Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-06-23

the st. Louis World, Ed. Buffers
boodlers' organ, declared early in
the gubernatorial campaign that if
Folk is nominated it will oppose
his election. The Ironton REG
lister seemed to think that the c.
b. was mistaken, that so good a
Democratic paper as the World
would not refuse to support the
nominee, that it never had said it
wouldn't. The World makes cer-
tain charges against Mr.. Folk,
false of course, and in it's yester-
days edition says the charges will
be presented at the State conven-
ton, and, using that papers own
words: "If ignored by the con-
vention they will be presented to
the people of Missouri, irrespec-
tive OF party, in the campaign this
fall. They will be presented until
all the world knows Joseph Win
gate Folk for what he really is. A
hypocrite and a fraud" Now,
Bro. AXE, does not this look like
the World means to oppose Folk
after he is nominated? Don't you
think it likely that that paper said
just what we told you it did-that
it intended to oppose him at the
polls?-Jackson Cash Book.
At the time l held that the World
had not declared its intention to
"bolt" in case Folk should be
nominated, | was right in saying
so. | had seen no such statement
in the paper. But that is a matter
of no moment now. A graver
question than the purposed action
of the World is before all loyal
Democrats. You say the charges
against Folk are "false, of course"
| wish | had your unquestioning
faith, even but for the sake of con-
tent. But | have not. These
charges are of the gravest nature:
that he has drawn from the treas
ury money he knew he was not
entitled to; that he was connected
with land frauds in Tennessee;
that he has shielded millionaire
boodlers, while prosecuting poor
men to the limit of the law; that
he has collected large sums of
money in the way of fines and de-
posted them in bank to his per-
sonal account, and kept them there
for months before turning them
over to the official to whom they
should have lawfully been paid in
the first instance. The World has
made no general, hotch-potch
charge in this last matter, but has
given alleged names, dates,
amounts, etc, specifically. 1t has
dared MI. Folk to take these
charges into court, and pledges tc
seek no delay, but to verify every
one by undisputed testimony. Mr..
Folk in a speech at Kahoka said
he could not afford to accept the
Worlds challenge, because, if he
were awarded damages, there was
no person behind the paper from
whom they could be recovered,
One would naturally think he
would be>more solicitous to brand
the liar than collect the fee. A
Jefferson City, in another speech
he told his hearers that Cool" Ed
Butler was the chief owner of thu
World; and Butler has a fair share
of cash to his credit. So the two
speeches are not in strict accord
You don't believe the Worlds state,
ments, perhaps but to me the
evidence is so clear and conclusive
in its eXactness and consistency
and minuteness that I am bount
/ to receive it as truth, SO long a!
the facts alleged are unchallenged
You will remember that when thu
, World unearthed Blair's wrong.
doings it vas denounced as a liza.
. and slanderer for weeks, but il
, the end who was indicated?
, tell you, my brother, l have neve
read in the World a single charg'
against any nan that has been re
futed, and I say it simply becaus
t it is truth. But let that go.
r you believed Mr.. Folk guilty o
3. these wrongs, as the World pro
fesses to believe, would you sup
I port him for Governor? Woul,
you disgrace the party and tn
i State by helping prefer him to tn
highest honor within the gift O
: the people? Herein lies the Who'll
l question. The World says he 4
l guilty and proffers to prove it il
/ the courts by unimpeachable testi
mony. What more can it do t.
3 verify it's sincerity and truthful
5 ness? What more could the Cash
Book or any other paper do unde
the circumstances? Clearly, ther
Q it is a duty that Mr.. Folk owes t
d his party and to himself to accer
: the challenge without delay. Fail
ing in that, |, for one, cannot say
"of course, the charges r false.