Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1907-07-19

Governor Folks Great Speech
THE BRILLIANT MISSOURI REFoRMER is HEARD TO GOOD
ADVANTAGE AND THE PEOPLE ADMIRE HIM.

not cut the rope that binds him to
industrial slavery, when he carries a
cleaning blade, Is unfit for the ballot.
The American people have the power
to right every wrong and they will"
"We are in the midst Of the most
dramatic period of American history
he said, 'the period in which the peo-
pies rights are to be defined and OBJ
served as they never have been before.
There are some who see danger to our
institutions in the agitation resulting
from the exposures of wrongdoing in
official and business life. l do not
share in this view. To my mind the
hope for the %perpetuity Of this govern
ment by the people was never bright
or than now. The fact that this
awakening has come at a time of
great prosperity shows that it does
not proceed from a spirit of discon-
tent, but springs from the moral sense
Of the people. 1t is simply a deter
mination to stamp out the things
that dishonor in public life and the
things that Cypress in private life-a
ii rm resolve that government shall be
representative of the good, not of the
bad. The energies of this public con
s~ciencenhave been extended from the
domain of the public wrong-doer to
that of the private wrong-doer and
probing into the carvings on of graf
ters of every kind. 1t is not railroads
the people complain of, but the breach
es OF trust on the part of some of
those running the railroads; the peo-
pie understand these things and know
that while so.ne officials are crooked,
it does not follow that all railroad
men or all bankers and officials are
without honor. The people are dis
eliminating between . the good and
the bad. This movement against
graft is not a crusade against public
or private wealth, but against the
abuses whereby some obtain great
wealth. 1t is a demand for common
honesty in public life and private
business. No man that is doing an
honest business need fear from the
a~rousing of the conscience of the peo-
pie against wrongs. The distinguish
ing characteristic of this crusade for
higher ideals is the conservatism of
the people. They do not oppose rich
es honestly acquired, but they do OBJ
ject to special privileges out of which
tainted riches grow. They encourage
legitimate industry and are not I'M
friendly to corporations that obey the
laws, but they demand that corpor-
%ations, even the greatest, obey the
law just like any n else. The agi-
tation against ill-gotten gains does
not mean a rabid socialism or the des-
truction Of the vested rights of any
one. The mar who would retard le-
legitimate industrial development is as
much a public enemy as he who would
Cypress the people beneath the golden
heel of monopoly. The cry is not for
socialism or anarchy, but that the
corporation magnate respect the law
that governs the conduct of the cor
pOration as he asks others to re-
spect the law that protects the pro-
perty of the corporation. The govern
ment does not rest either upon the
idle rich or the idle poor, but upon
the energy and patriotism of the mid
die classes. This is 6 : class that
suffers under the reign OF the special
privileges. Men may acquire wealth
by any form of lawlessness or graft,
but it is the wealth OF the buccaneer
and the pirate and not that obtained
through natural leans The elimi-
nation of special privileges is the
great question before the people of
this country-the railroad rebate
special privilege, the tariff so arranged
as to give special privilege and create
monopoly. and the special privileges
always to be found at the bottom OF
every graft"
The Governor was heartily congratu-
lated by many, and was escorted to
the commercial clubroom where he
enjoyed a pleasant hour with the
members and guests.