Mexico weekly ledger., 1908-02-27
IN sCATHIEG ARRAIeEMRHT OF
LAwLRssL IQUOR INTERESTS,
GOVERNOR DECLARES he
NEVER APPEARED Be
FORE A LRGIsLA-
TURE AS PAID
ATTORNEY.
Accepted g Retainer to Examine Pro
posed Bill Which Never Was
Pressnted-ssys Saloon Must
Either Dominate or DO Ban
ishsd From State
Politics.

Jefferson City, Feb. l9.-Directl!
charging that the liquor interests Il
Missouri are IN a combine 10 contro
the states politics, Gov. Folk Tues
DAY issued . statement vehement,
denying the stor7 published Ia news
papers recently that he lobbied befor'
the legislature in behalf OF the per
petual saloon license In 1893,
He indirectly charged the STATE
liquor interests wish being In q con
spiracy for his defeat.
~ was engaged In general la0
practice In 1899" said the governor,
sand had no prestige or influence al
ALL"
He said that early in that year q
friend called at his law Office With
q certain Mr.. Helery and asked him
to make an address before the legis-
lature on the perpetual saloon license
measure.
Folk said that he knew nothing OF
the bill, but that he told bis friend,
who was a lawyer, and Helery that
he would look into the matter and
see II it was q measure that be could
support. Helery paid the other law
yer $3.50, Of which he received one
third,
Some time later" said the gov
ernor, II met Helery on the street
and asked him what he proposed to
do with the measure. He told me
that he intended not to press the
matter and that YVES the last l ever
saw Of him. never appeared before
the legislature on this matter, and In
fact never have appeared before a
legislature as the paid attorney Of any
interest
He went on TO say that at that
time be gave very little attention to
the liquor traffic and had no fixed
opinion in regard to its lawlessness,
as be has now.
ABUSED BY RUM RING.
when i became governor and
had the power to put an end TO
saloon ~lawlessness, / did my best to
have the law enforced. Since then /
have been villifled and abused by the
liquor interests and their allies. 1t
Is q business the natural tendencies
Of which are to lawlessness and the
time will yet come when IL will either
run the politics Of the state or be run
put Of state politics entirely.
"They Oppose any official who tries
10 enforce the Law against them, in
order to point out TO those who come
afterwards that political humiliation
awaits him who fights against them.
This move on the part Of the liquor
interests In claiming that / represent
ID them nine years ago Is only a small
part Of their campaign upon me-"
He said that the claims made by
The liquor traffic that he was not sim |
'ere in his policies were untrue and
hat this Guild be easily seen by the
way they are conducting their bitter
igbt against him. "lf / had allowed
hem TO go on overriding the Law, /
would have their support now, not
heir enmity," declared Folk.
but 1 do not want their support.
would rather have their enmity
han their good will. What has been
lone by the administration In en-
the laws against them can be
hown in the records.
II insist that this state belongs to
he people, not to the lawless liquor
Iealers or special interests. All their
ihreats cannot make me change my
curse, but they convince me all the
more Of the necessity OF fighting them
nd the gang behind them with all
he power at my command"