The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-03

half at SS5Q.ooG while the Missouri Demo
cratic state Board of Equalization as
sessed our half at S1,7o0,0C0
Another illustration of the difference il
favoridsm to corporations is seen in th'
street railway assessment OF St Louis. =,
"under Republican administration tn
street-car lines of ST. Louis We're assessed
on valuation of $S,JO0,G0T, while unde
Democratic administration they are nov
assessed at eighteen millions.
| Furthermore. II must require an amaz
ing amount of cheek for the Republican,
to complain that the Democrats have beef
too favorable to the corporations when j
ministration in Missouri the railroads paic
not single dollar of taxes. while undel
Democratic administration they We're as
sessed on q valuation of nearly S96, COO
The man who makes that charge mus
have more gall than conscience"
DOODLE ISSUE.
But the real issue in Missouri is the
eradication of official corruption No side
Issue can blind the people to this great
and paramount necessity. Who made II
an issue?
| "First-No boodler was ever prosecuted
in the courts of Missouri by Republican
official. but every case that has been pre-
| by Democratic official, and they cannot
plead the poor excuse that they have had
no opportunity. because they have had
| the greatest opportunities.
.'Second-The first boodling transactions
| that ever took place in the State of Mis-
| souri,. so far as is known, was In the win
| ter of 1868 and 1869. when the Republicans
were in power and had the Governor, the
Senate. the House and the courts. all the
| machinery OF Government. In their hands.
| The State mortgage on the Missouri Pa
half Its value, thereby saddling Il debt Of
s5.6sO,0o0 on the taxpayers Of the State.
| Evidence afterwards brought out in the
Federal Court disclosed the fact that the
4 icls iftYyo Gyft, nod
had all of the machinery in their hands
and prosecuted nobody.
'.Third-The next act of boodling that
| has been brought to light was In the C ty
Of St. Louis. when Republicans he d sway.
| The booide business came to be a regu-
| lar system there and twenty-five out Of
| twenty eight members of the House OF
| Delegates have been proven to be boo
dlers. Republicans control ed the city. h d
| all of the machinery of government in
their hands, Including the Mayor. the Cir,
| cult Judges and the City Attorney, and
| yet no one was prosecuted.
"Who was the Mayor at that time. when
| boodling was at its height: One Cyrus
P. Walbrioge. now Republican nominee
the House of Delegates and President of
| the City Council. and especially MEM
ber of the Comfort combine, whose trans
actions became notorious. not to say in
''This is the man that the Republicans
! expect to drive boodling out OF Missouri.
though in All his eight year. Of pub ic
service in ST. Louis. when boodling was
going on all around him. he never lifted
his hand against 1t, nor threw straw In
the way Of the boodlers business He
slept on his beat, and had no eyes to see
nor nose to smell what was around him:
"Fourth-Be It remembered that the
Democrats have nominated man Ior
Governor who has done more to eradicate
corruption from official life than any other
man in America has ever done. and he
stands on platform which hurls defiance
at all the powers of corruption.
THE Republican candidate. to take the
most charitable view. is an affable and
harmless gentleman. who speaks softly
and offends no one. When challenged to
repudiate the boodlers' support. he an
swers not word.
THE BALLOT BOXES.
"Fffth-Who made this issue? If we had
! waited for Mr.. WalbriGge or the Republic
an party to make 1t. we would have waited
TIL the crack Of doom. 1t was made by
Joseph w. Folk and the Democratic party.
Slxth-What is Judge Spencer's aIKu-
men: to the facts? Why, he says that the
supreme Court of Missouri. ut the in
stance Of Mr.. Folk, sealed up the ballot
boxes to prevent fair contest of his elec-
tion This might do to distract attention
from the main Issue. IL it were not known
throughout the State that this Is the pur-
pose. but the people will not be blinded
by false issues.
The Supreme Court never closed up the
ballot boxes; they simply prevented Judge
Spencer from violating the Australian bal
citizen of the land a secret ballot. They
simply ruled that Judge Spencers order
was not good law. but that the ballot
hoxes might be opened In accordance with
law, ana lair contest instituted to deter
mine whether the election was legal and
the results properly returned
call your attention to the reading of q
Missouri Reports. pages g. ss, 81 and IS.
In other words, Judge Spencer might have
properly required the boxes opened and
the ballots compared with the returns to
see that they were correct. and might also
have had the poll books compared with
| the registration books TO see that those
who voted were entitled to vote. But this
see who had deserted the Republican tick
ct. He pleaded that all the votes cast
were fraudulent, even his own. This alone
ought to have ruled him out of count
/ Seventh-They charge, again, that Mr..
Folk has not prosecuted election frauds
This is simply campaign falsehood. Mr..
FOLK prosecuted and convicted seven cases
! er he came into his office. and did not stop
because the frauds were committed by
Democrats. He convicted more election
crooks than any other official in the city
| has ever done.
| In conclusion, this campaign is waged
in the honor Of Missouri The eyes of the
whole country are upon us. When the sun
goes down on election day the fame of
Missouri will put her at the head of the
list of American Commonwealths IN the
cause OF honest government"
Congressman Vandiver closed his OPEN
Ing speech by giving an eloquent tribute
Doodle element to frighten him and the
| members of his family. He read the
tributes paid to Folk by outside Repub-
| bert s. Hadley, Republican nominee for
Attorney General, in laudation Of Folk.
| His. speech was followed closely. and
especially in his references to Folk. AS he
closed the audience applauded with enthu-
siasm The Republican ciacquer got in its
work when Judge Spencer arose.
| The negroes led in a rousing cheer that
was prolonged long enough to show its
preponderance In numbers.
| JUDGE SPENCER'S SPEECH.
Judge Spencer began by lauding Roose-
| welt for his policies In the Philippines.
Sound money Is a national issue in the
| hearts of the great mass of the. Demo-
cratic voters and Congressman, but not
| in their platform. since Mr.. Parkers tele-
gram has superficially, at least, reorgan-
lied the Democratic party on that issue.
| The inconsistent thing about 1t is that
| my distinguished opponent is now Is We
hement for Parker and sound money as
| he was for Bryan and free silver eight
years ago. Parties who change their para
| mount issues over night are not worthy
| of general confidence.
rs the policy of this Government In the
! Philippines an issue, when within an In
| credible shortness OF time, over 800 towns
in those islands have been given power &c
| govern themselves In internal matters and
/ control of their own police, greater than.
/ under Democratic rule in Missouri, Is giver
| to the citizens of st. Louis and Kansas
] City?
lis Theodore Roosevelt an issue? He
has taken the nation into his confidence
| His acts, his policies are open. honest an6
| sincere. No man Is in doubt. and never
in the history Of this Union has American
and abroad than under the administra.
I tion of Theodore Roosevelt. 1t is q salts
| faction to all. to Republicans openly, and
l atc< u ,ot