The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-22
Circuit Attorney the Guest of Hon.
or at Banquet of Com
mercial Club.
TALKS OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS.
Declares Public Officials Are Not
Apt to Find What They
Do Not Faithfully
Seek.

CIRCUIT Attorney Joseph W. FOLK was the
guest Of honor at a banquet rendered to
him by the Commercial Club at the St.
Louis Club last night.
R. McKittrick Jones. president OF the club.
was toastInaster. When the coffee was
reached. he introduced Mr.. Folk. who. he
said, would entertain the company with
some views on Municipal Conditions"
gained during his incumbency OF the Cir
cult Attorneys Office.
Mr.. Folk said. among other things:
: The picture to be presented is Of the un-
derside Of things. the side with which
J come in contact in the line OF my official
huties- We Go not want officials to tell
us Of how many men have not been muir
1ered or how many houses have not been
robbed. but OF how many have and who
The murderers and robbers are.
We DO not desire the scayenger to take
the daisies the daffodils. and the geraniums
from our flower garden, but We demand that
he remove the offal and garbage from the
garbage box. lest 1t poison the atmosphere
end injure health.
) DUTY TO SEARCH FOR BAD.
Z We have officials whose duty It is to
II We wait for corruption to exist under
our noses before We notice il, It may become
so strong as to strangle US. We are not
apt to find what We are not looking for.
II public officials do not search out vice and
corruption, they are not likely to be of
much service 10 the public.
that affect the public. of the faithlessness
OF public servants. You all remember the
parable of the master who presented the
talents to his servants, and the use the
servants made Of them. You remember one
servant. fearing to lose his talent buried
II It must not be understood that all our
public servants are unfaithful.
Recent events have shown that some of
our legislators in former Councils and the
House Of Delegates did not even bury the
talent: but not only confiscated it. but put
their hands in the public pockets and took
more. They sold the public property of the
city, the franchises and the proceeds went
itching palms Of these faithless servants
dishonest combines were formed not In
the Interest of the community. but to bar
gain
AMAZING STORY OF CORRUPTION.
The speaker referred to the combines in
the Municipal Assembly of 1888 and 1900
lighting deals.
There may have been more corruption
IN other cities. but in no other has there
closed as in ST. Louis.
The conditions disclosed here reveal an
amazing story OF corruption. The surprise
is. not that 1t existed, but that so much OF
II has been uncovered. 1t exists more or less
in all great cities, and 1t is almost a physi-
cai lmpossibility TO obtain proof sufficient
Government OF cities presents more and
more plzziing problems for the student of
political economy and the striver after good
sovernment In birmingham, England and
GLASGOW, Scotland, conditions are very diff
Ierent from those existing here, where uni
Versal suffrage prevails.
- Citizenship under, our form of govern
Hent mas never been properly appreciated
n tnose fortunate enough to live under IT.
VT iorefathers were gifted with marvellous
8isdom when they gave us a form of gov
Hnuent guaranteeing to its citizens rights
HVer before exercised by any people Neg
az 70 fb- exercise these rights in the proper
Pnferred by the Government Ali govern
lent Is vested in the people, who dele
ate representatives to act for them.
E BRIBERY FATAL TO CIVIC LIFE
E"Bribery is fatal to civic life Government
pinot survive when the representatives of
Hs people. under the cloak of law sell the
1viieges which belong to the citizen and
HBribery is blow at the very founda-
pms OF liberty. 1t rests with the people
the conditions are to continue. The
tate TO use the surgeons knife fearlessly
on the fostering sore on the body polite.
lest lest It eat into its vitals and destroy it.
o. honest faithful public servants, and it
sG gxP sSsx sG s%TRR S oS such c.,,r
Exposing and Furnishing corruption and
city. Our highest civic duty is to scourse
these corruptionists from our midst. Brib- |
cry Is an onense that cannot possibly be |
wholly stopped. but II can be reduced to
a minimum by the fearless enforcement Of |
addresses were also made by Mayor |
Welis. y. G Simmons; Charles Parsons, T. |
Hornsby.. all commendatory Of the course
pursued by Mr.. Folk. and concentrating
him on the benefit his action has conferred |
On the community.
The invited guests were: ]. L. Hornsby.
James Y. Player. Henry T. Kent, Judge |
Franklin Ferris. T. s. McPheeters James i.
lor y. A. Mcmillan. ]. L. Mauran. Benja- !
nun Gratz, b. l.. WincheIl Howard Fitting.
=. orrick Bishop and James NJ Francis.