Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-03-24
DEFENDS HIS ADMINISTRATION.
Gov. Doekery Replys to the Attacks
of Folk in Statement as True
as 1t Is Forceful.

From the State Tribune.
Governor Dockery, Wednesday,
in reply to the attack made upon
his administration by Mr.. Folk in
his Lancaster speech last Monday,
gave out the following interview:
''In his speech at Lancaster,
Monday, Mr.. Joseph w. Folk at
tributed the result in the st. Louis
primaries to police interference,
and charges that I must either
confess the responsibility or ac-
knowledge incompetency.'
"From the opening of this cam
paign my purpose has been to
avoid any possible action which
might be construed as hurtful to
any candidate aspiring for the
nomination for Governor.
A TRUMPED UP CHARGE.
"No one knows better than Mr..
Folk that there is no foundation
for the claim, that he lost the sup
port of st. Louis in his candidacy
for Governor because of what he
terms police interference
cit is we'll known in st. Louis
that the only votes Mr.. Folk will
receive from that city were secured
as a recognition of Mr.. Tony
Steuver, the well known brewer,
and not by reason of any personal
following of Mr.. Folk.
eff everything that has been
charged concerning improper con-
duct incident to the primaries in
that city were true, it would not
have changed the result in the
selection of delegates to the State
nominating convention.
"If there has been violation Of
law or disregard of official duty in
connection with the recent pri-
maries in st. Louis, every effort
will be made to bring the offenders
to justice.
"Mr. Folk must have known
when he made this attack on me
that I had taken every possible
precaution to insure an absolutely
fair primary.
FAILED TO DEAL FAITHFULLY.
"The plain fact remains, that
Mr.. Folks defeat in st. Louis pri-
maries was not due to any regret
able trouble in two or three of the
wards of that city, but is the re-
suit of Mr.. Folks failure to deal
faithfully and loyalty with his
party obligations.
SIT is true, an overwhelming ma
iijority of the Democrats of st.
Louis were against Mr.. Folk in
last Saturdays primaries; and
this condition would have pre-
vailed in any county in this State
under similar conditions.
''Mr. Folk sought election as the
Democratic nominee in 1900 for the
position of circuit attorney. Two
years after his election, efforts were
being made by the political enc
mics of his party to secure control
of this State. A vicious attack
was being made on the Democratic
management of State affairs.
Reckless and libelous charges were
being made against the integrity
of the Democratic administration.
"Mr. Folk, among other Demo-
Gratis, was requested to lend his
assistance to the support of the
Democratic cause. I personally
besought his support for our party,
and other Democrats interested in
party success did likewise.
FOLK LENT NO ASSISTANCE.
CAT no time during the cam
paign did Mr.. Folk lend the slight
est aid to his party.
cit will not do for him to hide
behind his professed hostility to
Mr.. Butler, with whom he had
been a joint candidate in the previ-
Gus election, and whom he had,
with apparent loyalty, supported
when himself candidate.
Il urged, as other Democrats
had done, that Mr.. Folk take part
in that campaign. 1t was not i'm
portant that he should make a
speech in Mr.. Buffers district.
There were two other districts in
the city of st. Louis in which Mr..
Butler was not a candidate: and
DemocFats out in the State,had in
vited him to fill appointments to
speak in behalf of the State ticket.
"The Republican press of st.
Louis had all this time said that
Mr.. Folk would not speak for the
Democratic candidates. .And he
did not.
"Suppose a Democrat in any
county of the State, who had been
honored by his party, when called