Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-16
ENFORCING the LAWS
Governor Folk of Missouri
Shows His Courage.
SUNDAY CLOSING FIGHT
EXCELLENT CITY GOVERNMENT
ENJOYED BY ST. LOUIS.
Symmetrical Scheme Of Urban I'M
provement-Two Plans Prepared
The Bridge Monopoly.
SUNDAY CLOSING FIGHT
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.

| BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Special Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
| Record Herald
| ST. LOUIS, Mo-, June Is. 1905.
Contrary to the predictions of many and
the expectations of more, Folk is giving
Missouri good government. Reformers
are usually impracticable. AS a rule. they
are better critics than performers. But he
has developed great deal of practical COM
mon sense and executive ability. He is
popular with the people and the newspapers
and commands the confidence of the public,
| who believe him to be an honest, sincere,
courageous man, determined to enforce the
laws and give Missouri an honest just and
progressive government. At the same
time Governor Folk is not inclined to hide
his light under a bushel, and is willing to
enjoy whatever political advantages may be
derived from his official authority and the
| opportunities that are offered him. Ac-
cordng to common understanding, he Is a
candidate for the presidency. and expects to
be nominated. or. at least, would accept a
nomination, at the democratic convention
| in 1908.
Enforcing the Laws.
Governor Folk shows his courage and his
determination to enforce the laws he finds
| in the statute books by his treatment of
the saloons. Liquor sellers in Missouri are
| licensed by the state and not by the mu-
inequalities The large cities usually elect
republican officials, and, in order to deprive
| them of political advantages and the pa
| tronage, the democratic legislature placed
| the police. the fire departments, the excise
| and other branches of the several munich
palities under commissions appointed by
the governor and confirmed by the Senate.
Hence the state, and not the municipal Off
| Gals. are responsible for the enforcement
| of the Euuor laws.
| Under previous administrations they have
| not been enforced. but everything has been
allowed to run wide open, and state stat
ute forbidding the sale of liquor on Sunday
has until recently, been dead letter. Gov
| ernor Folk has commenced to enforce 1t, not
only in st. Louis, but in every other city of
| the state, and he has not only closed the
saloons but the barber shops, cigar stores,
fruit and confectionery shops and all other
business places, from midnight Saturday to
midnight Sunday, and it is reported that
| he is going to close up all the Sunday picnic
places, stop the street cars and give the
people of Missouri an old-fashioned Puritan
Sabbath.
There have been numerous and urgent
| protests. Missouri, and particularly st.
| Louis, has large German population and
| many other foreigners who have been &C
| customed to a European Sunday. One OF
the German societies proposes to go INTO
|
Sunday-closing law, on the ground that II
| interferes with the constitutional rights and
| liberties of the people. The saloon Keepers
have already brought case to the state
| supreme court to test the right of the gov
| ernor to revoke their licenses for violation
of the Sunday closing law. The governor
| claims this authority. The enforcement OF
| the law devolved upon the sheriff instead or
| the police, and that official, with his de-
! tectiyes, reports each Sunday the saloons
that he has found open. On Monday the
licenses for the sale OF liquor IN those
| saloons are revoked without further pro
| ceedings The liquor dealers claim that
this is an arbitrary act without legal au-
| thority.
Not Supported by the Courts.
| If a saloon keeper whose license has been
| revoked continues to sell liquor ne Is ar
rested and tried criminal. but thus lar
| very few have been convicted before Jurles-
The governor has not been supported pv
| the lower courts. He has announced MS
| intention to enforce the Sunday-closing law,
| however even if he has to use the state
| militia to enforce his authority -
| Missouri is getting to be very FlfluouS
| state. The recent Legislature did goou
| deal to correct the morals OF the people anu
| nunish popular sins A bill was introduced
| to impose a fine of $500 on every man VINO
| timed a servant at a hotel, restau.ah',
| in a sleeping car or elsewhere; but that dld
not become law, ana stnii ls aeoetaaps
| of the legislature would make 1t INSIDE
| meanor for one Missouri gentleman to pay
| for another Missouri gentleman drink
| There is an anti-cigarette law, but IL is not
ca severe as that of Indiana and some other
| states
| Horse racing is forbidden in the state of
| Missouri after the end OF this month at
| county fairs, as well as at regular tracks.
| A similar law has been passed in tennessee,
| because racing has degenerated into mere
| opportunity for gambling. The pretense
M for co ma
that racing meetings promote the breeding
| of fine stock is played out. The bookmak-
| ers control all of the tracks, and at some
| of them no admission fee is charged. Spec
| tators have to pay for seats on the stands,
| hut they can reach the betting ring without
| charge. Gambling is a felony in Missouri,
and Gov Folk proposes to enforce the anti
| betting and anti-racing laws and to close
all the tracks after the LIST of July.
City's Good Government.
| After all the experience with boodlers
St Louis has now an excellent city gov
| eminent. also, composed of officials who
are honest, able and practical men. Bust
! ness methods have been introduced into all
branches of the government, and 1 am told
| that graft, bribery and blackmail have all
| been stopped. Everyone with whom l have
| spoken on the subject testifies to the pub
| lie confidence In the present city admins
| tration and commends it for Its intelli-
Bence, nlteSIiey anu BUSINESS ,i,etAous'' ~.
| G. p Waibridge, recently republican candi-
| date for governor, whom l quoted yester-
| day, said:
1--WE have good city government and a
| good state government. and ! do not think
| Missouri ever had a more conscientious,
| honest and painstaking leg stature than
that which sat al Jefferson City last ses-
| sion."
| Many public improvements are being
made; sewers are being rebuilt new pave
| ments are being laid. the water supply is
| being enlarged and improved, new streets
| are stretching out beyond the city limits,
| new public buildings are being planned, and
| every department of the municipal govern
| ment is busy.
| A Symmetrical Scheme.
| The Civic Improvement League volun-
| tary organization, recently formed to agi-