The Minneapolis journal., 1906-07-08
FOLK PLEADS FOR
LOFTIER IDEALS
More Men for Public Veal,
More Respect for
Law Needed.
Missouri's Governor Sees
Only Good in Wave
Of. Reform.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal.
a PPLETON, Wis. July 7.-Gov-
~ ernor Joseph W. Folk deliv-
cred an address here at the
.Ghautauqua assembly before 4 800 per-
sons. He was given the heartiest greet
ing that any speaker of the assembly
has received, and his address was an
eloquent appeal for higher ideals. He
said in part: ss2
t'We need more men in government
service for public good and fewer poll
sticians, who are in the office for the
revenue only. An aroused public con-
science demanded that graft be thrown
out of the great cities of st. Louis,
Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Pittsburg,
and it can be done from ocean to ocean
in the smallest hamlet and in the great
est city. Aga
. In my official position, if I can
please the law-abiding and displease the
corruptionists, I shall be satisfied. In
my second campaign for governor Of
corruptionists from every stump in the
state, and said I did not want to be
elected if I could not be elected with
out their support The corruptionists
have no power if you stand up and fight
them; their only power comes from
blufing and bulldozing the people.
Railroad Pass an Evil.
"We do not need more new laws SO
much as the enforcement Of the laws
| we have. There has been too much of
enacting Of laws to please the moral ele-
ment and not enforcing them to please
! the immoral element. :,
The corporation magnate should be
| compelled to respect the law as he ex-
poets the law protecting his property to
be respected. The keeper Of a dramshop
should find out that the Sunday clos.
ing law is in force as well as the law
that is protecting his cash drawer. The
saloonkeepers Of the great cities Of ST.
Louis and Kansas City are observing
the laws and shall continue to observe
the state Of Missouri. y
"There is more honor In an honest
private life than in high official of
fee, for which one has sacrificed prin
cciple. The time will come when The
embezzlement Of public power will be
as great crime as the embezzlement
Of public moneys. ~ .. .u. ~
"I regard the railroad pass as one 0:
the great evils of corruption. say
that a statesman has no more right tx
take a pass than he has to take tn,
equivalent In money. The railroad
have a right to be heard in legislation
as any great industry has the right t.
be heard, but they have no right t.
keep lobbyists around the Legislative
halls to. debauch the statesman.
I - = No Danger in Movement.
"some fear the present upheava
will endanger the perpetuity of ou
form of government. Their reason 70
! this is much like that cf the man VIII
never took a bath for fear people woul
think he needed it. We have roote
out corruptions in Missouri and tina
state has prospered in the past fou
>. years as it has never prospered be
FORE" ..~.' -.- =
| Governor Folk spoke Of the grea
fortunes that had been amassed by pr
vate individuals in this country an
sand: s'It could not be done if tn
doctrine Of equal rights prevailed;
is the rule Of the special privileges tha
makes it possible w..
! "It is not enough to be agains
wrong; we must fight wrong; we nee
not honest men so much as men VIII
will be honest in action. "'.-. "