The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1904-07-28
A QUESTION ABOVE PARTY.
William Allen White on Folks
Nomination.

Vote for the Democratic Nominee
for Governor, Regardless OF
His Politics, Declares
the Kansan.
Emporia, Kas., July 21.-William
Allen White writes the following edi'
torial In the Emporia Gazette enti-
tied 1.-THE Nomination OF Folk"
"Joseph W. Folk, an honest Dem
ocrat, has been nominated torgover-
nor OF Missouri and every good citl'
zen of that state should voteior him
irrespective OF party. 1t is certain
that every bad citizen in Missouri
will vote against Folk, for the rea
son that he sees In Folks defeat the
chance to ply the trade oil boodhng
unrestrained. For no matter how
honest the Republican nominee Tor
governor of Missouri may be, II he
wins Folk will be defeated because he
attacked Doodle, and the Republican
who wins will be careful how he fights
corruption in Missouri; for Folks
defeat will be spelled In big letters
that the majority in Missouri is In
flavor OF Doodle.
"The man who votes against Folk,
therefore, whether he casts that vote
as a Republican, a Populist or a
Prohibitionist, casts it in favor oil
the return OF boodlers. Those who
vote against Folk under the circum'
stances will have to vote with the
boodlers, and their victory, whether
it is Republican or what not, Will d.
in reality victory ior, Doodle.
"The Gazette has been a strigh'
Republican paper a dozen years
Under it's present management 1t ha
upheld the hands Of every Republl
can state administration that ha
been elected since the paper wa
started. It believes In Republican
principles and the greatness and eth
, Gent goodness OF the Republica
), party. But there sometimes arise
considerations in politics greatertha
. MISREPRESENTATION OF honestgo'
y eminent. Honest government is tn
= first thing required in this nation
% Honest men in office honestly earl
! ing their salaries and giving the PEI
= ple full value received for their take
= these considerations are more impo
" tant than Republican victory
:. Democratic victory. For until hone
- men are in Office no principles can
- efficiently established by any COVER
. ment or upheld by any party.
"a because he has been proved hone
> and efficient, Folks stands pre-en
y nently the type OF honest cover
=. ment in Missouri. No other mar
at victory, no matter who he is' won
= be the rebuke OF boodling and &C
ruption in Missouri that Folks v
~ tory will be. And no possible Repu
- can could by his election advert
~ to the world that Missouri has det'
:: mined to stand for clean gQvernme
as Folk will advertise by his electit
y. parties are means for good gt
" eminent and not It's ends. A citi'
should not "belong" to a party,
the sense that the party's action q
organization should bind him Will
roe silly prejudice to vote for what
cir good sense and his conscience 4
ire him is wrong merely to conform
NE party regularity. Party or1ani
,ed ton should be merely an aid to hon
tar government. It should not vote
ri. its chattle; 1t should demand
Of mans allegiance as q right. A Pc
ut organization has no charter rigl
kin Il any one may use the figure, to b
~ and Tn hold human beings In slav
out against the best interests OF thes 81
,er. or nation. The fact that every {
He ruptionist, whether a private citl
aw. or a boodling railroad, is aga
the Folk, makes 1t plain that the
osi. interests OF good government
les Missouri demand Folks election
his is question above party, and
He similar situation existed In kal
one the Gazette would be for the DE
-. .-,:&h oil tho v1Of