutenant Governor Lee or Mayor
YIN" Reed Of Kansas City Lee was unknown
tn politics until he was taken up by Stone when
the latter WIS Governor of the State. He be-
longs 10 the Kentucky family Of Lees. which is a
was commercial traveller for years out Of St
Louis and was one Of the organizers OF the
Travellers Protective Association. one Of the
largest national organizations maintained by the
d-urrners Of the country. For several years he
was president Of the Travellers Protective As
sociatior with headquarters in St. Louis. At
the sane time he conducted a trade paper
called 'GThe Interstate Grocer, and II Is to this
employment TO which he sadly announces he is
rTg-s
It is generally understood here among MIS-
sourians that there will be no prosecution Of
Lee along with the State Senators against whom
indictments have been returned. Lees confes-
sion To Attorney General Crow made the finding
Of the indictments easy, and it is probably due
70 this fact that the prosecuting officers nave
agreed not 10 proceed against him However,
there is no telling what may be the intention Of
the Circuit Attorney Of St. Louis Joseph W
Folk who is at once al enigma and terror TO
the old political bosses Of both parties in Mis-
souri II was he who exposed the shameful
7puoictpal corruption Of St. Louis. and who did
not stop until he had indicted and convicted
Boss Ed- Butler. the Croker Of St. Louis, Of
corrupttug nearly the entire legislative body Of
the city For more than. twenty years Butler
has been the undisputed Democratic boss OF St
Louis, with an influence in Democratic State
conventions that frequently determined the
character Of the tickets nominated Had Butler
known the sort Of man Folk Is, It IS not at all
likely that the latter would have been made the
Democratic candidate for Circuit Attorney three
wears ago. Folk Is not yet thirty years olo'
is q Tennesseean by birth and rearing ana
vlAphew Of the Vsnera bic Senator W. . Bate. OF
that State. My Folks vigorous and unspaflnS
prosecution Of the municipal boodlers mace pos
sible the sweeping Democratic victory IN St'
T,gflis "a 1901 over the oUtspoken protest OF MI
BRYAN and the silent opposition OF senator
Stone Mr. Bryan's protest was based upon the
fact that the Democratic nominee 1or Nay
RoIla Wells. had not supported MN N tls CaL!-
raign Of 1896. Senator Stone, as MI Bryan
chief lieutenant il Missouri, followed the leaQ
Of the Nebraskan fl this matter, as dlo all OF
nanny John A Lee Mr. Folk has been drawn
into the prosecution Of the state pooaiers %
Of the fact that some OF the oooee LI,oies
was paid 10 members OF the stare 6ehaVe 0'
hotels IL St Louis
Analvsis Of the returns Of the last two cleo
tons Ia Missouri exhibits the interesting iact
that had rot St Louis and the other large cities
Of the State given large Democratic pIuralllleS
for the first time in years the State woulo nave
been carried by the Republicans. IN IN, OF 1siet es
words rural Missouri, so long the strongno4o u
the Missouri Democracy, is rapidly becoming
Republican, and but for the corruption lhat
crept into the last Republican administrator ~
- .o1,is which was so thoroughly exposed aho
prosecuted by Circuit Attorney Folk II Is not
reasonable to suppose that there wouId nave
been so radical q change in the election resuItS
sr that cifv et the last two polls W TN the eA-
centior OF Boss Ed Butler. all Of the munlcl-
Eal boodIers prosecuted and convicted by -dr.
TT1I., we're F2eDublican -officeholders-a fact
nor generally known in the East This exposure
Of Official corruption 20 disguised oecetl re
pubIicans IN ST. Louis and other cities oI the
state that when the Democrats put up Cea.i i
tickets they deserted their party and voted WIN
the Democrats. In the case or the state pood-
Jers the shoe Is the other foot Inc ruraI
r,ar4s Of the State already are ant-DeInocratlc
- a. anv rate II has been abundantly proved
that they are anti-Bryan- The Democratic StdtS
organization is completely In the hands OF me