davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-28

smiling at ordinary times, but flashing fire when he discusses the outrages which the boodlers have perpetrated upon Missouri and his determination to down them He Is clean-cut, dresses we'll and looks we'll.
 Mir. Folk Is a young man. He was born in Tennessee thirty-four years ago. and graduated in 1890 from the Vanderbilt University at Nashville. He came to St. Louis to practice law. and was doing well when he got into politics.
 Folk the Politician.
 don't think Folk aimed at a poiiti- cal career. He wanted to be a lawyer and used politics as a side issue. He was a Southerner, however, and the Southerner sucks In politics with his mothers milk The boys discuss poll tics in the schools, and Folk took to the stump before he was out of col iege. As soon as he settled In St. Louis he became interested in its politics. and threw himself into the fight for the love of it.
 Then there was street car fight, and the strikers asked him to act for them. He did so. and little later he was made the candidate for circuit or district attorney. He was elected, and 1t then became his duty to look into the administration of the city and it's legislative enactments. He had been chosen to prosecute thieves and criri inals. Others had been chosen before, but they had discriminated in such prosecutions. Folk came into ot- fice with a new pair of eyeglasses. He could not sec the difference between d millionaire and a pauper. between q politician or a boodler and the ordinary -ls Gt-ot ,t.ty, ,i,,u Is arrested were some illegal voters of his own party.
 It was announced that they would be prosecuted and the boodlers.were thun . derstruck Colonel Ed Butler, their chief. a man who had started life as q horseshoer and made millions as a ring politician, called upon Folk for explanations. saying: Why, MT. Folk, these men voted for you. you don't mean you are going to prosecute them"
 'T certainly do mean it," replied Folk. There is no req son why should no: do SO because I have been benefited b,- their wrongdoing. had nothing to do with their voting illegally. Sup pose I were Vice President of the United States and the President should be assassinated and I should thereby become President, would you have me not prosecute the assassin because his act made me President? I certainly will prosecute them" and prosecute them he did.
 That was the beginning. Folk eS- tended his prosecutions to the boodlers themselves. and he has uncovered one of the greatest sinks of municipal cor ruption known to the United States. He says he believes that other cities are equally bad and that the purifica- tion which is now going on in St. Louis
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-28

allow q corrupt lobby to exist al the Legislature, and the day of the sand ! baEging legislator will be at an end | shall use all my power to put corrupt men out of the party organization, and
 will do what l can to purify party pol tiles. shall recommend laws forfeit ! ing franchises obtained by bribery and | protecting witnesses who testify in bribery cases. In short. l intend to do all l can 10 wipe out bribery and cor
 ruptinn in the State of Missouri" " BOOdIe Issues n National Movement, Do you expect to see the anti
 poodle issue extend to other States?" "I think it is already doing so. Pub lie sentiment in regard to such matters is changing. not only in this State, but i throughout the Union. Bribery is be- coming a crime in the eyes of the peo- pie. and nearly every State is now waging war against such corruption. Until our exposures here q bribery case was practically unheard of. Indeed, there is hardly q score of cases in the
 court reports of the United States. We have had more prosecutions for brib- cry within the past ten years than within the ceHtury-back of them. The movement is spreading to other coun- tries and we are now negotiating with the governments of Europe to close their territories against brtbe- giVerS and bribe takers. Our treaty with Mexico has alreaGy been so amended
 that that country will no longer be d
 haven of boodlers.
 VIII boodling ever become na- / tional issue?'
 T do not know replied Mir. Folk. Tt certainly ought to be A national is- sue Its suppression means good gov ernment. and unless we can have that the country will go to ruin"
 The People and Bribery. Give me-" Mr. Folk, said l, "your Idea as to how bribery could be driven
 from the United States?'
 Tt Is only by the creation of a healthy, honest public opinion" said MT. Folk. You may put the boodlers in prison. but as long as the people arc not down upon them and their acts the business will continue to thrive. The boodlcrs must be taught that boodlins is bad politics as well as bad morals; and the voters are the only ones who can teach them this thing. In my work l expect every thing of the people of Missouri. If
 they will help me I feel that l can do
 much to wipe out official corruption.
 But it is the people who will have to
 do it."
 As a Party ISsue.
 Will you get the support of the Democratic party in your hght?" 1 We shall have the support of the
 better element of it and we don't want that of the corrupt element. We
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-28
As Q Pnrtr Issne.

Will you get the support of the Democratic party in your hght?"
 We shall have the support of the better element of it and we don't want that of the corrupt element. We
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-28

will be gradually extended to other parts of the country.
 Millions for Votes
 Tn these investigations Mr. Polk found that millions had been spent for votes. In our talk Sunday night he the city had been robbed. citing in told numerous stories. describing how stance after instance of enormous boodling. Said he.
 For twenty years past St. Louis has been in the hands 0! ring just large enough to control tho city legi1atTre and override the mayors veto. and this ring has levied blackmail upon every .license. privilege and franchise granted by the city. Laws have been unblushingly sold to the highest bid der The ring has tried to sell the waterworks. the court house and the Union market for its own enrichment. Nothing has been safe from its aVaricc not even the sewer pipes in the ground. It has had its regular schedules of bribe prices. based upon what each business would stand. ranging from a few hundred dollars for a swit'Gl bill to thousands of dollars for franchise Indeed, believe as much as $lO. .O00 900 has been paid out in blacknail on such accounts.
 The Immortal Nineteen.
 The business has been done by continuous gang of nineteen and their subordinates." continued MT. Folk. Tt took nineteen votes to control the city council, and these nineteen men passed upon what legislation should bo enacted and how much they should bo paid for each act or franchise. At one time the combine received $47, 300 for an ordinance to light Ale city. The bargain was made on the floor of the house of delegates and the money was handed over to one of the combine. After voting the ninteen met at the house of ono of their number, and the host sat at the piiED and played Home Sweet Home. while the money was distributed In $2.50O lots"
 A Million Dollars PrOht. I asked Mir. Folk about the Central Traction deal In 1898, out of which New York promoter made almost $1.000,O0O. He replied
 That was for a franchise which covered nearly all the street railways of the city The promoter. man | named Snyder. gave S250,000 in brioes to the municipal assembly to get it. He paid twenty-five out of the twen- weight members of the house Of dele- gates $3.000 each and the seven mem bers of the council from $1O.OOo to $lT,- | 900 each. One councilman took $25, from other parties to vote against the l franchise, but returned 1t when he found that he could get $50,oOo from | the promoter to vote in its favor. He 1 gave back the first amount, saying no 1 did not think he could honestly earn 1t.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-28

A death rate based upon such a small number of Americans. most of whom have been living under slmular
 sanitary conditions as the natives, has
 practically no bearing upon what the death rate would normally be for Americans in Panama. The deceased Americans were: One woman twenty four years old of beri-beri. one wo- man forty years old of pernictous
 fever: one man thirty eight years old
 with dropsy, and one man sixty years
 old with alcoholism. The woman was living under similar conditions as the na atives of the lower classes. The man dying from dropsy was named Juan Lopez was in reality a Porto Rican
 although claiming to be an American
 One death occurred during April; two during May, and one in June All tho
 Americans who have lived under sant-
 tary conditions have figuerd but
 slightly in the morbidity statistics, and
 not all in the mortality.
 The explanation offered for the high death rate for all others" is. that II includes the Europeans. South Ameri- cans, Mexicans. and those not given The Europeans. represented largely by Italians and French. with some few | of all other European nationalities, or account of changes in climate, and in-
 attention to sanitation, help to swell tho death rate considerably.
 The South American coming from
 Chile, Peru. and from the mountainous interiors fall easy victims to malaria
 and acute diseases during their resi- dence in Panama.
 There were only four deaths from yellow fever during the first six | months of the year, and but one if July. These were all male, consisting
 of one Spaniard. three natives of the interior of Colombia. one Italian, and one Scotch American. At the present time there are no cases reported, ex- cept what are convalescent.
 August 6. 1904. will go down ir
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-28

That franchise was sold by the pro-
 moter for s1.250,000, SO that lie made II
 clean million out of the transaction
 The city did not receive one cent for
 all the streets given away"
 That was the case in which Uthoff
 figured, was 1t not?'
 "Yes," was the reply. "Cthoff was
 the man who got :5O0e for his vote and gave back the s25,0o0 which the opposing parties had given him to vote for them. The promoter, how ever, had promised Uthoff s190,000 up- on his saying that s5o,e0o was not enough, and with this understa nding Uthoff have back the s5o,ocO, expecting to get s10o.oo0 the next morning. 'aThat night the promoter left for New York. taking all the money with him. Utho1 had voted for the bill tand had nothing. He took a pistol and followed the promoter to New York They met at the waldrof Hotel and there, under the influence of a bottle of champagne, Uthoff was made to compror1ise his claim of s100,o for S5. 900 cash. At the same time he signed a statement that he knew the promoter was not corrupt, and that he believed he would be as far from of sering a bribe as he CUthoff) woa.d be from aCCDe0nng one II CuPfeU. How a Boy Made s50.Co9. CUe of the queer cases described by Mir. Folk during our conversation was the attempted bribery of a man named Meier in the Central Traction bill. The promoters thought they could carry the franchise without Meier, but they wanted his vote in case one of the
 other boodiers failed them. They went to his son and handed him $50,- 900 saying: My son we are not sure of our majority, and if we need your fathers vote we are willing to pay for 1t. Give this money to him and tell him that he is to vote for the bill, If his vote Is required to pass it. In that case he Is to keep the money, but if it is not needed he can vote against the bill and you can return the money to us. The boy took the money. The vote was taken and his fathers vote was not required Thereupon the pro-
 motors asked young Meier for the $50,- 900, but were refused in language | somewhat like the following:
 T don't intend to give that money | back. I did not give it to father. for
 that would be trying to bribe him. and I don't think you ought to have 1t for you have tried to use it to corrupt us. think I will just keep 1t myself" He
 did keep it. using it for a start in bus mess.
 Folk Talks of ths Goveruorsh ship. The conversation here turned to the gubernatorial campaign, and I asked Mir. Folk what he would do if he were elected. He replied:
 If I become Governor I shall see tc
 it that bribery is exterminated in oui State Legislature. The first time 2 legislator takes a bribe I will send g |
 ing for his impeachment. I will not
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-28
Copyright, 1904, by Frank c. Car
 penter.)

Copyright, 1904, by Frank c. Car
 penter.)
 St. Louis, Mo.
 came to St. Louis to see Joseph W. Folk, the young Tennessee hercules who is trying to clean the Augean stables of this boodling municipality and boodling State. A young man. poor man anda stranger-for he came to St. Louis but few years ago. ho has been fighting the millionaires of the city, many of whom belong to the old families: he has routed the boodlers who are ready to spend millions to down him and has already . score or them in the penitentiary and others awaiting trial. Mir. Folk has made boodling a crime in the eyes of Mis- eourians. He stands before the peo- pie as the representative lighter against 1t and has become candidate for Governor upon that issue alone. He promises, if elected, to purify the State legislature and State politics ana his friends think him the coming man for President of the United States on . similar issue in 1908.
 Joe Folk, the Doodle Fighter.
 Before I give you my talk with MT. Folk let mo show you the man. I
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-28
One Important Factor.

TOIedo BIade.
 Over 1000 900 voters absented them- selves from the polls four years agos another million or more have come up on the stage of action since then. There Is thus an uncertainty regard ing 2,000. 900 and probably larger number of voters this year. Tn a to-
 tai vote of probably 15.o00,o00 thin year. the majority vote of these B.
 900, 900 may. and probably will. decide
 the contest. Here is a factor that the campaign managers will do well to
 recognize and direct their attention to its conservatism.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-28
WOMEN, RICH AND POOR,
 RE ELY UPON PE-RU-NI
It is Essentially a Successful Home Remedy and is
 Taken at Home.
Invalid Women Apply by Thons- ands for Dr. Hartman's Free Home Treatment by
 Letter.

Women are everywhere talking about Peruna.
 "To be healthy," is the siogan of women everywhere. The busy days have not moment to be given over to ill-health. Everyone is seeking . rem edy that will cure.
 Peruna, because there are no narcotics used in its composition, is euro, not . stimulant.
 Women tell each other of the wonders Peruna has wrought. Not only do they tell but they write of 1t, and hundreds of letters, that necessitate . large force of clerks to assort, reach Dr. Hartman every day from grateful have-been patients, but who are now we'll.
 The reason that Peruna is such e special favorite with women Is some- thing more than all this.
 Women are subject to pelvic catarrh. This condition has been called all sorts of names and is often referred to under the general phrase, female diseases. Peruna cures these cases. Perunn cures them because it cures catarrh wherever located. The nature of most of these ailments is catarrhal.
 Catarrh is liable to attack any organ of the body. It Is especially liable to attack one or more organs of the female pelvis. No wonder women talk about Peruna. No wonder they think it is the greatest medicine in the world. Fortuna Brought Health and
 Happiness.
 Miss Nellie South, late of Manchester, England, writes from S6 Prince Arthur street, Montreal, Can., as follows:
 "Peruna has made q wonderful change ia my fife. k has brought me heaif, and haPpiness. Since my seven feehfh year with female complaint and fered. Ehad pains in my back and lower nlorcse and unreasonable. Mofter sought fte advice of our family pf,y. sician, who prescribed for me, but grew no better under his freaf1enf. then read Of Peruna and procured { bottle. That one bottle was w0rft more than aH the doctors medicine l had previously taken. 7 icff SO n7uck better and Kept on taking # for six weeks with marked Improvement jE my health. Icannof express my grafl. fade. Peruna has been . Ereaf biessias to me. "--Afiss Nellie South. Pe-ru-na Cures Catarrh of the Bladder
 Mrs. B. 0. Appleget, Royal Center Ind, writes:
 "Last winter I was troubled with catarrh of the bladder. I tried several different remedies, and also went to 6 physician, who said would have to gc through an operation. But objected to that, so my husband got me Q bottle
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-28
4 Growing Town.
Harffnrd Innrnnl


 In the year 1900. Hartford had a pop ulation of 3S2, and at least S2 of them were railroad negroes. grading the central Now we have near, if not, 1900. This phenomenal increase was not the outcome of gold or oil discov- cry, but on account of a good town surrounded by good country. We in- among us; there's plenty of room yet
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-28
Some Mortality stutistlcs.

During the first six months of 1904, there occurred in the city of Panama 541 deaths out of Q total estimated population of 2e,o00. The figures in detail are as follows:
Newport weekly independent., 1904-06-17
SENATOR CLARKE
 DOMINATES CONVENTION.
Clarke, CrocRN tt, Davis and smead Prosped tive Delegates
 at Large Independence
 and Jackson Contests.

States senator James r. Clarke will be the poteptial figure in the Democratic state convention. which opens at noon tomorrow. His advice will prevail in the transaction of the conventions business and he will head the Arkansas delegation to the Dem ocratic national convention. His fellow-members of the big four will likely be Gov. Jeff Davis, Hon. John w. Crockett and Hon. Hamp. P. Smead, of Camden. MT. Smead is one of Senator Clarke's political friends and allies and his name will go be- fore the convention for delegate at-large in opposition to that of Senator Berry, should the latter permit the use of his name. It is now claimed that the con-
 vention will elect Chairman Car
 roll Armstrong and Secretary
 Gray Carroll of the state central
 committee, contrary to the plans
 and wishes of Gov. Davis, whose
 choices were Hon. o. B. Gordon
 and John H. Page. Senator
 Clarke's espousal of the cause of I Chairman Armstrong, together
 with the Chairman's personal
 strength, make it clear, it is claimed, that there will be no new man at the head of the state committee. The same observa- tion applies to Secretary Carroll.
 Hon. Geo. R. Bedding, mayor of Hot Springs, will be temper ary chairman and Hon. c. c. Hamby, of Prescott, will be given the permanent chairmanship of } the convention. Judge Hugh 5 Corry, of Texarkana, will be sec
 retary.
 : Hon. William H. Martin, of : Hot Springs, will succeed Sena- 3 tor Clarke as the Arkansas mem- Der of the Democratic national l committee, the senator not seek ' ing that honor again. MT. Mar ] tin is also candidate for nation n al delegate from the Sixth con- l. gressional district.
 Hon. Harry L. Ponder. of
 Walnut Ridge and Hon Tilman
 B. Parks, of Lewisville, are the
 probable nominees of the con- ! vention for presidential electors :; for the state at large.
 F WALSH WORKING FOR HEARST. Hon. Chas. A. Walsh, secre- II tary of the Democratic national committee, who arrived here yesterday, is accredited with be- , ing the ambassador of the Hearst interests. He has met and talked
 with many of the delegates. The atmosphere, however. seems sur
 charged with Parker sentiment. MT. Walsh found this out early
 after his arrival.
 Tt will be Parker" said one man to Walsh, in reply to an in- 2 . quiry.
 T don't see how that can be, ," , answered MT. Walsh, 'in view of Gov. Davis antitrust atti-
 tude."
 z MT. Walsh has not been at all aggressive in his efforts for , Hearst, but he has quietly dis cussed the subject with large number of delegates and other
 Democrats.
 The Parker talk is heard on
 all sides, and while many cling
 to the notion that the national
 delegation will be uninstructed, , it is believed that if there shouid : be an expression of choice Far
 ker will be'the beneficiary. Ex-Gov. Lon V. Stephens or Missouri is another distinguished visitor, but it is stated that ne IS here solely as a healtn-seekef and is taking no part Ill any
 effort to swing Arkansas one : way or the other on the presl- v
Newport weekly independent., 1904-06-17
BOARD SUSTAINS
 OPERATORS DEMANDS.

Information has been received from St. Louis that the Missouri Pacific federated board has sus- tained the demand of the o. R. T. relative to an increase in wages and the right of that body to legislate and represent the dis patchers and exclusive agents, and has referred the whole mat ter to the chief executives of the five brotherhoods who are now in session in St. Louis.
 Should they sustain the action of the federated board a confer ence would be asked with the management of the Missouri Pacific, and if the company still refused to grant the demands of the O. R. T. a strike vote would be taken from the individual members of the five orders rep resented by the federated board. Should that vote be in favor of a strike the telegraphers would
 have the active sympathy of all
 the members of the other four
 orders.
Newport weekly independent., 1904-06-17
vEsTIBULE FATAL
 TO B. l.. DRAKE,
Stranger Killed Early Wednes. day Morning in This City Was Attempting to Get
 Off Train No. 2.

Another fatal vestibule acci- dent occurred in the Iron Noun tain yards in this city early We'd nesday morning and as a result a young man supposed to be B. L. Drake of Eldon, Iowa, lies in the undertaking rooms of R. F. Drummond awaiting word from relatives regarding burial.
 Drake with two companions was beating his way north on No. 2, due here at 4::25 a. m., and was riding in the vestibule i'm mediately in the rear of the first mail car. When Newport was reached it is supposed Drake at- tempted to alight from the train as it slowed down for the station and was caught between the heavy metal pieces surround ing the doorway and his head was crushed into an almost shape less mass, death resulting in a few moments.
 The body was removed about 9 o'clock to the undertaking es- tablishment and an inquest held by Coroner Harrison and a yer dict of accidental death was returned.
 The dead man was about 22 or 23 years old and from letters of recommendation found upon his person he was a stenographer and a graduate of a school of that nature in St. Louis. In a small memorandum book was found his name and the address, Eldon, Iowa, and instructions that in case of accident to notify his brother, G. w. Drake of Linnville, Iowa.
 After the inquest messages were sent to his brother and a firm in St. Louis by whom he was formerly employed, asking what disposition should be made of the remains, but up to press time Wednesday afternoon no reply had been received.
Newport weekly independent., 1904-06-17
RIVER FALLING
 AT PINE BLUFF.
The Falling Waters Ease Strain on Levees Along Arkansas Planters Preparing to
 Resume Work.

Pine Bluff, June IA. The river at Pine Bluff today is slowly falling and while the water has not receded to any great extent, a fall of three inches was noted on the government gauge this morning, and the water is not running as swiftly as heretofore.
 This greatly eases the strain on the levees and gives farmers and planters a chance to devote their time to repairing broken levees and draining off their fields.
 It is thought that another week will see the clearing of the fields and inside of a month farming operations will be commenced again, but very little water has been drained off the overfowed farms as yet.