Joe Folk, the Boodle Fighter
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JOSEPH W. POLK. Photo by Strauss, St. Louis; Copyright, 1908.
fCoprightrd, 1504, -y Frank O. CBrpfntpr.)
S, "IT. I.oriS, Auk. 2D (Spidal Cor
rnrondprro of The Hee.)-I rsma
to Ht. Iul3 to ?e Jcsi-iti W.
',"". yunK Tennfsee hcrcu-
los who Is trjln to cin Ihi
AuRrun nt;ilili' of tl.ls buodling inimicl
pnllty and tmodllriR xtalc. A youiiK ninn,
a poor man nnd a stranKT for he rntup to
Bt. I.ouIb but a fnv yearn bro he has been
flKhtlnjc the millionaire of the elty, many
Cf whom belong Id this old famillefl; he ba
roulpd the. boodlers who are ready to spend
millions to down him and has already a
corn of them In the penitentiary nnd o'h
crs awaiting trial. Mr. Folk has mad4
boodlltiK a crime In the eyes of Mhwouil-tns.
He stands before the people as the repre
sentative lighter BKal'iHt It and has ! c mi
candidate for governor upon that Issue
lone, lln promlsea, If elected, to purify
th state lelHluture and state politli H and
his friends think him the coming man for
president of the United States on a similar
Issue In 1908.
Kefore I give you my talk with Mr. Fi lk
let me show you the man. I have hud a
good chance to study him, for I spent last
Bunday evening with him at his huse on
Jelmar avenue. He lives In a rented two
story cottage, worth perhaps $5,000, which
stands nut In strong contrast to the great
mansions of tho boodlers farther up town,
lie received mo In his library on the sec
ond floor, a little room with a storo of good
books. There wns luugliing and rhatllrg
In the parlor as I entered the hou.-o, and
Its surroundings were thoso of peace and.
ffondfcllowshlp rather than of a r-.. n hated
by nnd fighting agninst one of '.i8 s trongest
parties of both city and Btte.
Mr. Folk Impresses me is a ir.an who
keeps himself well In hand. He is not
nervous. He looks healthy, and I doubt
whether he knows he has a stomnch. He
Is all force, nnd bis wholo capital, physical
nd menial, Is ever at his command, lie
has tho Iron Jaw of a fighter, reminding
me at times of Napoleon, McKinlcy and
Bamunl J. Randall. Indeed, he looks much
like Bum Ilandnll. He has a dark face, a
big head, broad and full over the eyes, a
big nose nnd big, outstanding ears. His
eyes are large and full, smiling at ordinary
times, but Hashing fire when ho discusses
the outrages which the boodlers have per
petrated upon Missouri nnd his determina
tion to down them. He Is clean-cut, drcsse
Well and looks well.
Mr. Folk Is a young man. He was born
In Tennessee thirty-four years ago and
graduated In 1S90 from the Vanderb It uni
versity at Nushvllle. Ho came to St. Iouls
to practice law. and was doing well when
be got Into politics.
I don't thing Folk aimed at a political
career. He wanted to be a lawyer, and
used polities as a side Issue. He was a
outherner, however, and the southerner
ucks In politics with his mother's milk.
The bpys discuss polities In tho schools and
Folk took to the stump before he was
out of colli go. As soon ns he settled In
Bt. I,ouls ho became Interested In Its poli
tics and threw himself Into tho fight for
the love of It.
Then there was a street car fight, and
the strikers nuked him to net for them.
He did so, nnd a little later he wns 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. Ho had been chosen to prosecute
thieves nnd criminal. Others nnd been
choren before, but they hnd discriminated
In such prosecutions. Folk enme Into ofllet
with a new pair of eyeglasses. He could
Sot see tho difference between a million
aire and a pauper, between a pulltlilun or
a boodler and the ordinary citizen. Among
tho first criminals nrrested were some Il
legal voters of his own party.
It K03 announced that they would be
prosecutiil nnd the boodlers were thunder
struck. Colonel Fd Hutler, their chief, a
man who had started life as n horseshoir
and mail'- millions ns 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
them7"
"I certainly do mean It," replied Folk.
"There I no reason why I should not do
so lircnuse I have been benefited by tin Ir
wrongdoing. I had nothing to do with their
voting illegally. Suppose I were vice presi
dent of the I'nlted Slates and the presi
dent should be nssasslnated, nnd 1 should
thereby become president, would you have
me not prosecute the assassin because tho
act made me president? I certulnly will
prosecute them," and prosecute them he
did.
That was tho beginning. Folk extended
bis 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 beljsvej
that other cities sre eoually bud and that
the purification which Is now going on In
Bt. I.nuts will be grndunlly 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 had been
robbed, citing Instance after Instance of
normous boodllug. Said he:
Tor twenty years past 8t Louis has
been In the hands of a ring just large
enough to control the city legislature and
override the mayor's veto, and this ring
bus levied blackmail upon every license,
privilege and franchise granted by the city.
Laws have been unblushlngly sold to the
highest bidder. The 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 newer pipes In the ground.
It hus 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 ns $10,000, COO 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 tha
city. The bargain was made on the floor
of the bouse of delegates and tho money
was handed over to one of the combine.
After voting the nineteen met at the house
of one of their numler, nnd the host sat
at the piano and played 'Home, Sweet
Home,' while the money was distributed
In $2,300 lots."
I nwked Mr. Folk about tho Central Trac
tion deal of ll!)x, out of which a New York
promoter mado almost' $1,000,000. He re
plied: "That was for a franchise which covered
nearly all the street railways of the city.
JThe promoter, a man named Snyder, gave
$J50,W0 in bribes to tho municipal assembly
to get It. Ho paid twenty-five out of the
twenty-eight memlters of the bouse of del
egates $a,0U) each and the seven members
of tho council from $10,000 to $17,000 each.
Ono councilman took J-lfvlOO from other
parties to vote ngaiiwt the franchise, but
returned it when ho found that he could
get $.Vi,Ouo from tho promoter to vote in
Its favor. He gave back the first amount,
Baying ho did not think he could honestly
eiirn It. That franchise was sold by the
promoter for $1 ,C5o,Ooi, so that ho made, a
rlean million out of tho transaction. The
pity did not receive ono cent, fur all tha
streets given away."
"That was the case In which Uthoff fig
ured, was It not?"
"Yes," wns the reply. "I'thoff wns the
man who got $r0,noo for his vote nnd gave
back the $-'5,000 which the opposing parties
had given him to vote for them. The pro
moter, however, hod promised UthofT
$100,000 upon his saying that $50,000 was
not enough, and with this understanding
Uthoff gave him back the $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 the same time he
signed a statement that he knew the pro
moter was not corrupt, and that he be
lieved he would bo as far from offering a
brile as ho (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 thoy wanted his vote
In caso one of the other boodlers failed
them. Thoy went to his son and handed
him $."i0,0iX, saying: "My boy, we are nut
sure of our majority, and if we need your
father's vole we are 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 ease he Is to
keep the money, but if it Is not needed he
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 the
$"0,000, but were refused In language some
what like the following:
"I don't Intend to give that money bnck.
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 have tried
to i iso it to corrupt us. I think I will just
keep It for myself." He did keep It, using
It for a start in business.
The conversation here turned to tho
rulKMiintorial campaign, and I asked Mr.
Folk what he would do if ha 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 bribo I will send a message to the gen
eral assembly asking for his Impeachment.
I will not allow a corrupt lobby to exist
at the legislature, and the day of the sand
bagging legislator will be at an end. I
shall use all my power to put corrupt men
out of the party organization, and 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 brilxry
and corruption in the state of Missouri."
"Do you expect to Bee the anti-boodle Is
sue extend to other states?"
"I think It Is already doing so. rubllo
sentiment In regard to such matters is
changing, rot only Jn 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. The
movement Is spreading to other countries
and we 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 bo amended that that country will no
longer be a haven of boodlers."
"Will boodllug ever become a national Is
sue?" "I do not know," replied Mr. Folk. "It
certainly ought to be a national Issue. Its
uppresslon means good government, and
unless we can have that the country will
go 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," said 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 ns 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
X can do much to wipe out official corrup
tion. But It Is the people who will have
to do It."
"Will you get the support of the demo
cratic party In your fight?"
"We shall have the Bupport of the better
clement of it and we don't want that of
tho corrupt clement. 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 tho union. No party can be
hurt by getting rid of bad men, nor by
cutting off its rotten limbs. I am naturally
a domocrat; 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
the 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
one I prefer not to be governor. If I can
not be free to do my duty as I see it to my
party and to the people I would much pre
fer to retire to private life. I have no fa
vors to ask of the corruptlonists and no
quarter to givo. 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 ehould
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 the other 1 per cent of dishonesty is
perniciously acting and working while tho
other 99 Bleep. Wake up the S9, 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 and
assist in its detection. There should be a
constant search for corruption, and this
should be prosecuted without regard to the
feelings of individuals. No honest man cam
be hurt by Investigation, and no dishonest
ono has any right to object because hLs
misdeeds are made public. Publicity and
enforcement of the law are the chief anti
dotes for corruption. Boodlers can be pun
ished by ballot ss well as by prisons. The
first duty of every citizen Is to put an end
to bribery In our public life. He ehould
vote ngalnst It, talk against It nnd work
against it. When tho people look upon
boodling as they do upon ordinary stealing,
and when the boodler Is punished like the
ordinary thief, we shall be much further
along on the road to purity In polities and
to an honest city, state and national gov
ernment." Fit A NIC. G. CAHPKNTER.
lilopc liy Trolley
Ralph Smelzer, a Lancaster (Pa.) busi
ness man, returned from New York with
his briilo, who was Miss Anna Mohn of
Heading. Thoy were married In New York
by Kcv. 8. L. Sanford. Miss Mohn's
parents objected to their marrying becauaa
of her youth, and friends watched the rail
road stations at Heading to prevent her
going away with Smelzor.
The couple eluded the watchers by taking
a trolley car out of Reading,
