The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-08-21
Externally THE pIcAyUNE.

Honest Republican voters in Missouri find shame
and despair in the apparently ncurable picayunism
which afficts all their leaders and their newspapers
In the whole State there is scarcely a citizen who
has the least confidence in the good faith of Republ
can leadership; leadership which has no sincerity of
public spirit and desire to improve the methods OF
government; sincerity in anything but the pursuit
of spols and desire for any changes in public af
fairs which do not mean more jobs for their parti
sans
In the Doodle exposures there was a noble chance
for the Republican leaders to lay a foundation OF
party strength in Missouri. This chance has been
wasted, as all others before have been, by turning
the question into petty nagging at the Democratic
party. The people, Republicans and Democrats, move
away with contempt fyom the exhibition of incom
petence and look to Democrats alone for reform.
Whom could the Star expect to convince with such
shallow stun as it spread out yesterday? This for
instance:
II Dockery is "active In the fight against
boodling. The Republic claims. then he
has concealed the fact from The Re
public, which has publicly regretted the
Governors attempts to excuse boodlers
No voter is ignorant of the fact that Governor
Dockery has been active in the fight against hoodins
The Star itself published daily last winter enough of
the legislative proceedings to show that Governor
Dockery eontending constantly against the very
SuAS WHICH, udS SluCe Ueeu eApUSeu. ne pisSeu lkoh
the first the entire power of his office at the disposal
Of Circuit Attorney Folk when that official pur-
suing fugitive boodlers. He counseled and urged the
calling of Grand Jury at Jefferson City. He in
structed the chief law officer of the administration.
the Attorney General to personally direct the nvesti
CATION and prosecution. If he had not spoken out
vigorously, nobody would have doubted his sympathy
and cooperation with the war of decency against
DOODLE Whether men are or are not his personal sup
porers they all know that his instincts and assoca
tons those Of honesty in business and in govern
ment. But he has spoken out with ygor wherever
the occasion called for statement from the executive
The Republic has never regretted his attempts to
excuse boodlers." The Governor has made
such attempts. In his Lone Jack speech, The Re
public thought, he described the contrast between
city and country in way which might tend to lur the
country voters into false security. The Republic
spoke Its thought A Democratic paper may disagree
in Judgment with Governor Dockery as it may dis
agree with Circuit Attorney Folk, Mayor Wells or
any public servant. But neither The Republic nor
the Star could be sincere and Governor Dock
cry of seeking to justify or excuse boodling.
In coupling Judge CAN'T with Governor Dockery
and calling them members of gang the Star is dam
aging its party and is not doing itself any good
Neither Of these Democrats is exalted for fair and
reasonable criticism, but both are known in every
Missouri county as upright gentlemen and faithful
officials They would more attempt to, excuse
Doodle than they would attempt to take Doodle.
II the Republican politicians and organs would get
rid of the pcayune complaint and join unselfshly in
the effort to rid the State Of Doodle politics. sort
politics which by the proof of Official records is
powerful in the Republican than in the Democratic
machinery Of the Stateit would be the best policy for
even selfish ends. Their party would gain standing
In the minds of good citizens which some time would
give it State victory. The of very smart
partisanship which they constantly pursue, indis-
criminatey attacking good and bad Democrats, will
keep them In minority forever.