Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-01-23
GOVERNOR FOLK
DEALS OUT STRAIGHT TALK TO
MISSOURI SOLONS.
Tells Them They Cannot Help Their Party by
lnjurng the Public. Some Advice That
Might be Beneficial at Olympia. Public
Office Is a Public Trust.

NoVeTuot Co'h inauguration OH Vnc
9th, at Jefferson City, NO., was attended
by William j. Bryan. who addressed the
senators and representatives and other
attendants at the inaugural ceremonies.
Governor Folk dwelt with special empha-
sis in his inaugural address upon the
subjects of partisanship and corruption
in public office, saying:
"You cannot help your party by injur-
ing the public. In private life one may
be democrat or republican, but when
he steps into public office he becomes a
public servant-a servant of all the peo-
pie. Patriotism is higher virtue than
partisanship. When you come oefore
the people to give an account Of your
stewardship, the account must te for
public service and not for party work.
Your party nominated you, but the peo.
pie elected you. Yon are here as legis-
lators and not as politicians. If there
should be any corruption during this
session OF the General Assembly, it
would be a disgrace to the state and a
reflection on every man in this body and
upon every official in the state govern
ment. 1t is too often the tendency of
good men in legislative bodies to close
their eyes to things of this nature, sat
istied with their own honesty, but for.
getting that it is as much their duty to
protect and defend the honor OF the state
as their own honor. The legislator who
sells his vote traffics in the honor of a
sovereign people aud prostitutes the
trust reposed in him. There can be no
offense which, if allowed to 60 on, is
fraught with graver consequences. 1t is
more fatal to civic life than any other
crime, for it pollutes the stream of law
at its source. 1t makes the passage of
laws mere matter of bargain and sale,
thwarts justice, enthrones iniquity and
renders lawful government impossible.
If all officials acts were for sale, we
should have government not of, for and
by the people, but government of, for
and by the few with wealth enough to
purchase official favor. 1t is the highest
duty of every legislator, OF every official
and OF every citizen to do all that he can
to eradicate this evil, which is the great.
est enemy to free government and the
greatest danger that confronts the nation
today. 1t is not always by taking money
that an official may prostitute his trust.
He does it whenever he uses the power
given him to be exercised for the public
good for any other purpose. An official
can embezze e public power as we'll as
public money. One in public office has
no more right to use his official powers
for personal ends than he would have to
put his hands into the public treasury
to pay private debt"
After suggesting remedies for corrup-
ton, Governor Folk turned his attention
to the use of railway passes for opening
the way to bribery. In this connection,
saying that in his experience the first
step legislator takes toward bribery is
the acceptance OF railroad pass, he
continued:
II have found instances, in the course
of investigation, where men had gone to
the legislature imbued with high and
noble purposes of serving their constitu-
ents honestly and well, first seduced
by railroad pass; the road to destruc.
ton was swift and easy, and they would
often wind up by accepting bribe money.
l am sure that you agree that railroads
must not get a grip upon the legislative
body through the railroad pass. The law
on the subject of free passes should be
strictly enforced"