Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-07-25

In a certain notable respect the state
convention in jefferson City is the
most important assemblage which the
Missouri democracy has had since
1872. During the civil war and recon
structiOn period the democratic sway
In the state. which had been constant
until that time. was interrupted, the
republicans controlling the administra-
ton OF Provisional Governor Gamble Of
IS6I-G4. and Of his acting successor,
Hall. and electing Fletcher in 1864 and
McCIurg in 1868, the liberal republi-
cans. supported by the democrats,
choosing b. GratZ Brown governor in
1870. In 1872 AlissOuTi's second demo
cratic dynasty began with the election
OF WoOdsOn as governor, and all his
successors 70 this day have belonged
to the same faith.
But I'm the convention a new situa-
ton ConfrOnts the Missouri democracy.
That party viii be called upon to tell
what il thinks OF the crusade which
Joseph W. Folk has been making
against the bOOdlers of St Louis and
jefferson City, chiefly of St Louis. II
VIII be forced To pass judgment on
Mr. Folks canvass for the nomination
for governor. Elected circuit attorney
for ST. Louis by the democratic party
ia 1900. and inaugurated at the be
beginning OF 1901. Mr.. Folk at once
began his assault on rasCalIUy in pub
lie ONCE. and has kept Il up without
IntermissiOn ever since. The prOsecu
tor had promised during his canvass
Tor circuit attorney that If he was
elected he would do this very thing,
but the democratic ring had hear
this kind OF talk before. which never
materialized. and it imagined the same
would be true in this case. Moreover,
even II he should attempt to carry out
his pledge TO assail Official rascality,
the ringsteTs thought he would restrict
himself TO republican rascals. Graft
Jude 60 the party which nominated
him. and loyalty to the machine which
employed ST. LOuis-s GOebel act, the
Nesbit election law, TO count him in,
would. as the r.ngsters supposed, con-
strain Folk 10 let the democratic graft
ers alone. The idea that a prOsecu-
tor should attack bOOdlers OF his own
party aud disObey the commands of
the machine never entered the heads
OF the machine leaders. That Mr. Folk
did exactly what he promised. and eX-
actly what the ringsters thought he
would not dare do, is a story fairly
familiar to the public.
Before Folk got through with the
grafters in jefferson City and St
Louis his own name began to figure as
gubernatOriaI possibility. The
masses Of the democracy in the country
districts OF the state took him up. His
name I'm that connection appeared in a
majority OF the democratic papers, in
the cities as well as in the rural re-
gIOns Naturally the machine was
against him. IL defeated him in the
primaries OF St Louis, but he got a
large majority OF the delegates from
the rest of the state. On the face of
the returns he will have a long lead
Ia the convention
The machine accused Folk Of being
a republican in disguise, nOtwithstand-
been a member OF the Jefferson club, a
sort OF St. Louis Tammany, that he had
been its president, and that he had
voted the democratic ticket in every
election in which he voted at all, sup
porting Bryan enthusiastically in 1896
and 1900. But Folk refused TO sup
port Boss Buffers son, James j.
Butler, for congress in the election OF
1902. Butler had been elected in
1900. but was unseated by the house
ON a contest i'm which fraud at the cleo
ton was perpetrated by Buffers party.
The house also believed there had been
some Irregularities on the republican
side. and Buffers republican antagO-
mist. William NJ Horton, was not seat
ed. Folks refusal TO support young
Butler for congress in 1902, and his as
sauIts ON democratic bOOdlers, are
cited as evidence that Folk is not a
democrat
When the prosecutors democratic
enemies discovered that they could not
prevent him from getting the support
of the majority Of his party for COVER
nor. they began urging him for the
nomination for president, with the OBJ
ject OF distracting his attention from
state politics. Already there had been
talk in various parts OF the country
about Folk IN that connection. BOurke
Cochran had mentioned the fearless
young democrat Of Missouri" as a good
man % keep i'm mind i'm connection
with the presidential candidacy. In
the lineup Of delegates just before the
national convention met in St Louis
few were favorable TO him. The
machine made use OF this circumstance
with the hope III deluding him into en-
teriug the national field, and TO thus
remove a menace To their schemes.
But Ions before the national cOnven-
ton met Mr.. Folk made his position