The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1905-11-24
ELECTION SIGNIFICANT,
Results of Recent Election De-
note Moral Revolution.
Machine Politics and Official
= Corruption Dealt tel
ling blow.

In speech, delivere just before
tie recent election Joseph Folk, Mis-
souli's great Governor, delivered
this comforting prophecy, "A moral
revolution is being wrought IN the
conscience of mankind. " Historic
revolutions. moral or political like
volcanic eruptions are sudden and
spectacular in their elimination, but
alike they must first pass through a
long period of silent preparation
Ahich discloses itself only to the
most profound and patient student.
Folk himself a prod uct Of this revo-
luton. was prepared to measure the
t~nper Of the people in advance of
its expression at an election the most
significant ever held in the United
State. Forces working toward a
moral revolution in the conscience
of mankind. as Folk 50 eloquently
and aptly expresses it. arose from
the maximum swing of the pendulem
To 4he bad. The movement toward
Z moral revolution had no wise man
for its sponsor and no brotherhood
of moralists for its nurses. but as
the multitude holds no convention
before fleeing to shelter from the
bursting storm this protest against
intolerabls moral obliquity in the
commercial and political world had
its origin in the common convic-
tiaSs of mankind.
The movement for cleaner business
S,ethods and purer politics received
a powerful impetus from the aces
sion of Theodore Roosevelt to the
Presidency. Not more honest but
far holder and more fearless
than his illustrious predecessor he
became known,at once as a man who
does things and his conduct inspired
the best element of society to hope
land action. The condition of the So
Aal armament may be known by the
leaders 1t cast up. The five great
men of the country to-day are Roose-
welt. Taft, Root, Folk and Jerome.
every one fit for a king, if kings
were the fashion on this side of the
sea. That these five fearless and in
corruptable men are the best known
best loved and most trusted citizens
of the republic proves that revolu-
ton is being wrought in the consci-
ence of mankind. With the beef
thieves, the railroad thieves, the in
surance thieves already before the
inquisition, land with the standard old
thieves, the tobacco thieves and the
other rich scoundrels listening, with
trembling knees for a call to come
to court there is indeed promise OF a
Revolution in the ethics of the age.
The execution of the law, disastrous
as it is to the big thief's profession
is not 80 much his dread. 1t is public
epinion that withers and bights. 1t
ID not so much the pruning Of salar-
les and dividends that the McCurdys
and Hydes and Depews and Rookie
fellers dread as the scorn and con-
tempt of public opinion. The crafty
Carnegie saw the storm approaching
and Dick Turpin like, set about Civ
ing back to the people the wealth Of
which he had robbed them. Poor old
John Rockefeller whose happiness no
inmate of an almshouse should envy
pleaded guilty to robbing his coun-
trymen and voluntarily offered to pay
q fine of ten million of dollars. and
his withered soul must have burnt
to the core when the hottest church
men of the country cried out against
SHINING their hands with his filthy
cash.
The demand for clean business
methods follows as a matter of course
the demand for clean methods in pol
itics. The result of the recent cleo
ton leaves no room to doubt the
temper of the American people in
the matter Of cleaner politics as a
part of the revolution being wraught
in the conscience of mankind. In
New York City where the skeleton
hand of the senile Platt still held the
throttle of the Republican machine