The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1904-01-16

eEeign people must take a stand for
or against corruption The issue ls
made within the democratic party
and cannot be evaded or escaped. >
He appealed the Ease Of the corrup
tionists from the highest tribunal in
the state to the people, "You can,
be said, " by your verdict approve the
prosecution Of cOrruptionist or repu-
date the efforts that have been made
to expose and punish them " He does
not say so 10 so many W rds but he
plainly means to say that a vote for
anybody else for governor is a vote
for corruption aud in favor Of hood
lers. It is, be says in effect, a cam
paign between him, the champion Of
righteousness, and the field, cham
piOns Of boodlers and all iniquity
To be sure that no injustice is being
done him, read his words further,
taken just as they come; "You will
(by your verdict at the polls) either
make Missouri the first OF all the
states in civic righteousness or the
most desirable Of all the states for the
boodlers to operate in In other
words, if CAN'T is elected or Reed or
HAYES the bOOdlers will flock in here
from everywhere until there will not
be left standing room. But TO go on,
taking it as it comes: "Tne result of
this contest will either be a Waterloo
for the boodlers or they will come
out triumphant and more arrogant
than ever" 1t had been supposed
that there was such a thing as AFRO
gance 10 the matter of Righteousness
as well as in the matter of iniqulty,
but perhaps not Perhaps his assump-
ton is true, even if a little unamia-
BILE, tnat he is the only man before
the people in this connection who
stands for anything but the states
dishonor.
Then Mr.. Folk goes on with a para
graph explaining that be has been
abused, harrassed, and hindered as no
other prosecutor ever was before Gin
the history of criminal prosecutions"
Undoubtly something like this is true
the criminals themselves and their
personal friends. Criminals always
and everywhere fight back But it
would be interesting to hear Mr., Folk
name a mao who is not a criminal
himself or the immediate personal
friend OF a criminal under prosecution
that ever hindered him or ever SAID
or wrote anything but praise of him
before he announced that the demo-
cratic party was rotten al d offered to
redeem 1t from the stain of the !
llegenheln republican administration
st. Louis by becoming its standard I
bearer for the governorship. 1t would !
be interesting to hear Mr.. Folk name
another circuit attorney-just one
other who 'in all the history of }
crimlual prosecutions" was ever fur =,
nished through three whole years of Z
his public service with special iuries
Instead Of the regular panel, and this ,
by the voluntary subscriptions OF hun !
1reds who approve of his work and :
would have divided their last penny q
70 help him. 1t would be interesting '
% have him mann another prosecutor .
who has indicted almost a whole par r
~ administration and yet had the 8
vigorous support Of the press of the 9
whose venality and shame he y
vas exposing. Instead of being more .
han ordinarily abused, hindered and
it would be interesting to r
lear Mr.. Folk name another prosecu- n
Ior who has been so much praised, a
oasted and advertised as he has been, 7
I'D this when he has no special at +.
r~actiVeness beyond his record-has n
oratorical gift nor fascinating f.
'ersonality. Twenty cnuncilmen and n
he editors of the four daily papers i,
n Grand Rapids Michigan have been Il
indicted and are now being tried. n
doubtless not a reader of this paper U
Quad call the name of the p~rosecut- u
ng attorney, A year ago a number .,
I the members of the city council of r.
Minneapolis were indicted and con- J.,
icted of corrupt practices, and the +,
mayor, convicted, fledthe country. a
AN any reader of this paper, who 10
reads about Kratz, Kratz, Kratz, m
Aratz, say whether this mayor was
back to this country and =,
lnded in the p%enitentiary and a he a,