The sun., 1918-07-28
Foe of BOodlers Defies Dem.
ocratic Machine in Sen
ate Primary Race.
WHITLEY CIRCULAR" MAN
Spencer Is Foremost Republi-
can; Dry Factions Pledge
All Leaders.
Special Despatch 70 THE srS.


turned to sabotage again. Four other
gentlemen who aspire to sit where the
late William Joel stone sat in the
United States Senate have contented
themselves with shyng their hats into
the ring. but the symbol Of the Hon.
IJoeeph's candidacy as usual is the
wrench in the air.
The Folk wrench, pretty we'll chewed
UP in the past passages through the
fn'ards Of the Missouri Democratic ma
chine and by incidental contact with
'eundry hostile heads, is on it's way
down now and is due to light on Au-
gust 6. which Is primary day. Two to
one Is the average OF the betting here
abouts that the wrench will vindicate
dts reputation for destrrctiveness. that
ton and the machine will shut down
for repairs.
But of course there's no telling. For
one thing the contest Is three cornered
: as regards the Democratic nomination.
,xenophon P. Wiley. who has occupied
Senator Stones seat since April 80.
wants to stay where Gov Gardner
temporarily put him. and John C. Hig-
don, a prominent patent lawyer, also
Old Guard Backs whitley.
Senator Wiley is the machines
man. He goes into battle with the
backing of the Old Guard. whose
strength was sufficient in 1908 to elect
Stone Senator over Folk and in 1912
to give the State TO Champ Clark. when
Mfr, Folk had thoughts of moving into
the White House. The Old Guard was
Senator Stones personal organization
and most of its leaders. thanks to his
appreciation OF their abilities. now &C.
'cupy Federal offices. In addition Will
fey has with him Gov Gardner and
the State administration in general.
Folk welcomes rather than deplores
the opposition of the machine. He's
used to having it against him and
knows what to do about II. as has been
demonstrated on more occasions than
lone.
As things are going the Folk cam
paign managers predict their candidate
will carry 100 counties out Of ia. In
making this estimate they are not count
ting strongly on st. Louis or Kansas
city, for although the former Governor
has the almost unanimous support of the
metropolitan press his enemies are well
organized In the big towns In st. Louis
any length to defeat Folk. and in Kan
sas City Boss Pendergast and Mayor
Cowgirl are for Whitley. What "practi-
cal' strength develops for Folk in the
two cities will come through the support
Of Chairman "Lawler" Daily OF the St.
Louis Democratic committee and Joe
Shannon, Pendergast's rival in Kansas
City.
Folk has the advantage Of being a IA
miliar hero in Missouri. while Wiley.
who had briefly been President OF the
Board of Election Commissioners in st
Louis when the Governor appointed him
to succeed Senator stone. is compare
lively unknown. Between the two there
is no wet-dry question Both are COM
mitted to drought.
Folk Has n Past.
Missouri has had its eyes on Folk for
eighteen years, and there has always, by
and large, been something interesting 10
observe. Elected Circuit Attorney in
1900, he smashed into the St Louis
Doodle ring and sent ten proved grafters
to the penitentiary. That feat made
him Governor although the machine
was against him.
In 1908, again bucking the organiza-
tion, Folk carried eighty-five counties
over Stone and polled a plurality Of 49,
900 votes out in the State. II was the
machines vote in st. Louis and Kansas
City which beat Folk and which four
years later denied him a Presidential
delegation from Missouri
After his Gubernatorial term Folk be-
came a Chautauqua speaker, with the
story Of the St. Louis graft expose as
his leading subject. In 1912 william
Jennings Bryan. then Secretary of State
and always a strong Folk man. APP
pointed the former Governor Solicitor OF
the State Department. When Bryan quit
the Cabinet Folk was transferred to the
Interstate Commerce Commssion, This
berth he resigned last January to be-
come counsel for the St Louis Chamber
of Commerce at $4,000 retainer an
nually.
Both. Folk and Whitley have sought to
raise a loyalty issue.
Folk has been the aggressor in that
respect, pointing out that in March. 1917
his chief opponent for the Democrats
Senatorial nomination signed telegram
written by q CUP of German Americans
in ST. Louis, pleading with the Presi.
dent not to declare war on Germany
Whitley came back with a counter ac-
cusa.ion ratf er than denial. He quoted
Folk as having said in a speech which
followed the declaration OF war by the
IHlleu nose OF us VINO SNnlpa-
thized with the German cause" Folks
answer to this was that he had been
deliberately msquoted. that what he ad
said was Those among u.s.
Spencer Leads Republicans.
The Republican nomination is certain
20 go to Selden Z. Spencer, former Cir.
suit Judge Spencer is the hand picked
candidate of Mayor KEEL ana Boss Koer
of st, Louis, who in their first skirmisf
for a standard bearer who could stand ur
to Folk or Whitley (and 1t was Folk
they were thinking hardest about
selected John s. Leahy.' St. Louis law
yer and the foremost Irish American Of
Missouri Leahy, after filing for the
nomination, withdrew in favor OF Spen
Ger, who now has the unanimous support
of the st. Louis city and Missouri State
Republican organizations.
Col. Jay l., Torrey, Spencers only op
ponent, is a Howell county ranchman
He served in tie Wyoming Legislator,
and was Speaker OF the lower hous,
there. Later he was n Colonel Of a regi
ment In the Spanish American war.