The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-05-19
WORDS OF PRAISE
FOR FIGHT
ON GRAFT
Former Governor of Missouri
Addresses Good Govern
ment League

In a speech vivid with graphic
portrayaIs of the truest patriotism
and ringing with sincerity, Joseph
Folk. former governor of Missouri, laid
before the minds of an audience which
packed the colonial ballroom at the ST.
Francis hotel yesterday afternoon the
fundamental groundwork of the high
est American citizenship in its never
ceasing struggle against civic evil.
/ The meeting, while arranged by the
Good Government league, was by no
means confined to the members of that
organization Men and women from
every walk in life were there to hear
from the lips of the eminent reformer
his experiences in the battle against
graft in his state. And, as he spoke
there came the dawning knowledge
that the attacks which had been made
upon him in his efforts to oust Bood-
ling Butler from his usurped position
of power. the abuse which had as
sailed him, the arguments which had
I been hurled against him were identically
the same as those which were being
used in San Francisco today against
the graft prosecution He stripped the
that all the mass of befogging issues,
/ the TRADES. the calumnie,s were but
stock arguments of corrupt capital in
distress and the main defense OF bribe
givers. whether in st. Louis, Pitts
burg. Philadelphia or San Francisco.
The Familiar CaIumnies
There was a smile of understa nding
when he spoke of being accused of
hurting business. II ran to litter
when he mentioned that lie had been
lcharged with destroying the city's fair
name and it developed into a hurri-
cane of Laughter when he ranre down
to the old familiar argument that
capital had been held up BY an
inexorable governing body
Perhaps said he, you have heard
/ it here in San Francisco and the
storm of laughter broke out again.
| While Folk was speaking Francis J..
!
him. the audience snapped out with a
shout of applause. every whit as en-
4 ithusiastic as those which have greeted
( him in the past.
/ Long before the meeting was called
the crowd had poured into the room
and it was found necessary to bring
/ in additional chairs and divans. A
number found places in the galleries
! surrounding the ballroom.
! Isidor Jacobs, chairman of the
meeting, briefly introduced Folk as one
of the men who stood out prominently
in the general war against corruption.
Saw Signs of Graft
II appreciate your cordial recep-
/ tion said Folk. after the round of
cheering which greeted him as he
arose had subsidized, and / place it to
your earnest desire for government
/ free from the stain of corrupting in
nuences. I was here four years ago
when / talked to just such an audience
and. at the time, expressed the view
that there were signs of graft in the
city. Your then mayor, who introduced
me to my audience, in replying said
that he did not believe graft existed
but that if 1t did he intended to go
after it. The subsequent proceedings
| indicated that he kept his word so
faithfully that Francis J. Heney went
after him.
"Then / spoke of the dawn of new
day and now that day has come. The
present sees an awakening of the peo-
pie which is universal The transitory
warfare against purely local condi-
tions has developed into a general
struggle against the evil influences of
corruption. Reforms sometimes die.
but revolutions never go backward
and the years have seen a revolution
| in the consciences of men. We know
now and understand of what base ma
terial is made the man with patriotism
on his lips and treason in his heart.
and also know and understand that
while high honor should be his who
dies for his country as high honor
should be accorded to the man who
lives for it, True patriotism does not
abide alone in the roar of cannon and
clash of arms, but in the everyday
duties of civic life we'll OF little
use to a community is the man who
| is a patriot in war and traitor in
peace. for history shows that where
one government has been destroyed by
wars. corruption in times of peace has
undermined a score.
Moral Issue InvincibIe
Il was glad to see you receive your
prosecuting attorney in the way you
did, as it showed me that you will
not stand for graft either in high or
low degree. In the battle against
privilege some fights must be lost. but
let not these discourage you. neither
lei victories make you apathetic. If
plain issue of corruption or no cor
ruption could be laid before the people
there would be but one answer. as
roluxan A