The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-19
HOW GOVERNOR FOLK
HAS "MADE GOOD"
Has Led Strenuous Life in the
Public Eye
A SUCCESSFUL REFoRMER
Chief Executive of Missouri Has
Fought a Good Fight Against
Graft and corruptIon-Work
in ST. Louis.
From the Springfield Republican.

From the Springfield Republican.
Those residing beyond the confines of
Missouri, and watching with interest the
course of the campaign that indicted
into the office of Governor Joseph W.
Folk. may be interested in knowing
whether or not Folk has made good. On
investigation 1t is learned that the fol-
lowing are some Of the things that Folk
has done In Missouri:
As circuit attorney of st. Louis he ex-
posed more official corruption than was
ever before laid bare at any one time
and place In the history of the world.
He sent more boodlers to the peniten-
tiary than any other prosecuting officer
in the entire history of the world.
He drove some of the law-breaking
millionaires and political crooks from the
United States, and procured a treaty
with Mexico making the crime of bribery
an extraditable offense.
He awoke the slumbering conscience
of the people and started the moral wave
that is now rolling over the United
States.
Against opposition as bitter as any re-
/
ried his fight out on the hustings before
the people of Missouri. and over and
| against the fiercest possible opposition
he was triumphantlY nominated and
elected governor of the state, running
$4,000 votes ahead of the other nominees
on the democratic state ticket, who were
defeated.
He first announced the Missouri idea"
know through the civilized world,
which he has defined as the idea that
citizenship in free country implied
civic obligation to enforce the perform
ance of every public trust by holding
every public official to strict accounta-
bility before enlightened public opinion
for all officials acts"
He has popularized the simple virtue
of common honesty in the public life of
a great state to such an extent that,
| whereas an honest man formerly sue
| ceeded in politics with only the greatest
difficulty, now reputation for honesty
must be the chief political asset of any
aspirant to office in Missouri.
AS governor he has eliminated the cor
ruptionist and the boodler from legsla-
tive affairs.
Passed Many Laws.
| In the single session of the legislature
! that has been held under his administra-
tion more laws which had been thereto
| fore opposed by the corporation lobby
were passed than in the whole previous
25 years. He scrutinized legislative pro-
ceedings with such vigilance that the
| legislature was the first in more than
| a quarter of a century to adjourn with
| out a whisper of suspicion that any of
its actions had been inspired by corrupt
motives
He drove the powerful corporation
| lobby from the state capital.
He has abolished the practice of leg
islators and appointees of the governor
riding on free railroad passes, and for
the first time since the civil war not a
single railroad pass telegraph frank or
express frank is possessed by an APP
pointee of the state administration
He procured the enactment of law
| giving a right of action for the death of
adult or unmarried persons.
He caused the law to be so amended
that $4,000. instead of $4,000 might be re-
covered for the death of person caused
| by negligence.
He helped to procure the enactment OF
a bill regulating freight rates and fixing
a maximum rate below the rates there
tofore exacted.
He gave his powerful aid to the pas
sage of the negotiable-instrument law,
which places commercial paper in Mis-
of the eastern states.
He forced the passageof a law extend
| ing the statute of limitations in bribery
cases from three to five years.
He has taken the police out of politics
in the large cities of Missouri, and placed
them on the basis of public service alone.
Cry of Fraud flushed.
Through his police commissioners in
the various cities he has SO conducted
the police that under his administration
the cry of fraud and police intimidation
after a municipal election has not once
been heard, although 1t had been the
concomitant of every municipal election
before in more than a quarter of a CEN
fury, both in Kansas City and st. Louis.
Through his board of elections COM
missioners the election machinery has
been so administered in the great cities
that there has been no cry of fraudulent
registration during his administration, and
the elections held under his supervision
are conceded to have been fair and hon
| est
| He has stamped out the grafters from
the police department.
He broke up the joints of the panel
workers In ST. Louis and terminated
their alliance with the police
He forced the passage of a law repeal
ing the race track gambling law, and
nut the most powerful race track synd-
| cate in the world out of business. He
| completely broke up the attempted de-
fance of this law by the race track gam
hlers. who had the assistance of the To-
| COL officials of ST Louis county In their