Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-02-27
Gov. Folk Tells New Workers Of the
New Epoch Ia Process Of
Development.
PUBLIC CONSCIENCE AWAKE
n Furnishing Crooks Hurts Business
the Crooks Should be censured'
Not Those Who Prose-
cute Them.

track gambling as prolinc breeder oi
crime and supporting the efforts be-
ing made to end this form OF gaming
in this state, Governor Joseph W. Folk
of Missouri aroused the Civic Forum
at Carnegie hall Tuesday night
Governor Folks subject was THE
Era Of Conscience" He declared that
within q short time the legalized vice
Of race-track gambling would be q
thing Of the past from one end OF the
country to the other. The speaker
expressed the belief that the ethical
awakening which the country was I'M
dergoing would prove permanent. In
the era of conscience, now beginning,
he said, stock and grain gambling
must go. Applause greeted the de-
claration that corporations had been
too often used as masks to conceal
the crimes of individuals and that the
elimination of watered stocks and In
fiated values was not an unreasoning
demand of the public conscience.
Gov. Folk said, in part:
at has been your good fortune to
witness the birth OF a new epoch In
our national life, which is now In pro-
cess of development. There have been
great movements along moral lines IN
days gone by, but they were merely
local, brought on by local conditions,
which died away with the causes that
gave them birth. The vampires OF
graft would be driven away to remain
for a season, and then return after the
storms Of public indignation had spent
their fury. To-day presents a STU
alton Of brighter promise to the vision
The ethical awakening shows signs OF
becoming universal and lasting, In
stead of local and transitory. a
Some fnanciers and many profess
sional politicians do not understand 1t
even now, and with strange blindness
fail to perceive the strength of moral
idea. What a remarkable change has
come over the American people during
the last six years! Things are not
tolerated for a moment now that a
half dozen years ago were submitted
to in silence. Then bribery was the
common and accented thing all over
tbe land. not that all men gave brides,
or that a majority of officials took
brides. but 1t was generally regarded
either with indifference or despair
Thor came the revelations, and the
naonla awoke TO a realization Of the
toct tbot no government can long exist
where official acts can be bought and
sold like merchandise.
"Thare are some who object to the
oxnosrra Of wrong.doing on the
9rpund that # hurts the city or state,
~ ,niur,es business. Civic disease can
M more he cured by hiding It than
nSvs,coi disease. There Is no secret
ranadv known for II. No state can
~ INV, hv The enforcement of law;
M honest business can be injured by
or.d,oot,no It's evil The man who
COWS that the depression in the indus
tr;oI world ia caused by Furnishing
s.onLs oroues there can be no such
thing "A honest prosperity, and tnat
.hn nrosrsritv We had was that Of the
Sn.1Iar snd n,cknocket. It would be
s"nne .ocurota n charge depression
- ~ nrooks rather than to their
Sosac,,.Sor Tha prosperity that
80 or vron9-ddius ia not tiieeright
. ia =, nrosnev,tv n the country had
- ohoose hetween great prosperity
~ s,oS lin orooheaness and less
coup.s- -,.,, "a ~,ora honestv II would
p.vspS taro INC latter
u4 ~" ~" yasrs .vo of,cials even In
-. - ,ha act carried a heavy
s.a.es nsass No conceslmeht Of &C
o.tInS eroa raIlroad Masses. They
cep'ins ne 49, r,oh, ~ accant !
nau ~ ~. NJ -. tovo-s mast or nrospec
l,ee pSss - tats ne equivalent II
1--WE tn~n ~ aana,o. Voc ranugnanl
money Ineir SvnsuSs ~ - -
to moral sense put Iney NV ~ 49, ~ :,
lie It. To-oay NO s.a'e ~. O.'I 10 aa ~.
found VINO viii aun,lt 'nSs ~ .s.,Sh !,
such favors' Iney nave "e .e o,s"- :
with live coal rom On Tue a''A' =
public conscience .,,..
Look at the suo'ec' u s -,
3 one OF the greapest Oh Vlces - =.
A N0N