The St. Louis Republic., 1904-11-04
FOLKS AUDIENCE
NUMBERS 10000.
Continued From Page One.

closed by investigation of one division in
the Post-ofice Department. Roosevelt
had made the most of this political capi-
tai. while he and the Republican side in
Congress had effectually prevented in
vestigation Of other departments or of 9TH
er divisions IN the Post -ofice Department
In messages to Congress. he asserted. the
President has said that conditions in the
national public service were deplorable,
while in his campaign utterances. he as
serts them to be clean and above crit-
cism. cd.
"AftsS that" he said. IT want to call
attention to the record OF a man in st.
Louis. who read his duty to be, that he
prosecute men guilty Of corrupt crimes.
regardless Of party" 80
This man, he argued, has not faltered In
his course, but has kept straight ahead.
regardless fof every pressure that was
brought: to bear. II want also," he con-
,tinued. ITO call your attention to the fact
that after he was nominated by Demo-
cratic convention, he'became, in the eyes
of portion of the opposition, in the esti-
nation :of some Republican newspapers.
one Of the worst men who has ever figured
in the public life of this State" ''
Az a. former Reed supporter, he called
upon all Reed friends and admirers to-
vote fol, Folk.
CoWHERD INTRODUCES FOLK.
When. finally, after these references had
been made by indirection. he named the
can6idate.pthe audience cheered for sew
eral minutes. Hats. handkerchiefs and
flags were waved.
Joe Folk was welcomed with all the ac-
claim that would have been the portion
of some popular national character. had
he been rising to address national con-
vention. - -
As a whole, the Folk speech here was
along the lines Of his Springfield discus
sion of the issues. But his phrases came
fresh to this audience, and their sentiment
In many instances was warmly indorsed in
the usual method Of noise Still, in the
city as well as in the country, audiences
are prone to receive his oratory without
much shouting or stamping.
You look Into the crowd and see the
smooth-faced young student, the square,
jawed business man. the gray-haired
grandfather and glossy-headed youth; and
the mother, the young matron, and the
girl In her teens-you see all such types
with eyes fastened upon the speaker, fol-.
lowing his every gesture and word. If
they applaud. It is more often the uncon-
scious applause Of deep attention which
pats the hands lightly together, almost
inaudibly. This sort of attention must
surely be more fraught with meaning than
the hysterfcal shouting which we hear in
campaigns when the air is full of the
old partisan arguments expressed in the.
dramatic way known only to the average
stump speaker.
Mention Of Judge Parker's name had its
round OF cheers. From that Folk went
straight to State matters. The State
ticket, he said, does not represent his or
any mans choice. but It does represen.
the united will and wisdom of the Demo-
cratic party. He defended the action of
the convention. told the story of st. Louis
corruption. declared for general pri-
mary. for home rule, for the initiative and
referendum and closed by asserting his In
tention to continue as he has begun-to
answer the first report of boodling at
Jefferson City by a thorough investiga-
tion. a+
1t was his well-known utterances, those
that are probably. history as ~F,olk say
irgs," which walked his auditors from the
general attitude OF attentive silence. The.
most-applauded Of these. and one that;