The Irish standard., 1905-04-08
Governor Folk Says it is Possible to Roo, Our
= Corruption Everywhere If Patience
is Employed.
He Who Fights Doodle Should Close His
Eyes to Politics for There is No
Politics in Doodle.

1t may have been his youth, his
reckless courage and his swift, almost
romantic, rise to power that made the
brown-eyed governor of Missouri
hero to New York, but Mr. Folk
seemed to regard his splendid recep-
tion in the metropolis as the sign of a
general American awakening to the
Importance of the war against bribery
and graft in which he has been the
picturesque protagonist, says James
Creelman in the New York World.
At the age Of IS this singular man
finds himself governor of state in
which he has lived only eleven years,
and an impressive figure in national
politics, all because as local prose.
cutor he broke up the rings of official
boodlers which were the shame of
Missouri, sent throng of them to
prison and challenged political cor
ruption to a decisive battle by running
for governor against the opposition of
the leaders of his own party in the
single thesis that "boodling is bad poll
tics"
"The fight against graft is one of
the greatest issues before the nation
today" he said to me just before he
started back to ST Louis. Graft lies
at the bottom of the greatest govern
ment evils.
"T'he tariff issue, in it's last analysis,
is graft issue. The trust issue is
| likewise a graft issue. One of the
most deadly dangers involved in the
vast combinations Of wealth which
overshadow business conditions today
is the principle of graft upon which
some are founded.
"The manufacturer who gets undue
tariff protection has what may be
termed a graft. The monopoly which
controls necessaries of life and exacts
unjust prices from the people has a
graft. Those who profit by such privi-
leges are in morals just as much graft
ers as those who bribe city or state
officials to grant improper franchises.
1T is this enlargement of the scheme
of graft that makes the unjust monop-
olies more odious. They differ from
the petty, vulgar combinations only in
size. Their methods of corruption may
not be so direct, but they are equally
hurtful.
1.-The remedy is exposure and pun
ishment; punishment when it is pos
sible. but exposure always. The men
who grant unjust privileges, who help
to build up the great monopolies, do
SO at the expense of the people. They
should be taught by the people that it
is bad politics"
There is the central thought of the
man who is looked upon as one of the
most serious and commanding figures
in Democratic national politics, a
growing presidential possibility. He
speaks with great deliberation. Nor
could he be beguiled away from the
anti-graft idea as an all-sufficient issue
in politics.
1t would be exaggeration to say that
Joseph Wingate Folk is a man of i'm
pressive presence-and yet there is in
his personality a curious sense of pow
er that makes itself felt gradually. He
impresses you as a man of courage,
conscious that he has emerged on a
great stage, and modestly fearful of at
tempting to discuss national issues in
the terms Of local experience.
For man whose great reputation
was won in the most terrific battle
against corruption since Mr.. Tilden led
the fight against the Tweed ring in
New York, Governor Folk is excessive
ly guarded in his manner, precise in
his choice of words and obviously en-
barrassed by questions that touch
upon his political future.
He is not a tall man, but is sturdily
built, broad-shouldered, deep in the
chest and set firm upon his legs. He
mas strong face. The earnest brown
eyes, wide jaws, square chin and de-
termined mouth, down-drawn at the
corners, attract attention at once. The