Mexico weekly ledger., 1903-10-29


years the city of ST. Louis had not one
honest legislative body. Every enter
OF both a public and private n
ture pertaining TO these people was
met with the same consideration at
their hands. No n can overstate the
.rottenness of municipal legislation
there.
Circuit attorneys had come and gone
and nothing was done or exposed. In
glee the robbers, and by that
mean the giver and taker alike, boast
ed Of their infamy. Everything they
could sell was gone except the old
courthouse and the dark drinking huid
OF the Mississippi. At the time the
posurc came schemes were on foot %
sell them too. Into this pestilential at
rosphere the presumptuous Joe Folk
walked, and before the scoundreis
could believe that a power had arisen
TO destroy them. he put the seal OF
felony on the backs OF twenty out OF
t~wenty-one of them, and his work has
only begun. Before We make him gov
ernor he viii have the stripes on nifty
OF them.
When he commenced men had paid
10000 for one vote: men high In
wealth had a majority Of the city
council on salary OF 5000 each 10
vote against any Isl hostile to
their railroad interests. no matter how
much these measures might help the
people. Folk u this evil up by the
roots. Tiiden convicted three. Folk
twenty, yet our politicians shout TO US;
Cruelty him" Folk made good gov
eminent possible in st. Louis. Go there
now. Il needs no ffe and drum corps,
no skyrockets, to that be Is
in st. Louis. Go there now. You Will
see the first honest government In the
leity council In is years. You will hnd
measures Of great public interest EN-
acted without pay. and measures OF
great public infamy stiied without
compensation. You will find the infamy
of Lucas avenue that the merchants had
for twenty years petitioned the police
TO stop. closed. You will find the trade
in human souls and bodies formerly
carried on there by politicians de-
stroyed, and the leading figures there
in, fugltives from justice. Is 1t any
wonder that the people of St Louis
love him and ask you to join them in
placing this great state in his handss
Is il n wonder that this proud
commonwealth. peerless Missouri.
proud Of It's greatness. ambitious to
hold its great lead in the galaxy Of
Estates. wants to trust the management
Of the affairs of its three and a halt
millions Of people; its industrial, So
leiai. business and educational interests
to the man whose record SIS born OF
things done and not said. and the
things done are the basis OF all society
and government. You and have the
right to have the lawmaking power OF
this state in the hands OF honest men.
We have a right to see that the laws
enacted by its legislative body are for
/ the best interest of the people; we
: have the right TO see that every law SO
, enacted is vigorously enforced. ! hold
i that the hand that has cleared the at
|, mosphere in our body polite is the ca
/: pable hand TO guide the ship OF state
/ had the honor TO report as chair
, man OF the committee OF resolutions
! at the st. Joe convention the singing
resolution in favor Of honest govern
, ment and the elimination OF the hood
lers and the lobby, adopted unanimous
ly BY that convention. As looked a
, that magnificent assemblage OF demo
!. Gratis. I knew that they were voting a.
they felt, and ! am proud now to ap
peal TO their constituents to indors'
. those resolutions by nominating tn
one man whose whole public life Is tn
l-mpersonation OF the doctrine therein
4 stated.
Y Next year an exposition, the great
4 est ever known. will be held in 81
Louis. That splendid work Of the ma
: ton is its tribute to as rare a triumph
o Of craftsmanship as is recorded In tn
a annals OF history. II is to you and m
e a delight to know that 1t was the ae
IS Of the founder OF the democratic par
= ty. When the millions shall come I
II view the products Of our state, II shal
be our pride to point to the nomination
II Of Joseph Folk as proof that hig
y above our pride in our products Is on
r pride in our civic institutions and GU
faith that honest government honest
ly administered is the browning gior
OF Missouri.
10 Now, ladies and gentlemen, into In
y, campaign some things have come, tha
should not have come. ! hold in m
k, hand an anti-Folk paper which say
I'd that his only supporters ARE negroe
soreheads and renegades,' and to-da
VS. a Folk supporter said to me that IAN
N man who did not support Folk was
boodler." l deprecate all this. 1t
to the pride and boast Of our old demt
IT. cratic home that each individual sha
ng support whomsoever he chooses. Thi
Dis principle is true democracy. Judl
CAN'T and Reed are my friends.
IaI nominated | shall gladly work 4
he them, knowing them to be excellei
ri and capable men. ! will say to Il
en- editor whom | quote that | am not
,e? negro. | am not a renegade, for ! a
las doing business at the same old stan
al | am not a sorehead, for ! have take
nd an active part for my party in eve
his campaign for twenty years.
ms I have also been amused at the fra
eat tic efforts of some papers In conten
ne. ing that the business men OF 81. Lou
ths had raised a fund Of $4,000 TO ele
for Folk and that the organization was n
OF by Gov. Stephens. ! am a member
ng that body, and our treasurer made
Of report a few days ago and we had ju
Ing SIC In the treasury. Gov. Stephe
ma has neither directly mol indirect
lis either controlled or attempted to co
the troll that body. II is a body OF busino
on men who have contributed 10 the u
by building of Missouri, who believe III
1oh the best government Of the state c
be secured by the election OF Folk. B
lnl speaking for myself, | have been
aid hctive democrat since 1876. I ha
up hot in all that time been in the on
ice of the governors Ave times. VIII
II Folk shall be elected | shall ask a
Ddy accept no favor at his hands. | ha
M ax IN grind I can sneak of sol