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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 1904)
Joe Folk, the Boodle Fighter 3 (Copyrighted, 1904, y Frank Q. Carpenter.) ' T. LOUIS, Aug. 25 (Special Cor I respondpr.ee of The Dee.) I cama VJ 1 to St. Ixuis to SC? Jose-, h V. Folk, tho young Tennessee hcrcu les who Is trlng to ciein Ihn Augriin stables of this boodling miinicl pallty and boodllng state. A young man, a poor man nnd a stranger for he came to St. Louis but a fow years ago ho has been fighting tho millionaires of the elty, ninny Of whom belong to the. old families; hp hai routprl the. boodlers who are ready to spend millions to down him and has already a core of thpm In tho penitentiary and o' ti ers awaiting trial. Mr. Folk has made boodllng a crlnio In the eyes of Mlssouil-ins. Ho stands before the people ns the repre sentative fighter against It and has b c; mo candidate for governor upon that Issue lone. Jin promises, U elected, to purify th state legislature and state politics and his friends think him the coming miin for president of the United States on a similar Issue In 1908. Ueforo I (five you my talk with Mr. F( lk let mo show you tho man. I havo had a good chance to study him, for I spent last Sunday evening with him at his huuse on Ielmar avenue. He lives In a rented two story cottage, worth perhaps $5,000, which Stands out In strong contrast to the great mansions of tho boodlers farther up town. He received mo In his library on the sec ond floor, a little room with a store of good books. There wns laughing and chatllrg In the parlor as I entered the hou.o, and Its surroundings were those of peace and BToodfellowshlp rather than of a man hated by nnd fighting against one of the strongest parties of both city and state. Mr. Folk Impresses me as a man who keeps Jilmself well In hand. He Is not nervous. He looks healthy, and I doubt whether ho knows he has a stomach. Ho Is all force, and his whole capital, physical and mental. Is ever at bis command. He has tho Iron Jaw of a fighter, reminding; me at times of Napoleon, McKlnley and Bamueil J. Randall. Indeed, lie looks much like Sam Randall. He has a dark face, a big head, broad and full over the eyes, a big nose nnd big, outstanding ears. Ills yes are large and full, smiling at ordinary times, but flashing fire when ho discusses the outrages which the boodlers have per petrated upon Missouri and his detormlna tlon to down them. He Is clean-cut, dresses well and looks well. Mr. Folk Is a young man. Ho was born In Tennessee thirty-four years ago and graduated In 1K90 from the Vanderh'lt uni versity at Nashville. He came to St. Louis to practice law, and was doing well when he got Into politics. I don't thing Folk aimed at a political career. He wanted to be a lawyer, and used politics as a side issue. He was a southerner, however, and tho southerner sucks In politics with his mother's milk. The bpys discuss politics In tho schools and Folk took to the stump before he was out of college As soon as he settled In St. Louis he became Interested In Its poli tics and threw himself Into the fight for the love of It. Then there was a street car fight, and the strikers nuked him to act for them. He did so, nnd a little later he was made the candidate for circuit or district at torney. He was elected, and It then be came his duty to look Into tho administra tion of the city and Its legislative enact ments. He had been chosen to prosecute thieves nnd criminals. Others had been choeen before, but they hnd discriminated In such prosecutions. Folk came Into office with a new pair of eyeglasses. He could not see the difference between a million sire and a pauper, between a politician or a bondler nnd the ordlnnry citizen. Among the first criminals nrrested were some Il legal voters of his own party. It was announced that they would be prosecuted nnd the boodlers were thunder struck. Colonel Kd Duller, their chief, a man who had started life as n horseshoe? and made millions as a ring politician, called upon Folk for explanations, saying: "Why, Mr. Folk, these men voted for you; you don't mean you are going to prosecute them?" "I certainly do mean It," replied Folk. "There is tin reason why I should not do o becnuse I have been benefited by tin lr wrongdoing. I had nothing to do with their Voting Illegally. Suppose I were vice presi dent of the United States and the presi dent should be nssassinuted, and I should thereby become president, would you have me not prosecute the assassin because tho act made me president? I certainly will prosecute them," and prosecute them he did. That was the beginning. Folk extended his prosecutions to the boodlers themselves, and he has uncovered one of the greatest sinks of municipal corruption ever known to the United States. He says he believes that other cities are equally bud and that the purification which Is now going on In Bt. Louis will he gradunlly extended to other parts of the country. In these investigations Vr. Folk found that millions had been spent for votes. In our talk Sunday night he told numerous torles, describing how the city hnd been robbed, citing Instance after Instance of normous boodllng. Said he: "For twenty years past St. Louis has r .lij'Viv-Vi. -. " '' JOSEni W. FOLK.-Phot by been In the hands of a ring just large enough to control the city legislature and override the mayor's veto, and this ring has levied blackmail upon every license, privilege and franchise granted by tho city. Laws have bten unblushingly sold to tho highest bidder. Tho ring has tried to sell the waterworks, the courthouse and the union market for its own enrichment. Nothing has been safe from Its avarice, not even the sewer pipes in the ground. It has had its regular schedules of bribe prices, based upon what each business would stand, ranging from a few hundred dollars for a switch bill to thousands of dollars for a franchise. Indeed, I believe as much as $10,0CX,1'0' has been paid out In blackmail on such accounts. "The business has been done by a con tinuous gang of nineteen and their sub ordinates," continued Mr. Folk. "It took nineteen votes to control the city council, and these nineteen men passed upon what legislation should be enacted and how much they should be paid for each act or franchise. At one time the combine re ceived $47,500 for an ordinance to light the city. The bargain was made on the floor of tho house of delegates and tho money was banded over to one of the combine. After voting the nineteen met at the house of one of their number, nnd the host sat ut the piano and played 'Home, Sweet Home,' while the money was distributed In $2,500 lots." I nsked Mr. Folk nbnut the Central Trac tion deal of V9, out of which a New York promoter made almost' $1,000,000. Ho re plied : "That wns for a franchise which covered nearly all the street railways of the city. JThe promoter, a man named Snyder, gave $J50,C00 In bribes to tho municipal nssembly to get It. He paid twei.fy-llve out of the twenty-eight members of the house of del egates fcl.OW) uh and the seven members of tho council from $10,000 to $17,000 each. lno councilman took $2fi.C00 from other parties to vote against the franchise, but returned It when ho found that ho could get $50,0M) from tho promoter to vote In its favor. He gave back the first amount, saying he did not think he could honestly enrn It. That franchise was sold by the promoter for $1 ,:."o,0ji), so that ho made a Clean million out of tho transaction. The city did not receive ono ceul for till the streets given away." "That was tho case In which Vthoff fig ured, was it not?" "Yes." was the reply. "ITthoff wns the man who got $r0.ooo for his vote nnd gave back the $25,000 which tho opposing parties hnd given him to vote for them. The pro moter, however, hnd promised Uthoff $100,000 upon his saying that $50,000 was not enough, and with this understanding fl UMill it i nfW i f i il "uli ii ilAl v 4 Strauw, St. Louis; Copyright, 1908. Uthoff gave him back tho $50,000, expecting to get $100,000 the next morning. "That night the promoter left for New York, taking all the money with him. Uthoff had voted for the bill and had nothing. Ho took a pistol and followed the promoter to New York. They met at the Waldorf hotel, and there, under the influence of a bottle of champagne. Uthoff was made to compromise his claim of $100,- 000 for $5,000 cash. At tho same time he signed a statement that he knew the pro moter was not corrupt; and that ht. be lieved he would bo as far from offering a bribe as he (Uthoff) would be from accept ing one If offered." One of the queer cases described by Mr. Folk during our conversation was the at tempted bribery of a man named Meier In the central traction bill. The promoters thought they could carry the franchise without Meier, but they wanted his vote In caso one of the other boodlers failed them. They went to his son and handed him $."0,O'0, saying: "My boy, we are not sure of our majority, and If we need your father's vote we aro willing to pay for It. Give this money to him and tell him that ho is to vote for the bill If his vote is re quired to pass It. In that case ho Is to keep the money, but If it Is net needed ha can vote against the bill and you can re turn the money to us. The boy took the money. The vote was taken and his father's vote was not required. Thereupon the promoters asked young Meier for tho $0o,00O, but were refused in language some what liko the following: "I don't Intend to glvo that money back. 1 did not give it to father, for that would be trying to bribe him, and I don't think you ought to have It for you havo tried to uso It to corrupt us. I think I will just keep It for myself." lie did keep it, using it for a start in business. The conversation hero turned to tho gtileniatorlal campaign, and I asked Mr. Folk what he would do if ho were elected. Ho replied: "If I become governor I shall see to it that bribery is exterminated In our state legislature. The first time a legislator takes a bribe I will send a message to the gen eral assembly asking for his Impeachment, I will not nllow a corrupt lobby to exist at tho legislature, and the day of the sand bagging legislator will be at on end. I shall uso all my power to put corrupt men out of the party organization, nnd will do what I can to purify party politics. I shall recommend laws forfeiting franchises ob tained by bribery nnd protecting witnesses who testify in bribery cases. In short, I intend to do all I can to wipe out bribery and corruption In the stato of Missouri." "Do you expect to see the anti-boodle is sue extend to other states?" "I think It is already doing so. Fubllc sentiment In regard to such matters is changing, not only In this state, bat throughout the union. Bribery is becom ing a crime in the eyes of the people, and nearly every state is now waging war against such corruption. Until our ex posures here a bribery caso was practically unheard of. Indeed, there Is hardly a score of cases in the court reports of the United States. We have had more prosecutions for bribery within the last ten years than within tho century back of them. Ths movement is spreading to other countries and wo are now negotiating with the gov ernments of Europe to close their terri tories against bribe-givers and bribe tak ers. Our treaty with Mexico has already been so amended that that country will no longer bo a haven of boodlers." "Will boodllng ever become a national is sue?" "I do not know," replied Mr. Folk. "It certainly ought to be a national Issue. Its suppression means good government, and unless we can havo that the country will sto to ruin." "Give me, Mr. Folk," said I, "your idea as to how bribery could be driven from the United States?" "It is only by the creation of a healthy, honest public opinion," Bald Mr. Folk. "You may put the boodlers In prison, but as long as the people are not down upon them and their acts the business will continue to thrive. The boodlers must bo taught that boodling Is bad politics as well as bad morals; and the voters are tho only ones who can teach them this thing. In my work I expect everything of the people of Missouri. If they will help me I feel that Z can do much to wipe out official corrup tion. But it is the people who will have to do it." "Will you get the snpport of the demo cratic party In your fight?" "We shall have the support of the better clement of it and we don't want that of tho corrupt element. We hope 'to drive the boodlers from the democratic party and to make that party an example which will give aid and strength to democracy in every state of the union. No party can be hurt by getting rid of bad men, nor by cutting off its rotten limbs. I am naturally a democrat; my ancestors were democrats and I have never voted for a republican, except where one has been put upon the democratic ticket In St. Louis by party bosses. I believe in the teachings of my party, and I believe above everything in tho enforcement of the laws. I know there are democratic rascals, and in the enforce ment of the law I shall known no party." "Then you will not expect to have the support of the machine ringleaders?" "We don't want the support of the St. Louis machine. I should hate to think I could carry certain wards here which are controlled by that machine. It is In the party for revenue only, and we do not want that kind of a support. If I cannot be come governor without promises to any ono I prefer not to be governor. If I can not be free to do my duty as I see it to my party nnd to the people I would much pre fer to retire to private life. I have no fa vors to ask of the corruptionlsts and no quarter to glvo. I defy them. I have been fighting them for two years and will fight them to the end, and I believe that the democratic party and tho people will help me." "How can the public protect itself from the boodlers?" "They can do so by taking an interest In politics, denouncing bribery and In voting to wipe It out. Every good citizen should go to the primaries. He should attend the precinct, ward and township meetings and see that honest men are nominated. Ninety-nine per cent of our people are honest, but th other 1 per cent of dishonesty Is perniciously acting and working whilo the other 99 sleep. Wake up tho &9, and there is no fear of results. "And then the citizen should urge the enforcement of tho laws," continued Mr. Folk. "He should denounce bribery nnd assist In its detection. There should be a constant Benrch for corruption, nnd this should be prosecuted without regard to the feelings of individuals. No honest man can be hurt by investigation, and no dishonest ono has any right to object because his misdeeds are made public. Publicity and enforcement of the law are the chief anti dotes for corruption. Boodlers can be pun ished by ballot as well ns by prisons. The first duty of every citizen Is to put an end to bribery in our public life. He should vote against It, talk against it nnd work against it. When tho people look upon boodllng ns they do upon ordinary stealing, and when the boodlcr is punished like the ordinary thief, we shall be much further along on the road to purity In politics and to an hom st city, state and national gov ernment." FRANK, a. CARPENTER. Elope Uy Trolley Ralph Smelzer, a lAncaster (Pa.) busi ness man, returned from New York with his brido, who was Miss Anna Mohn of Kending. Thoy were married In New York by Rev. S. L. Sanford. Miss Mohn'a parents objected to their marrying because) of hor youth, and friends watched the rail road stations at Reading to prevent lies1 going away with SmeUer. The couple eluded the watchers by taking a trolley car out of Reading.