The Washington times., 1905-06-25
-Four, Flushing in Missouri.

statesman. bst nobody has risen
TO alieSe that he doesn't know the
same OF practical politics. Mr.. Har-
rison. out or the Nllness OF this knowl-
ssise, once wrote an article on -four.
hashtaEH In politics and public af-
sairs, The burden of his complaint
WAS that the American people have
too much tendency to pass all sorts
or laws. IN response to an alleged
public sentiment. regulating various
things that in fac, they don't want
regulated, They pass laws and pre-
scribe rules. Mayor Harrison alleged.
that they don't expect and don't want.
70 be enforced. Then when an execu-
tive comes along and. pulling the fifth
card out of his sleeve and completing
his flush, proceeds to enforce these
laws, the people rise UP in wrath and
protest.
Governor Folk of Missouri is hav-
ing some painful experience just now
in the enforcement of some -four
flush laws in Missouri. He is giving
the State Sunday closing that closes,
and he is stopping gambling on the
race tracks and at other places where
1t is carried on. He is giving Missouri
TO understand once more that while
he is acting under an oath to enforce
law, it will be enforced. He is making
Missouri be good. and there is cumu-
lative evidence that Missouri, despite
the contrary impression conveyed by
reading of it's statutes, doesn't want
to be good
1t is perhaps regrettable, but it is
proved by much experience, that large
cities don't want to be too moral.
They are willing to be pretty good,
but not too good Missouri, at least
an important and potent influence in
Missouri, suspects that the governor
is trying to get IT SO good that it will
be in danger OF translation. Now,
Missouri, despite the significant fact
that it is Missouri, doesn't want to be
translated. 1t has been just plain
Missouri SO long that it rather likes
the experience, and isn't willing to
take chances of being hurried off to
a land that is better than this.
So it comes about that Governor
Folk, who made himself tremendously
popular by enforcing laws against cor
ruption, is making himself unpopular
with great many people who think
themselves good enough for all prac-
teal purposes, by shutting off the
Sunday and late-at-night beer supply
OF cities and towns regardless of size.
The water supply of Missouri is not
above criticism, and the MiSsourians
who find themselves suddenly forced
to dependence on it after long period
Of prudent abstinence. are wroth.
Likewise those Missourians who have
been wont to bet on the ponies are
Srieved at the paternalism which UNI
dertakes to protect them against their
amiable weakness for taking a chance
now and then. They opine that it is
their own money they are betting, and
their business whether they put it on
the favorite when the field is doped
in favor of the long shot.
So it happens that the people who
call themselves liberal are highly in
dignant at the Introduction of their
rights even though these are not
rights at all There is, OF course,
on the other side, considerable ele-
ment that righteously rejoices in the
prospect of seeing the State made bet
ter, and that insists that laws are
made to be enforced. But this ele-
ment does not often grow wildly en-
thusiastic over the executive who as
sumes the heavy burden of law en-
forcement The executive presently
finds himself backed by a lukewarm
faction that is mildly willing to have
somebody else enforce the laws, and
opposed by very ardent interest that
gets hotter under the collar with each
succeeding Sunday Of morality.
1t ali comes back to the question of
whether laws can be enforced when
there is no strong sentiment in sup
port of them Missouri has some
laws whose existence had been pretty |
well forgotten. They are referred to J
now as blue laws Governor Folk is |
doing simply his sworn duty, but the !
doing of it is not proving very popu-
lar. and it may have a most unfor-
tunate effect on his political future |
Yet it isn't the governors fault. I'll
is simply the proof that Missouri has
been .ndulging in the cheerful pastime !
of "four-1ushinp