The Marshall republican., 1908-09-25
he Opening of the Campaign for 1908, at Springfield, Saturday, September 10

mosynary institutions Of the State and tn
al other necessary functions Of government
the funds necessary to carry on thei
, various activities.
THE RECORD OF THE STATE TREAS
uRER.
The administration Of the Office OF Stat
Treasurer by Jacob r. Gmelich would ais
furnish n profitable subject for discussion
for a much longer time than i am abb
to give II. He has, with a financial abilit.
never before equalled in the discharge o
the duties OF this office. kept the fund
OF the State In the repositories as re
quiped by law and in three years and min,
months OF his term has collected as inter
est on balances for the benefit OF thu
State $3.50, 203 SO, while his Democrats
predecessors in twenty-seven years col
lected only $i47, 1918. He has kept thu
books of his office In absolute harmon,
with the provisions of the law and has pu
into operation the highest possible ef.
nciency In the conduct OF its business. '
THE RECORD OF THE SECRETARY OF
STATE.
I should like to tell you much In detail
as to the manner in which John f.
Swanger has conducted the office OF Secre-
tary OF State. How the routine duties OF
that office have been promptly and cor
rectly performed TO the complete satisfac-
ton OF every citizen. But what Is more
important, Mr.. Swanger has made the
banking laws Of the State mean something
to the people. And so long as he is in
charge of the laws providing for the eX-
animation and inspection OF our State
banks, IL Will not be necessary to enact a
law providing for the guarantee OF de-
posits. compelling the honest and capable
banker to be responsible for the dishonest
and incapable one. While he has been
careful and conservative in declining to
take any action which would unjustly in
jure the credit of any men or banking in
stitution, he has been fearless and cour-
ageous In the performance OF his official
duties when occasion required action on
his part. And further, he and his exam
liners W. not given n clean bill of health
TO any lnsolvent bank because it was
owned by a man of political influence, and
he has ~cne'-t"ntlY refused to accept
general reputation as satisfactory proof
OF solvency. In addition. he has COM
PEELED corporations which had long been
transacting business in Missouri without
license. to comply with the laws OF our
State, and has thereby turned into the gen.
eral revenue fund many thousands OF dol
lors to which the State was legally entitled;
he has increased the receipts Of his Office
without increasing its expenditures, n
has In all particulars performed the duties
OF his office with economy and i'm
Partially.
MY OWN OFFICE.
l should like to tell you, IL / had the
time in which to do so, OF that work of
my W office Of which you have never
read in the newspapers; Of the work that
Is done in the office and the library in
attending to the ordinary, everyday rou-
tine duties of the office which results in
the proper enforcement Of the law, the
prevention of abuses or the necessity for
reform. IL Is this work, and not the work
OF my office, which has attracted public
attention, In which / take\the most sat
isfact'on, for 1t is a careful attention to
the performance of the details of official
duty that insures the best safeguard of
an honest government and an impartial
enforcement of the law.
In addition tn the work OF those State
officers elected four years ago., we point
with satisfaction and pride to the honest
and efficient services that nave been rend-
cred by the other officers elected at that
time: Albert ID. Nortoni of the St. Louis
Court Of Appeals, ]. d. Johnson OF the
Kansas City Court OF Appeals, Henry
OF the Supreme Court of the State,
Frank Wightman of the Board of Railroad
and Warehouse Commissioners, John C.
Mckinley, our ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and
also do we call the attention of the peo-
pie to the high rank that has been Sc
gress by our Representative elected in
1904 and 1906. and by our Senator, Will
liam Warner.
THE REAL ISSUE.
But, Notwithstanding the satisfactory
and efficient records that AVE been made
by these officials during the last four
years.. the people Of Missouri are asked In
this campaign to restore the conduct OF
State affairs to that faction OF the Demo-
cratic party which was driven from power
In 1904. Even II there was but little in
the records of the Republican State Of
hcials elected four years ago to deserve
your confidence and approval. there is
every reason and consideration Of good
citizenship why you should not restore to
power that faction which is now in con-
troll OF the Democratic party. From 1873
to 1904, the Democratic party was In UNI
questioned control of the offices OF this
State, and for twelve or fourteen years
prior to 1904 the Democratic party was
under the control of a certain crowd of
politicians who were pleased to refer to
themselves as the old Guard but whom
Governor Folk and his friends. with per-
haps equal appropriateness, are pleased
to call the "Old Gang" And what was
the result OF this thirty-one years OF un-
rule, and more particularly OF
that period OF political supremacy during
which the "Old Guard was in the full
bloom and blossom OF It's glory and its
power? l do not want in this campaign
to be partisan or unfair, and that which
! viii say should appeal with equal force
to the good citizens OF all parties. There
fore, / prefer to quote to you the state
ments OF your present Democratic Cover
nor as to the evils and abuses that existed
under the rule OF the "Old Guard,' and
for which that organization is directly re-
sponsible.
GOVERNOR FOLKS CHARGES
AGAINST THE "oLD GUARD"
According to his repeated public state
ments and many OF his supporters, the
old Guard" while in charge OF State
affairs. used the police departments and
election boards OF the large cities as po-
litical machines to eliminate the element
of chance from elections; they SO pros
tituted the ballot to corrupt political pur-
poses that elections In the large cities no
longer expressed the free will OF a free
people; the police departments mad under
their management become both inefncient
and corrupt. and those men who were
sworn to enforce the law became violators
OF II; those men whose duty Il was to
protect life and property, protected neither
Tie nor property; those men whose duty
Il was TO prevent crimes against the bal
lot committed crimes against the ballot;
those men whose duty It was to suppress
and regulate vice became partners IN vice
and levied tribute upon its devotees. This
condition OF corruption In the elections
and In the enforcement OF the laws in the
large cities was eqnalled, II not surpassed.
according TO the charges OF Governor Folk
and his supporters. in the corruption