East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-05-13
Prominent Missourian Enter
tains Large Audience at
Methodist Church
PLEADS FOR ACTIVITY
AGAINST LAWLESS ELEMENT
Subject Of Address Was "The Era OF
COnscience'-DenOun Graft and
Corruption in Business and Politics
Hearers Impressed With Speech.

Expounding the doctrine of clean
government and civic righteousness,
Ex-Governor Joseph w. Folk of Mis-
souri, one of the men mentioned most
prominently as the democratic candi-
date for president spoke to a large
audience at the Methodist church dast
evening as the last number on the
Lyceum course in this city. Mr.
Folks subject was The Era of Con-
science" and his treatment consisted
of strong denunciation of graft and
corruption in business and politics and
plea for an aggressive determined
fight against these pernicious prac-
tees
Fight" was the keynote of his ad--
dress and he knew the meaning and
value of the word. He declared his
belief in the honesty of the majority
of the citizens but he deplored the
fact that this honesty is only passive
and is helpless when pitted against
the unremitting activity of the law
less element. 1t was the patriotism of
peace that he pleaded for, the spirit
which will fight to maintain the lib
erty and rights which We're won in
carnal battle.
Governor Folk has a strong. clean
face and delivers his message with a
tense earnestness that can not be
mistagen and which can not fail to
impress his hearers. He was intro
duced to his audience last night by
President Ran P. Smythe of the Pen
dleton Commercial association who
paid a strong tribute to the man who
has accomplished so much for clean
government and when he was pre-
sented as "Missouris candidate for
president he was greeted with hearty
applause.
on the platform with the distin--
guished guest, were President Smythe,
Judge stephen a. Lowell and Will NJ.
Peterson.
Responding to the speech of intro
duction, Governor Folk launched i'm
mediately upon his subject. The fol-
lowing is a part of his address.
What Folk said.
There has been a great awakening
on the subject of individual respon-
sibility for the affairs of city, state
and nation within the last few years.
The public conscience has been ar
oused against evils and things are not
tolerated now that a few years ago
were submitted to in silence. Will
the movement toward higher ideals
go on? Will not the people soon for
set? Have not the people already
forgotten, and will not things be al
lowed to go on in the same old way
as they we're before the awakening
of the people? These questions are
being asked all over the country to-
day.
4 Revolution in Conscience.
Reforms sometimes die, but revolu-
tions never so backward, and a revo-
luton has been wrought in the con-
science of men. The awakening is
merely the determination to have the
government of city, state and nation.
represent the public interest and not
special privilege. In the battle
against privileges some fights must
be lost With each fight lost we
should not lose courage. but fight all
the harder; with each fight won we
should not become apathetic, and
think all has been Won. If the issue
could be represented sQuarely between
public rights and special privilege
everywhere there would be no doubt
as to the outcome. For the majority
of the people here and everywhere
will do right when they know right.
The representatives of privilege ara
too shrewd to permit a plain issue
between public rights and special
privilege to ge before the people They
adroitly manage to complicate the
main Issue with other questions so as
to bewilder men of even the best in
tentions BY confusing the issue the
representatives of privilege divide the
forces in opposition. Those who OBJ
ject to reform do not usually put
their protest upon the true ground,
but they seek some other pretext.
They ask why is not this or that
done? II one examines the source
of a complaint like this he will usu-
ally find that it is not because of a
desire that reform be made more
thorough, but to discredit what has
been done. If one sincerely desires
progress in the way Of better things,
instead Of criticism he will give his
help to the accomplishment of the
things wished for. Reform always
progresses by degrees-everything can
not be done in day.
Exposure Necessary.
one of the obstacles to the pro-
gress of Righteousness everywhere is
the mistaken view that it Injuries a
city or state TO prosecute wrong do