Editing History of Missouri (section)

====Governor Joseph Folk====
[[Joseph Folk]] was a key leader who made a strong appeal to middle class and rural evangelical Protestants. Folk, a Democrat, was elected governor as a progressive reformer in the [[Missouri gubernatorial election, 1904|1904 election]]. He promoted what he called "the Missouri Idea", the concept of Missouri as a leader in public morality through popular control of law and strict enforcement. He successfully conducted antitrust prosecutions, ended free railroad passes for state officials, extended bribery statues, improved election laws, required formal registration for lobbyists, made racetrack gambling illegal, and enforced the Sunday-closing law. He helped enact Progressive legislation, including an initiative and referendum provision, regulation of elections, education, employment and child labor, railroads, food, business, and public utilities. A number of efficiency-oriented examiner boards and commissions were established during Folk's administration, including many agricultural boards and the Missouri library commission.<ref>Steven L. Piott, ''Holy Joe: Joseph Folk and the Missouri Idea'' (1997)</ref>

During 1892–1904 the Democratic Party lost its dominance of Missouri state politics, and by the 1920s the Republican and Democratic parties were roughly evenly matched in strength. Partly this was due to corruption among Democrats in St. Louis, but also Republicans gained from presiding over the swift, decisive American victory in the [[Spanish–American War]] of 1898.<ref name="meyer 1982 548-9">Meyer (1982), 548–549.</ref> In the [[United States presidential election, 1904|1904 presidential election]], Missouri was carried by President [[Theodore Roosevelt]], the first time the state had voted Republican in ten presidential elections, and was on course to become a swing state for most of the 20th century.