The St. Louis Republic., 1904-08-31
ANTIFoLKISM AND IT'S CANDIDATE.

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! ANTIFoLKISM AND IT'S CANDIDATE
Without doubt Mr.. Folk will be The next G0:ern
or Of Missouri. His election is political certain-!
as near certainty anything which must be de
cided at the polls can be. Not ten men III :h'
State seriously doubt it. Probably not more thar
| two men on the anti-Foll5 ticket seriously doubt it
! With two exceptions the minor nominees
| knowingly lent their names to a fororn hope. As
for the head of the ticket himsef-it is assuming too
much TO say that even Mr.. Wai.rdgc is far car
ried away by the natural and inevitable hopes of
candidate rs 10 ignore Whit * patent to everybody
| else namely. that the people almost unanimously
prefer his opponent upon this issue of Doodle
Folk will he elected and the Republican party.
represented by the organization. viii not share tn.
honor with Democracy. 1t might lave shared the
honor. The Republican rank ard file were eager to
follow Democracy's decision and place Mr. Folk AT
the head of their own tiC'et But forces operative
within the organization overcame The influences With
out finding expression in the nomination nf one who
would not be a menace 10 the evils which Folk is
fighting.
Although measured 10y his record Mr. Wal
bridge is more of a solace than 4 menace to these
evil forces at this time. his nomination plainly
marks an attempt to add responsibility and plauSi-
bty 10 the fight against Folk and the principle re-
allied in Folk. The purpose behind the attempt is
too patent 10 be successful. Doodle less of
an issue than It is The organization and its allies
are Of a character and entertain 4 purpose which
cannot be coaked-which could not be cloaked IN
der any circumstances. The Walbridge- -Butler-
Doodle confederation could not win in Missouri un-
der the most favorable circumstances possible the
Republican party.
To repeat, then, defeat for the Republican polti-
ri &c bo, +E,;,. do
feat. Not only have they failed OF their opportunity
to uplift their organization by sharing in the
universal honor which the Missouri idea. the support
of the Folk principle. confers upon Democracy; but
they have resisted the peoples appeal for higher
morale in public service and resisted it in laran
manner exposing a base motive. They have gone
against the active desires of the rank and file Of
their own party. They have both disappointed and
offended them. They have weakened themselves
incidentally with their own people.
An ignominy worse than oblivion will be the con-
sequence Of their defeat by the good citizenship of
both parties These politicians forever after will be
known as ''the people who fought Folk" The stig-
ma Of fighting the principle embodied and Illustrated
In Folks official will be fixed 10 them so long
as they remain in public life, or whenever the IA
miliar sound Of their names rings in the publlcs
Under Governor Folk Missouri will have unquestion
to the sort Of rule which Walbridgeism promises 1t
will be n further and broader realization of the
moral ideal for which Missouri citizenship has striv
en- and is striving practical application distinct in
quality and standing out in the States record Of ad
min!stralons; and it will constantly recall to the
public mind the opposition which good government
met In 1904 at the hands of clique. The more
open, direct and shameless their antagonsm, the
deeper the impression will be which the public MEM
ory must hold.
Mr. Wa!bridge Is apparently much wiser than
the clique behind him. Thus far it is quite notcea-
bic that he refrains from attempting to belittle
Folks work for good government He has not IN
duged in any Of the cques excesses Of antagonism
To do so, of course, would put an end to his candi-
dacy prematurey-it would practically close the in
cdent Of the Missouri campaign of 1904 since the
things which intolerable in the clique would be
doubly intolerable In candidate Missourians of
whatever shade Of politics would resent an open in
suit to their citizenship from such n source con-
spicuously before the nation, and Republicans would
resent it more than would Democrats.
No candidate for public office could afford to saw
good principle or that its practical application is
not has not been and would not be a good thr,.
for the State Incidentally, Mr. Walbridges canIi-
dacy presents peculiar anomaly. Before his nom-
inaon his friends said that his admiration for Folk
would possibly find expression at the polls and his
candidacy seems TO proceed on the nominal premise
that Folks principles works and results are OK
cellent. At the same time Mr. Wallridge practical
ly represents the antithesis of Folk in government
His candidacy actually embodics all the elements
which are opposed to the Fell. principle. 1t IS
Walbridge Buter-Boodle resistance of good govern
ment and reform.
Yet however wiser he may be than the polit ,ians
behind him. Mr.. Walbrdges attitude serves only 10
contrast the unseemly position Of his supporters the
more deeply BY holding to his position and declin-
ing to fight these politicians fight Mr. Walbrldse
will escape the stigma which must attach to theIn
Much more than this he cannot hope to accomplish,
but for this. at least, he will deserve credit. The
difficulties of reputable citizen dragging the sup
port of Butlerism and Boodleism are great, and to
come out of them with the least reproach would ell
title him, If not to certain distinction at least to
4 measure Of public indulgence.
VIOLATING THE BANKING LAW
In his latest iuStallncut nj the story of Am