Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-19

New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.
During the last three years 2Je new fac
tories have been established here with a
capital of $36Oo0,00o and during 1905 50
new ones came in, with a capital of thfr-
teen millions, while 81 new wholesale and
retail mercantile establishments. with
capital of eleven millions began business.
Some Of the most important of these were
brought here by the Business Mems League,
which secured them sites and assisted them
In securing capital.
City Kept Orderly by Folk.
st, Louis has outlived the boodler scan
dals and is now regarded as a well-kept,
well-governed town. 1t Is comparatively
free from crime. and people do not look for
the reports OF three or four murders in the
new spapers every morning. as they do in
Chic2g5. This may be, in a measure due to
the enforcement of the liquor laws by the
energy and determination of Gov. Folk.
The police and, under them, the saloon
business are regulated by the state and
not by the municipal authorities. The gov
ernor enforces the laws for the prevention
OF crime and the suppression of intemper-
ance. The mayor and common council
theoretically have nothing to do with ii.
and Gov. Folk is keeping 'the lid on. BY
his strict enforcement of the Sunday law
he has alienated the large German element
which made him governor, and by his
straightforward and open prosecutions of
the boodlers he has incurred the eternal
hostility of the democratic machine. both
less and Notwithstanding, he expects TO be
elected to the United States Senate TO sue
coed Mr.. Stone. and is laying the pipes to
secure a unanimous delegation to support
him for President at the next national dem
ocrauc convention.
Folk Strong in Country Districts.
Whether he will be able to control the
state convention and secure the delegates
at large is doubtful. because of the oppo-
eff Of he ,,i.z r.in
have the delegates from every one OF the
country districts and from at least one of
the city districts of St Louis. Folk has lost
his hold on the city. however, because of
his temperance reforms and his quarrel
with the machine, but throughout the rural
districts from one end of the state to the
other he is political idol. and could be
elected to any office he might run for. If
he goes into the national democratic con-
vention without solid delegation from
Missouri behind him, his prospects will
not be bright as otherwise, but some
shrewd politicians are confident that such
situation would strengthen rather than
weaken him because they think the dele
gates from other states would understand
the reason why the st. Louis machine re-
fused to support him and would construe
1t to his credit Senator Stone hates Folk,
the politicians say, but will be compelled
to support him. and every other democratic
leader outside of st. Louis is in a similar
situation.
II Is generally understood also that Mr..
Folk expects the mantle of Mr. Bryan TO
fall upon his shoulders instead of upon the
shoulders Of Mr.. Hearst. He also expects
that Hearst and himself will be the two
leading candidates before the next national
convention and that he will receive the sup
port of the conservative element of the
democratic party and the business interests.
Folk is not socialist. He is very con-
sentative on financial and business ques-
tons and has the full confidence of the
business men of this city and state.
Reporters Made Folk.
Gov Folks enemies and some people who
are supporting him declare that he is not
entitled to all the honors he wears. They
DO not question his ability and admit that
he deserves great credit for his energetic
prosecution of the municipal boodlers, but
declare that he was exceedingly reluctant
to undertake that duty and that it was
forced upon him. He was ordinary
lawyer, and practically unknown, when he
was elected district attorney of st. Louis
by the democratic machine, and having en-
tered office. came into contact with group
of newspaper reporters stationed at THE
Four Courts" the headquarters of the
county and municipal governments. These
reporters knew all about the rottenness of
the city government; they knew the price
of every corrupt official, and how much he
had received for his influence or his vote
In every case, but for various reasons were
not permitted to publish their knowledge.
Their leader. Red" Calvin of the Star,
one of the keenest politicians and shrewd-
est newsgatherers on the city press, brought
the corruption to Folks attention and spent
a great deal of time collecting evidence for
his use Folk would not take up the mat
ter until Calvin and the other reporters
forced him into the fight and kept him at
it until he had become so involved that he
could not withdraw. Calvin and his fellow
reporters We're therefore responsible 70; the
crusade and the exposures because as soon
the district attorney took official notice
of the corruption there was no objection TO
the publication of the facts.
Folk fought with great energy and sue
cess and became famous. Red Calvin
continued to fill his assignments a re-
porter at The -Four Courts unknown and
unhonored. and five or six months ago fell
dead at jefferson City, where he had been
sent to report some political proceedings
The esteem in which he held by the
political and business community Was
demonstrated at his funeral There were
testimonials from the most influential as
socations In St. Louis but the newspaper
boys complain that there was none from
Folk.
ApMOpEn MOTOR CAR