The leader., 1904-09-07
THE RIGHT REMEDY.
HON. JOSEPH ". FOLK TELLS WHAT
It Is.

BOOdIers and Other RascaIs GET In
Their Work When The People
Are Asleep.
Frank G. Carpenter, the round
the-world correspondent, has had
a chat with Missouri's young boo
die fighter, who is now q candi-
date for Governor Of that State.
Mr.. Folk is 81 years of age. He.
expounds some potent truths I'M
the following:
Will boodling ever become a
national issueg'
I do not know 4 replied Mr..
Folk. 1t certainly ought to bea.
national issue. Its suppression
means good government, and UNI
less we can have that the country
will go to ruin.
Give me, Mr.. Folk, said /,
your idea as to how bribery
could be driven from the United
Statesgn
It is only by the creation Of a
healthy, honest public opinion,
said Mr.. Folk. You may put.
the boodlers in prison, but as long
as the people are not down upon
them and their acts the business
will continue to thrive. The
boodlers must be taught that hood
ling is bad politics as well as bad
morals; and the voters are the on
" ones who can teach them this
thing. In my work / expect
everything Of the people of Mis-
sour. If they will help me | feel
that / can do much to wipe out
official corruption. But it is the
people who will have to do it. I"
viii you get the support Of
the Democratic party in youl
fights"
We shall have the support of
the better element of it, and we
don't want that of the corrupt ele-
ment. We hope to drive the,
boodlers from the Democratic
party and to make that party an
example which will give aid and
strength to Democracy in every
State Of the Union. / don't be-
lieye in closing our eyes to cor
ruption for fear it will hurt the
party. No party can be hurt by
getting rid of bad men, nor BY
cutting off its rotten limbs. / am
naturally a Democrat; my ances-
tors were Democrats, and ! have
never voted for a Republican, ex-
cept where one has been put upon
the Democratic ticket in st. Louis
by party bosses. / believe in the
teachings of my party, and | be-
lieYe above everything in the en-
forcement of the laws. | know
there are Democratic rascals as
we'll as Republican rascals, and in
the enforcement of the law / shall
know no party. =
Then you will not expect to
have the support of the machine
ringleaders q"
We dun't want the support Of
the st. Louis machine. | should
hate to think / could carry certain
wards here which are controlled
by that machine. 1t is inthe party
for revenue only, and we do not
want that kind of a support. i'll
can not become Governor without
promises to any one / prefer not
to be Governor. If can not be
free to do my duty as / see it to
my party and to the people ]
would much prefer to retire to
private life. / have no favors to
ask Of the corruptionists and no.
quarter to give. / defy them. I
have been fighting them for two
years and will fight them to the.
end, and / believe that the Dem
ocratic party and the people will
help me. Z
How can the public protect
themselves from the boodlersg7
They can do so by taking an
interest in politics, denouncing
bribery and in voting to wipe Il
out. Every good citizen should
go to the primaries. He should
attend the precinct, ward and
township meetings and see that
honest @en are nominated. Nine
ty-nine per cent. Of our people are
honest, but the other / per cent
Of dishonesty is perniciously act
i've and working while the other
ninety nine sleep. Wake up the
ninety nine, and there is no fear
of results.
And then the citizen should
urge the enforcement Of the
laws, !" continued Mr.. Folk. He
should denounce bribery and as
sist in its detection. There should
be a constant search for corrup-
ton, and this should be prosecut-
ed without regard to the feelings
of individuals. No honest man
can be hurt BY investigation, and
no dishonest one has any right to
object because his misdeeds are
made public. Publicity and en-
forcement Of the law are the chief
antidotes for corruption. Bood
lers can be punished by ballot as
we'll as BY prisons. The first du-
Ety Of every citizen is to put an.
lend to bribery ID our public life.
He should vote against il, talk
againss it and work against it.
When the people look upon hood
lung IS they do upon ordinary
a -.