The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-03-20
WHAT HAS FOLK DONE?
From the ChlIllcothe constitution

last year To tnt press VI til' StHl'
Lest we forget here are n few
things Folk has done:
As Circuit Attorney of st. bouis
he exposed more official corruption
than was ever laid bare before In tn,
history of the world.
When he commenced, bribery was
the common and accepted thing. II
was regarded us merely convention.
al. The revelations he made awoke
slumbcring public conscience and
the moral wave now rolling over the
land Is the result.
Meeting with the flercest opposition
in his work of eradicating corrup-
ton, denounced and villified by cor
ruptionists Of every kind, he took
his fight before the people. III the
face of the bitterest contest in the
history Of American politics he won
the nomination of the Democratic
party of his state for Governor by
an overwhelming majority. Again
in the campaign for election every
venal influence combined against
him, and again he triumphed. He
was elected, while others on the
ticket, who were not fought as he
was, were ueieattu,
In this campaign I've announced
the doctrine known as the IN issOuri
Idea" which is familiar in every
part Of the earth to-day. This idea
is that citizenship in free country
implies II civic obligation to enforce
the performance OF every public
trust; that bribery is trcrson, and
the givers and takers of brides are
the traitors of peace; that laws are
made to be enforced not to be ig-
nOred; that officials should no mo re-
embezzle the public power entrusted
to them than public money in their
custody.
His was the first OF the great bat
ties for reform before the people,
and the principles he declared are
the inspiration Of the crusade for
higher ideas of public life.
AS governor he put an end to
boodling in legislative affairs. There
was no crookedness or scandal in
the three legislatures held under
him. This was wonderful change
from conditions that existed prior
to that.
He abolished the practice of legis-
lators and officials riding on free
passes,
His expose caused the repeal Of
the notorious "alum law" which has
been source of 40 much scandal In
Legislative affairs.
He caused the enactment of n law
authorizing the city Of st. Louis to
build free bridge over the Missis-
sippi river, thus destroying the
bridgr monopoly, with the result that
the bridge arbitrary has been ahol-
ished.
He procured the enactment of n
law extending the statute of limitn-
ton in bribery cases from three to
five years.
. He signed maximum freight rate
bill, the first relief in that direction
for twenty-five years.
He caused the rXUrhitant fee sys-
tenn, whereby the excise conn MIS-
siOner Of st. Louis received more
than forty thousand dollars year,
to be changed and the commissioner
put on salary basis. Although the
Governor appointed the commission
er he did this because he believed IL
right.
He procured the passage OF IA law,
after hard Legislative fight, repeal
ing the race track law whereby
gambling was legalized, and put the
most powerful and insolent race
track syndicate in the world out Of
He broke up the attempt
ed defiance of law by Tace-track
gamblers, who had the assistance OF
local officers, and enforced the law
over the heads of the local officials.
He put the state institutions on II
business basis, and eliminated graft
from them.
He took the police of the large
cities, where the Governor appoints
the commissioners, out of politics,
and put them on basis of public
service alone.
He stamped out the grafters from
the police departments.
He revOlutiOniZed the conduct Of
the police in reference to elections,
anu made elections fair and free
from police interference. There has
not been the slightest complaint of
In elections in the four
elections held In each of the large
cities during his administration
He closed up the gambling dives
in st. Louis, Kansas City and st.
Joseph, and ran the gamblers from
the state.
He eXterminated the wine rooms
in the metropolitan cities where so
many young girls had been ruined.
He has made the large cities un-
healthy for crooks and has brought
about reign of law and order never
before attained.
In st. Louis, Kansas City and st.
Joseph, where has the power
through appointees, he enforced the
law closing saloons on Sunday, in
the face of intense opposition and
ienunciation. This was the begin
ming Of the movement for law en-
forcemcnt that is now going on in
NIL the large cities. The brewers
and saloon-kcepers loudly announc-
I'd that they would repeal this law
Mt the next Legislative session, but
when that time came the people saw
the benefits of Sunday closing, and
not n Legislator dared propose tie
repeal of the law.
Fought by the grafters, gamblers,
brewers, sal0on-keepers and venal
influence, he went before
he people asking for an indorse-
nent by an election of legislature
In accord with his policies. The
Democratic convention endorsed his