St. Louis Post-Dispatch
August 9, 1908

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Bull er, ¢ Out of Politics,” A ST. LOUIS, SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 9, 1908.

ins Victory For s By His Friends; “They Know What I 9906-0-0-6-6-6-0-4456 GED and Retired Boss, Half Forgotten by His Enemies, Rewards Loyal Clicnis With Choicest Offices on Democratic City Tickel, and Says His Support Gave Cowherd Thovsands of Voles, With His Oid-Time Foe, Hawes, “Just Dragging on Behind.” Y Law, Under Which His Favored Ones, Fiourish, Is a Farce, He Declares, and He Advis- es a Relurn to Rough and Tumble Mass Meelings--- Says a Candidate Bought a Home With “Legacy” He Got Just After Campaign Fund Was Raised. . y , nd Butler won! HOSE are the words you will hear in every if St. Louis drug store, every barber shop every bar room where men meet and talk of the result of last Tuesday’s city Democratic primary. Surprising? Nes, and a bit discouraging for the men who have been busy at every election in a dozen years, putting Edward Butler out of p 4 itics. Now, in hig age and semi-retiremerit, they have seen him, or his personal following, placed in as complete control of the city Democracy as ‘ever he held in the days of his activity and power. Would these men be less disheartehed over the remarkable result of five days ago if they could hear the latest declaration of the aged and strife- scarred boss? ‘‘My friends won, but that doesn’t prove that I’m back in politics. I don’t have to be. I have friends all over town, and they know me well: enough to know what I want. If I had to tell them every time, I wouldn’t consider them worth much as friends.’’ HBSE expressions, taken from a long con- a versation, embody “Col.” Butler’s reply | to a Post-Dispatch reporter's questions about the latest victory credited to him. “The only man I came out for before the elec- tion was Cowherd for governor,” said Butler, as be sat in the office of his blacksmithing firm on Tenth street. “T came out lout that Harry Hawes wasn’t running ragging on behind him. yt “ea surprised if my support made Cowherd 10,000 votes in St. Louis, and 5000 out- side the city.” “Then you came pretty near nom ‘ herd,” the interviewer suggested. “lm not saying that,” was the caut NOTSEBN MUCH IN ST. LOUIS RE- CENTLY. St. Louis has seen little in recent years of Ed- ward Butler. An occasional glimpse of a b storm buggy whirling out Pine street, with heavy side lamps gleaming at night, has told old resi- dents when the “Colonel” was in the city and well enough to be out. Texas and New Mexico have seen much of him, for his years—he will be 70 next Christmas Day—have brought the ail- ments that make men seek healing springs ant , | for Cowherd as soon a5 I found him, but inating Cow- ious reply. climates. Advancing age has multiplied. the stoicism and cynicism which have never been wanting in his appearance or his expressions. His small eyes seem deeper set, his smile, once almost a grimace, is infrequent and faint, and his voice, seemingly ag strong as ever, rasps even more violently than in times past when he speaks of those who have been his enemies. . ‘ He is.as ready as ever to praise his friends harsh praise, defiant of their critics. It was thus he spoke when the names of the four men he is credited with having aided to success in the pri- HAS CREDIT FOR NAMING FOUR MEN. These men were Harry M. Walsh, nominee for circult attorney; Eddie Morrissey, for sheriff: Colin M. Selph, congressional nominee, and James P. Newell, for public administrator. Newell, it has been said, won Butler’s support through their mutual friend, James Campbell, __ | “I know Harry Walsh for @ fine fellow and a good criminal lawyer,” said Butler. “There win more criminal cases than he does. He would be a first-class prosecutor. I've known him since he was a hack driver, studying law in his odd _ and I’ve never known anything against “But I haven’t any special interest in him. I’m Bot sure I voted for him, though I think 1 aid.” . “Ten't he your son's law partner?” Vg at) . ; Jim's isaac

_ “For myself, I gave the most * his office. I asked Jim one time what it was there for, and Jim said he didn’t know. I asked Jim again some time afterward what his name was on Walsh’s door for, and he said he didn’t know and didn’t care. So I never said any more about it. But Jim hasn’t got any law partner, because he doesn’t practice law. “Eddie Morrissey’s another man I’ll vouch for. I’ve known him since he was a boy, and I’d trust im with anything I’ve got. | HE THINKS SELPH IS GOOD DEMOCRAT “Selph I haven't known so long—only since he was elected president of the St. Louis Democratic Club. I voted for him because I thought he was a good Democrat. I knew the man who was running against him, and liked him, but I didn’t know anything about his party record. | “Newell I met in a brokerage office a few times: I didn’t do anything for him that I know of. Maybe my friends voted. for him—they did for pretty near everybody that was ngminated, and they will for everybody that will be elected Phis fall. attention to th candidates for circuit judge. I voted for Baan, Barrett and Woerner. | didn’t care to vote for Dillon—he goes to church too much.” “Whom will. your friends Support for senator?” the reporter asked. ; “Stone will win that,” was the answer. “Even the preachers are getting onto Fojk. His lid has made more drunkenness in St. Louis of*a Sunday than was e¥er seen here before. Back in this al- ley you can see men and women with their bot- tles of whisky every Sunday afternoon—some- thing you wouldn’t see before Folk’s time. “Folk won't come within 30,000 votes of Stone: SAYS FOLK WAS JUST A POLITICIAN IN 1900. F 7 he went on _ reminiscently, “Harry Hawes and Joe Folk came to me and told me Folk needed the nomination for circuit attorney more than Ben Clark did, and I said I’d see Ben about it. “Ben was expecting the nomination, but he thought it over and said, ‘All right, Colonel, I guess he does need it worse. I don’t care so much for it.’ So Folk got it. He was just a poli- tician then, and he’s just a politician now. “Look at his primary law—the biggest farce that was ever put up. The old way was the best way—mass meetings in the wards and a conven- tion. There might be a few knuckles skinned ACK in 1900, when I was in Politics,” and a few heads bumped up at those meetings, | but the pegple came nearer getting the men they wanted thdn they will under any primary law. “Look at Folk’s police board, put over the han- dling of a million and a half, of police funds. What one of them ever handled any such amount as that in his own business?” “If you were in politics in 1900, wheh did you go out of polities?” he was asked. BIG COMPAIGN FUND, BUYS HOUSE. | “I wasn’t in politics after that.y ler. “Only that in 1904 some of friends put 4 $20,000 for a certain man’sffampaign ‘fund, e next thing we heard, he had bought a fine house, and was telling people about a legacy that had just come to him. “Why should I bother with politics? I haven't anything to ask from public officials. 1 wouldn't vote for a man that I thought I could ask any favors of—especially for a judgeship. I have al- ways been that way about j ‘i Mention either Folk or Hawes to Col. Butler, and he forgets that he is “not in politics.” He forgot it when the interviewer spoke of the re- ported deal for delivering Cowherd votes in ex- change for support of the Butler men on the city ticket. Hawe's namé was mentioned in this con- CANDIDATE ,’ said But- “Hawes only represents his own vote,” growled Butler. “He couldn't make a deal like that. The men that won on the city ticket won by getting out and hustling for themselves.” CONFIDENT OF WINNING IN MISSOURI HOUGH he says he does not know who is not in

fs eget ge eo a “the _ i. ’ ig PO ea ae ¢ Rey 2 “Going to the r friends,” the man replied anhesitatinery rig dail Judged by this standard, “Col.” Butler has a record for veracity unequalled in St. Louis. He has talked about quitting politics, and he a8 See fe ditt bars of courts as bondsmen. has “put right” on.the stock market with friend- ly tips or timely loans. There are the men he has called by their first names and helped to a meal and a job when they lacked both. And there are his own former business employes and ‘ u } WAS FOR COWHERD AS S00N. AS | FouNno HE WASNT TRAILING “old man” was ready to provide it. TWO MEN STOOD BY HIM UNQUES-

¥ a OL ELE LL ELEC DLE ELLEN: STE CIUE EY A8 aAEN tth adead : fae Phe gi se A < 4 Bb reg LO J rm en SR Oe eee $0404 islature, and with practice in club man ts to ald him, he saw a chance to organize a new political club which should keep the name amd the influence of Butler in politics. He made the* club a success, and made the Butler influence s rival of that which Hawes exercised at another club. - FAITHFUL SUPPORTERS REWARDS. Of these three-men, each received his -aontepbosg Deiverripr renal et ee pay and Selph, for the second time, a nominee: for Congress, through the support of those o do. what Butler wishes, whether he tells them 41 time or not. - ae a wa Butler helps not only his friends, but bis friends’ friends, and those who. were ised , the eel? GET THEIR yg + eae eee * eae “eb Ar xy a