The daily sentinel., 1909-05-26

Il Congregational cnurch last niSnt
| even when they knew that one of the
most distinguished men of the nation
was to be there missed one of the
| greatest. richest. most interesting,
most influential treats in the way of
a lecture ever heard in Grand juno
ton. But these people deserve no
sympathy and the people who did
II gather to hear Joseph w. Folk, of
H Missouri, are TO be congratulated for
they gained inspiration and lessons
last night that will always remain
with them.
In spite of the fact that the class
play was big counter attraction and
II that there we're several other smaller
gatherings in the city over 500 peo
1 pie gathered at the church last night
/ TO hear the brilliant and fearless
| Missourian, the man who broke up
the foul nest of grafters, boodlers,
bribe takers and bribe givers in st.
! Louis number of years ago when
he was circuit attorney of that city
and thus making a national reputa-
| tion for himself as an enemy and
fearless prosecutor of corruption in
governmental affairs. the man who
afterward became governor of Mis-
souri, and as governor continued his
| fearless and effective work against
|
Governor Folk arrived from Salt
Lake City on Rio Grande No. at
7:15 O'Clock. He appeared on the
platform at the church at S:45
O'Clock and the audience greeted him
with storm of cheers.
Governor Folk is a fine looking.
genial. quick moving man. most
attractive and admira BILE personality
While not claiming to be great
orator still he is a speaker of rare
ability. He has good voice, fine
delivery. pleasing manners, rich
and ready flow of language, he is
convincing, unaffected. at times very
eloquent. talks rapidly and clearly, is
powerful in argument. apt in illus
tration and withal is decidedly one of
the most pleasing speakers ever
heard from local platform.
THE Era of Conscience" was
Governor Falk's theme last night. He
talked for about an hour and quar-
ter and during that time held the
closest attention of the big audience
Time and again the speaker was in
terrupted by vigorous applause. In
brief the address treated with the
awakening of the public conscience
along the lines of moral and civic
improvement, the passing away of
fact that people today will not toll
crate actions they gave no heed to a
few years ago, the fact that men will
not dare to do the corrupt things
they did a few years ago. the people
have had an awakening of conscience.
He pointed out that this awakening
is not local but national or interna-
tional in its scope. in the past there
were movements for reform but only
of a local nature brought on by local
conditions but now there has been
an awakening that will in all prob
ability be universal and lasting
Joseph w Folk is an optimist.
This was made clear last night. for he
declared that the world is growing
better from day to day and he had no
dark pictures of the future to paint.
From the yesterday of six or
eight years ago." said Governor Folk,
to-day is a revolution in the con-
science of man." Defining conscience
he said Conscience is the faculty
whereby a man distinguishes right
from wrong and which compels him
to do the right and abstain from the
wrong.
"A conscience is needed for the
public. as well as for the individual,
whereby the right is approved and
the wrong condemned. Conscience
in the sense we speak of it now is the
moral sense of the public--it is edu
Gated public opinion. Up to few
years ago the public was considered
as a stupid. ignorant creature, void
of understanding, and incapable of
protecting itself. That the public has
eyes that can see and ears that can
hear and n conscience that can tell
right from wrong is thought of com
paratively recent origin.
What "a remarkable change has
come over the American people dur
ing the last six years. Things are not
tolerated for a moment now that
half-dozen years ago were submitted
to in silence. Then bribery was the
common and accepted thing all over
bribes. or that a majority of the of
ficials took bribes. but that 1t was
generally regarded either with indif-
ference or despair
''SiN years ago men would give and
take bribcs and still pride themselves
on their honesty. They have learned
| better than that now The public
/ conscience has taught them better.
IL has not been long since men high
up in the commercial world deemed
it entirely proper to accept rebates
from railroads contrary to law. They
seemed unconscious of any wrong. Ii
was right, according to their lights,
they said, but these lights, as we
believe, have now been forever eN-
inguished, and in their stead blaze
the white light of conscience"
Occasionally Governor Folk re-
ferred to his own experiences in pros
ecutions in st. Louis and in the state
at large. He said that he did not
refer to the conditions in St. Louis
because they were worse than in
many other cities but because he was