The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-10-31
MR. FOLKS SPEECH.

cement &C St. Joseph last Saturday.
The estimation in which Nj. Folks
address is held seems in most in
stances to depend upon the previous
attitude OF the reader toward MIR.
Fulk's candidacy. 1t is hard to see
though, how a person who feels no
special interest in any Of the candi-
dates could rank Of the speech above
the ordinary as a platform effort. And
10 arriving at this estimate the critic
might leave entirely out Of account
the subtle quality Of eloQuence, which
few possess and which, while 1t adds
much to the interest of a man and to
his power before audiences Of the
spoken word, contributes very little
to the thought content Of speeches
1t would be impossible for a thought
full reader who had never heard OF the
men to read Mr.. Reeds speech at Sc
dalia and Mr.. Folks speech at st.
Joseph and not pronounce the one full,
complete aud luminous; and the other
a tame harping on a single string,
Astounding in repetition, in many parts,
strikingly illogical, and devoid Of per-
spective Parts OF the speech contain
passages Of the noblest sentiments
couched in simple and manly diction
sentiments which no honest and
manly mat can fail to respond to
heartily. But these passages are usu-
ally followed up by expressions Of ar
rant nonsense. like the following;
at is time for the people Of Mis-
souri, to do their own thinking, and
take the government into their own
hands, where it belongs. With the
Missouri democracy true to its tradi-
tions on the side Of civic honor Of the
hosts of error will vanish like evil
spirits before the dawn of day."
Now who, pray, has been doing
their thinking for them hitherto? In
whose hands has the government been
but the peoples? Is it really their
own thinking that he would have
them do or the Kansas City Stars and
the ST. Louis Globe Democrats? Who
constitute the hosts Of error and who
are the leaders Of these hosts? Is he
making sweeping charges against his
own party or the other party?
Taken as a whole Mr.. Folks speech
resembles some of Mr.. Bryan's car
platform speeches, which the repub-
ltcan press used to ridicule so unmer-
cifully. But there is this difference,
that Mr. BrYan's car platform talks
we're entirely extemporaneous, were
delivered at the rate Of ten to thirty
per day to audiences the character of
which he could have no idea except as
he formed 1t on the spot, and his time
limit was fixed by train orders Of
which he often had no knowledge
whatever, Under such circumstances
1t is not at all remarkable that many
Of Mr.. Bryan's train talks were lop-
sided and full Of repetitiOns, but no
such excuse exists for Mr. Folk,
whose speech was written and deliv-
cred from manuscript.
After a brief reference to the tariff,
to the issues Of '96 and 1900, and to
the differences Of views Of Hamilton
and Jefferson, Mr.. Folk launched out
upon the subj ect Of boodling, which
he declared must be the issue of the
campaign. He did not say whether
he meant the campaign before the
democratic primaries and convention,
or the campaign against the republic
cans after the nominating convention
1t makes little difference which he
meant. There will be nobody to take
issue with at either time. The repub-
licans seem to have no favorites now,
except Mr.. Folk, but when they nom
nate a man 1t will be upon an anti.
Doodle platform and he had better be
one of their best and cleaneSt men,
The other democratic candidates GER
tainly are neither champions Of hood
ling, nor appologists Of it, nor are
they the boodlers' candidates, unless
we listen to the republican papers,
which are so insanely anxious for the
nomination of Mr.. Folk that they
never loose an opportunity to speak
of Judge CAN'T as ED. Butler,
friend" and tell how Butler used tt
shout for him at judicial conventions,
and which have just lately discovered
that Reed Is the hOOdlerS' fayorite anC