The Butler weekly times., 1908-10-10
Speech of Hon. Herbert S. Had1ey
the Opening Of the Campaign for 1905 at Springfield Saturday, September 9

mosynary institutions of the State and the
other necessary functions Of government
the funds necessary to carry on their
various activities.
THE RECORD OF THE STATE TREAS.
uRER.
The administration of the office OF State
Treasurer by Jacob F. Gmelich would also
furnish a profitable subject for discussion
for a much longer time than | am able
to give IT, He has with a financial ability
never before equalled in the discharge OF
the duties of this office. kept the funds
Of the State In the repositories as re-
quired by law and in three years and nine
months Of his term has collected as inter
est on balances for the benefit OF the
State $3.50, ,90S So. while his Democratic
predecessors in twcnty-seven years col
leeted only Ai7,is1l3. He has kept the
books of his office In absolute harmony
with the provisions OF the law and has put
into operation the highest possible ef-
tlciency 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 Il,
Swanger has conducted the office Of Sccrc-
tuIN nl Slttt. 1ihN lilt lNNNlU' hhllNN va
that office have been promptly and cor
rectly performed to the complete satisfac-
tlon of every citizen. But what Is more
important, Mr.. Swangcr has made the
banking laws of the State mean something
to the people. And 81 long as he Is In
charge of the laws providing for the eN-
animation and inspection of our State
banks. II will not be necessary to enact a
law providing for the guarantee of de-
posits. compelling the honest aud capable
banker To be responsible for the dishonest
land incapable one. While he has been
careful and conservative in declining to
take any'aCton which would uniuStly In
iure the credit of any men or banking in
stitution, he has been fearless and cour-
agcous in the performance Of his official
duties when occasion required action on
his part And further. he and his exam
iners have not given u clean hill of health
to any insulvent bank because II was
owned by a man of political influence, and
he has "er"' tently 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, and
has in all particulars performed the duties
of his office With economy and I'M
partiality.
MY OWN OFFICE.
| should like to tell you, II | had the
time in which to do so, of that work OF
my own office of which you have never
read in the newspapers; of the work that
is done in the Office and the library in
| i. Al 1f,N4, IL
tine duties of the office which results in
the proper enforcement Of the law, the
prevention of abuses or the necessity for
reform. 1t is this work. and not the work
of my office, which has attracted public
attention. in which l take the most sat
| iStGCt'Cn for it is careful attention tc
the performance of the details of official
duty that insures the best safeguard OF
an honest government and an impartial
enforce ment of the law.
In addition to the work of those state
officers elected four years ago, we point
with satisfaction and pride to the honest
! and efficient services that have been r"nd-
cred by the other officers elected at that
| time: Albert D. NOrtoni of the st. Louis
Court of Appeals. j. u. johnson Of the
| Kansas City Court of Appeals, Henry
/ Iamm of the Supreme Court Of the State
Frank Wishtman OF tho Board of Railroad
land Warehouse Commissioners. John {
Mckinley, our Lieutcnan Governor anc
also do we call the attention of the peo-
pie to the high rank that has been Sc
cured for Missouri in the National Con
gress by our Representative elected il
1904 and 1906, and by our Senator, vii.
liam Warner.
THE REAL ISSUE.
But. Notwithstanding the satisfactor,
and efficient records that have been made
by these officials during the last fou
years. the people of Missouri are asked II
this campaign to restore the conduct o
State affairs to that faction Of the Demo
cratic party which was driven from powe
in 1904. Even if there was but little IL
the records of the Republican State of
ficials elected four years ago to deserv
your confidence and approval. there 1
every reason and consideration of gooi
citizenship why you should not restore t
power that faction which is now in con
troll of the Democratic party. From 1S1
to 1904, the Democratic party was in un
questioned control of the offices of thi
State and for twelve or fourteen year
prior to 1904 the Democratic party wa
under the control of certain crowd @
politicians who were pleased to refer t
themselves as the "Old Guard" but whor
Governor Folk and his friends, with per
haps equal appropriateness. are please
to call the "Old Gang" And what wa
the result of this thirty-one years OF un
Interrupted rule. and more particularly G
that period of political Supremacy durin
which the "Old Guard was in the fu
bloom and blossom of its glory and 1t
power? l do not want in this campaig
to be partisan or unfair, and that whic
will say should appeal with equal fore
, to the good citizens of all parties. There
/ fore. l prefer to quote to you the state
, ments of your present Democratic Cover
nor as to the evils and abuses that existe
, under the rule of the "Old Guard" an
, for which that organization is directly re
: sponsible.
ERNoR FOLKS CHARGES
AGAINST THE "oLD GUARD"
According to his repeated public state
ments and many Of his supporters, tn
"Old Guard" while in charge Of Stat
affairs, used the police departments an
election boards Of the large cities as pc
] litical machines to eliminate the elemer
g Of chance from elections; they so pros
I tituted the ballot to corrupt political pul
| poses that elections in the large cities r
r longer expressed the free will Of fre
! people; the police departments had unds
: their management become both inefficier
/ and corrupt and those men who wei
r sworn to enforce the law became yiolatol
s of it; those men whose duty 1t was
9 protect life and property. protected neith'
Il life nor property; those men whose dut
9 1t was to prevent crimes against the ba
y lot committed crimes against the ballo
g those men whose duty 1t was to suppre.
8 and regulate vice became partners in VII
$ and levied tribute upon its devotees. TIL
: condition of corruption In the election
e and in the enforcement of the laws In Il
: large cities was equalled. II not surpasse