Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-12
". FOLKS
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
"Aware of the Seriousness of the
Duties That Await Me-"
MISSOURI NOW ON TRIAL.
Declares the Motto of the State
should BE the Guiding Star OF
Every Official Act.

should BE the Guiding Star of
Every Official Act.
Gov. Joseph W. Folks inaugural adj
dress, as read in the general assembly,
was as follows:
Senators and Representatives:
This is the third time 1 have stood
upon this platform. The first was on a
stormy winters night early last year in
the campaign for the democratic nominal
ton; the second, in the dawn of a sum-
mer's morning in July, in accepting the
nomination of my party; and now, for
the purpose of taking the oath as gov
ernor OF this great commonwealth and
&c announce the principles and intentions
that shall guide me. l have dedicated
myself to the service of the people of
my state, unGer the sanction of a solemn
path that shall be preserved sacred and
inviolate. Profoundly impressed by the
expression of their confidence, l pledge
myself Lefore God, and in the presence
or these witnesses, to complete devotion
to the welfare of the people of Missouri.
Aware of the seriousness of the duties
that await me, and conscious of my own
weakness, | should shrink from the task.
If it were my fate to bear unaided the
responsibilities that confront me; when
] remember, however, that l shall have
the support and cooperation OF. wise and
patriotic men, who represent the people
in legislative halls, and in the other de-
partments Of the state government, l am
kept from encouragement. There are
many considerations to brighten the out
look, There seems to be a general dis
position to join together in beneficial pub
lie labors. | know that in every effort
for the public welfare, we shall have. the
moral support of the good and patriotic
people of the state, regardless of party.
All that Is required of any of us, Is that
we give the public the best service that
we can. More thar this, no one can
11Gtly demand. 1nSS than this no one
can rightfully ask.
TO you are delegated the sovereign
functions Of legislation. The executive
can only suggest measures for your con-
sideration, and then approve or disap-
prove of the bills you pass. | would, not
dictate to you, If 1 could; nor would l
have you substitute my judgment for
our wv on any matter before you, for
your duty is one thing and mine another.
While l shall give you my opinions on
PUBLIC matters .t',, sn from N time i'm on to time II after nee
man, honestly expressed, and If you
should not agree with me-, that is your
right, as it is mine to disagree with you:
l hope, though, that any difference will
be merely of opinion, and not OF prin-
ciple.
Patriotism Above craftsmanship.
Partisanship is a good thing some
times, but patriotism is a better thing
all the time. P~artisanship is well enough
when it does not conflict with patriotism;
Dut PATRIOTISM is IL higher Virtue tlldl
partisanship. Some of you are demo
Nyrats, some are republicans, all are Mis-
nurians. In the discharge of official
S~duties, let us be Missourians before we
are anything else. Do not forget that
you will be aiding the party you may be-
long to, most, by giving the public the
highest service. You can not help your
party by injuring your state. One may
be in private life a democrat or repub-
lican, but when he steps into public Of
flee. he becomes a public servant-a serv-
ant OF all the people. 1t is not my pur-
pose to urge upon you the abandonment
Of any party organization with which you
may be affiliated.
1 believe in party organizations; in a
popular form of government, such as
ours, they are necessary, for it is through
political parties that men come to an
agreement on public policies and make
known their principles. One man may
be Just as patriotic as another, yet they
may differ on governmental questions. Po-
litical parties, to be worthy of confidence,
must be servants of the public, not pub
lie masters.
When you come before the people, to
give an account of your stewardship, the
account must be for public service, and
mated 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 mere
welfare of the state should ever be your
first consideration. If the public veal
should conflict with party advantage or
personal ambition, the public good should
prevail. Loyalty to Missouri is more i'm
portant than su~bserviency to any political
organization. Nothing can justify one
becoming a traitor to his state.
Legislators Lot Not Easy.
The legislators lot is not an easy
one. The pittance he receives for his
work is hardly sufficient to supply his
necessary wants. No private Interests
could secure for so small a sum the serv-
ice of so large a number of men, as hon
est and intelligent as the men who com
ions which beset the legislator on every
hand assume the most insidious forms
An innocent present given in supposed
friendship may have concealed in 1t the
legislative honor. Unless the legislator
be strong and ever Vigilant, no matter
how high his purposes or how pure his
motives, he may be trapped by designing
men into a compromising position-anC
then he is lost. l have never known &
legislator to become corrupt deliberately
his intentions in the beginning are usual
ly good. The moral collapse generally
begins through the seductive siren song:
of past-masters in the art of corruption
The way to corruption Is a primrose
path, with dead sea apples on eithel
honor and despair. Once an otficia
starts on that road, it is almost impos'
sible to turn back, for fear of exposure
III is DGlleI, IlOuEl, W hIlttl at lit IGCl
of Justice and tell the truth than to bt
dashed by the fear of publicity into fur
Their wrongs.
Missouri Now On Trial.
Missouri is q great s~tate-great in fer
tile fields, in mountains of precious met
ais and in splendid cities; but, above all
great In the high character Of the mel
and women who people the state. Meas
uring Missouri, not by the wealth of tn
few, but by the welfare and virtue o
the masses, she stands pre-eminen
among the sisterhood of states. / hay
gone from one end of Missouri to tn
other, into nearly every county, and no
where does illiteracy rule evefrywher
shipped. All true Mlssourians ar
proud that the state is the leader Il
The fight for good government now bein
made all over the land. A slumberin
public conscience was first awakened /
Missouri to the necessity of remedyin
civic evils, and now many states hav
caught the idea a are waging wa
against the things that dishonor. Fror
every section of this state there comes
stern demand that this general assembl
be free from the evil of bribery that ha
disgraced former bodies. There has bee
no more corruption here than in som
other states, but it has been exposed an
punished here. and in other states 1t ha
not been; and this is Missouri,s glory
not Missouri's shame, There Is honor /
the correction of civic evils; 1t is dishon
orable to bear them In ignoble silenc,
Missouri has set an example in good GOV
eminent for other states, and the es
ample must be kept up. The eyes of tn
whole world are on Missouri to see wha
is going to- be done here. Those VIII
believe In the Righteousness of the pee
Pile are looking to see their theory Wiz
dictated; those who hold that corruptio
is a necessary incident of government
and that the Missouri idea" Is only
passing virtuous spasm, are awaiting tn
result to sustain their position. Mi.
souri, Is now on trial. To lapse back int
the evils Of other days would be wors
tina IL there had been no exposures {
all, and would do Missouri more harl
h all the calamities and pestilenc,
that could occur. / promised the Peep
of this state to do my best to put a ste
TO bribery, and the promise, I assure 70
is going to be kept to the letter. In tn