The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-10
THE MESSAGE OF FOLK
NEW GOVERNOR or MISSOURI
 WRITES OF B0ODLfNG.
Calls on the Members of the Legfsfa- ture to Lay Aside Partisanship and Allow Patriotism
 to Have a Chance.


 Jefferson City. Mo, Jan. s.--Joseph W. Folk was inaugurated today as Governor. In his inaugural address the Governor spoke in part as follows:
 ''Partisanship is a good thing some times, but patriotism is a better thing all the time. Partfsanship Is well enough when it does not conflict with patriotism. but patriotism Is a higher virtue than partisanship. Some of you are Democrats. some are Republicans, all are Missourians. In the discharge of official duties, let us be Missourians before we are anything else. Do not forget that you will be aiding the party you may belong to most by giv- ing the public the highest service. You cannot help your party by injuring the public. One may be in private life a Democrat or Republican, but when he steps into public office, he becomes a public servant--a servant of all the people.
 When you come before the people to give an account of your stewardship and not for party work. Your party nominated you, the people elected you and sent you here to serve the public and by that service you will reflect credit or discredit on your party. You are here as legislators, not as poli- ticians, and the welfare of the State should ever be your first consideration. If the public veal should conflict with party advantage or personal ambition, the public should prevail.
 If there be any corruption during this session of the General Assembly, it would be disgrace to the State and 0 refieqhon on every man, on this body and upon every official in the State Government. It is too often the ten dency of good men in Legislative bodies to close their eyes to things of this nature. satisfied with their own hon. esty, but forgetting that it is as much their duty to protect and defend the honor of the State as 1t Is their honor. The legislator who sells his vote, traf- fics in the honor of a sovereign people and prostitutes the trust reposed in him. There can be no offense, which if allowed to go on Is fraught with graver consequences. It Is more fatal to civic life than any other crime for it pollutes the stream of law at its source. It makes the passage of law mere matters of bargain and sale. thwarts justice, enthrones iniquity, and renders lawful government impossible. If all official acts were for sale we should have a government not for the people and by the people, but a govern ment of. for and by the few with | wealth enough to purchase official fa- vor. It is the highest duty of every | legislator, of every official, and of every citizen to do all that he can to eradi- | cate this evil. which is the greatest enemy to free government and the greatest danger that confronts this na- | tion today.
 Tn order to aid in the investigation | of rumors of corruption, laws should be enacted compelling witnesses to tes- | tify as to their knowledge of bribery transactions and exempting such wit nesses from prosecution for any mat | ters directly or indirectly growing out | Of such testimony.
 When legislator accepts a pass he puts it in the knowledge of the repre- | sentative of the railroad that he has violated the law and is subject to in l dictment. This knowledge can be used | by the railroad representative to club
 the legislator into submission to cor | porate interests.
 'The State Is entitled to have each citizen vote in order that the results
 of the elections may be the just senti- | ment of the people of this State. II | would seem to be only just that those | who do not prize this privilege enough
 to exercise 1t ought to forfeit 1t. The | knowledge that failure to vote would | disfranchise them and make them DO. | litical eunuchs would bring home tc
 them a realization of its supreme val | ue.
 When corporation obtains a fran.
 chise 1t is forfeited by non-usage. Ap- l ply this principle to the privilege ot
 voting and 1t will do more than any.
 thing else to remedy the evil of civic | indifference that is the weakness of a
 republican form of government
 As another step in the direction ot
 government by the people, it's senators
 ought to be elected by the people, and
 Missouri should lead the demand for 2 constitutional amendment providing for this reform.
 T believe it Is the province of the
 governor of the State to keep the pub.
 lie peace by settling disputes betweep
 employers and employees and lie should
 make 1t his business as far as possible
 to do so. if the contest involves the
 public interest in any waH."
 The governor spoke of the necessity
 of good roads and said the State
 should not license. gambling in any
 form whether it be a lottery, or pool