Madison’s Need of Folk

Democrats in The County Eager To Hear The Prosecutor

Voters in Fredericktown Told the St. Louis Man Today That He Has Few Opponents, But Republicans are Strong

Fredericktown, Missouri , May 18 – “We are sorry, Mr. Folk, that we did not have a chance to vote for you before the others withdrew.”  This was the greeting given by Madison County people this morning when Joseph W. Folk, who arrived at 3 o’clock on the delayed freight train, joined the crowd in front of the hotel soon after 8 o’clock.  They told him that with all the candidates in the race, the total opposition to him in the county had been twelve votes.  Hawes had the county chairman and two ex-officeholders.  Reed had six votes and Ganit the other three.  They were marked men and were soon pointed out to a reporter for the Star.  When one would approach Mr. Folk to express congratulations the other Folk men would say “band wagon.”

The oldest Democrat in the county, Aneil Mathis, is president of the Folk Club.  He is more than 80.  He was born here.  The younger men do the work.  G. A. Nifong, secretary of the club and of this county committee, and F. J. Parkin, chairman of the reception committee, were the most active.  Mr. Folk did not speak until 1 o’clock this afternoon, but the farmers began to gather by 9 o’clock.  Many who came in the morning, on horse back over the hills said they started before daylight.  They said many of their neighbors could not come because they were late planting their corn.  The said “cawn”.  Mr. Fold says “cawn”.  He speaks the farmers’ language of Missouri to perfection, in fact, cannot speak otherwise. 

Nickel is mined here and shipped direct to Germany.  Most of the miners took a day off today to hear Mr. Folk.

It looked very much as if all the Democrats and part of the Republicans were on the ground.  This county is another of the Southeast Missouri counties that has boomed in recent years, but changed somewhat politically.  The new immigration has been largely from the North.  Miners, sawmill men and men who work in the hub and stave factories, show a disposition to vote contrary to the older citizens, Dr. L. J. Yillar, whose last visit to Kansas City was in 1850, when there were five houses on the levee, seemed to doubt the honesty of a reporter for The  Star, who told him Westport is now a part of Kansas City.  He said today:

“In old times we have them three to one, but now it is mighty close.  Not only miners and Stove makers, but farmers who come here, show Republican preferences.  They come from the North and buy farms.  They are good farmers and boom the county, but they are wrong politically.  The nomination of Mr. Folk will help our county ticket this fall, and it is going need help.  The county is getting too close.”

One hears the same story about the political changes in nearly every county in one hundred and thirty-eight congressional district.  Further south, the One Hundred and Fortieth District is still safely Democratic, but in St. Francis,. Ste, Genieve, Madison, Bollinger, Iron and Wayne the story is always the same.  New immigration, people from the North saw mills, small manufacturing concerns, more Republicans, reduced Democratic majority are necessary for good politics by the majority party.  In nearly every case, one is told that Mr. Folk’s nomination will be a big help to the county ticket.  Having analyzed the situation in this way, the rank and file Democrats of this and neighboring counties that are yet to vote express their honest belief which they say Mr. Folk is necessary for the salvation of their county tickets

Kansas City Star – May 18,1904

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