The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1879-02-02
YELLOW FEHER IN POLITICS.
DIR. LUKE BLACKBURN's CANVASS FOR GOV
ERNoR OF KENTUCKY.


A Very Singular Sequel to Practical Joke
How the Late Epidemic Seems LIKELY
to Make q Governor
1t has been forty years or more since
Dick Menefee, called "the silver -tongued, ;"
| aud the late Judge Robertson were oppos
now represented by Joe Black burn. Mene-
fee was especiaffy popular with the young
people. Young himself and handsome.
| with voice that afterwards charmed Con :
| gress, and great crowd of visitors to lis
! ten to him through speech that lasted
all one afternoon and far into the night, he
expected to get the vote of every young
! fellow that had a sweetheart and every
| married man whose wife had yet influence
over him. So he tarried long in Lexington
! before taking the stump against his rather
elderly competitor. But when at last he
fiud that the Judge had developed popu-
| larity that bade fair to carry him into
Congress with rusb. Even the girls were
| throwing all the weight of their influence
| in favor of the gray-haired lawyer.
Menefee couldn't make it all ont. Rob
ertson didn't seem to be making any
speeches, and the voters could not or would
! not give reason for their change of faith.
Menefee made ringing speeches in half
dozen school houses and from a score of
! improvised stands; the people came to
hear him, listened with great attention,
but wouldn't promise him their votes.
Then the young orator interviewed the
Judge himself; "And how the devil do you
manage it, Robertson Z" said he; but the
Judge only laughed at him.
That night Menefee was hidden to a
party in the nighborhood, and went. He
was little late, and, as he entered the
door, there was Judge Robertson, perched
on the back of chair, fiddling away like
mad, with the lads and lassies dancing
merrily to the music over the sanded floor.
The secret was out.
But Dick was equal to the occasion. He
didn't know how TO fiddle, but he could
dance with the best foot in Kentucky.
After his frat reel-and he picked out the
prettiest girl in the room-he sat down be-
side his partner. where they had good
view of the Judge, still fiddling for the
next set. The Judge was left handed.
Robertson does fiddle well, and no mis-
take" said Dick to his fair companion;
shut you ought to hear him when ne fddies
with his right hand. Now up here, sup
pose, he thinks that left handed mnsic will
do but down ia Lexington he wouldn't
think of such thing as playing with his
lett hand" Between Lexington and the
hill counties there was great Jealousy, and
course the story spread, not only through
that neighborhood but to every precinct in
the hill counties, and Dick was elected
to Congress by great majority.
This old story illustrates what success
in Kentucky politics most often is-a mat
ter ter OF sentiment, the enjoyment of joke,
the faculty of telling good story. In Owen
County they are still voting for John G..
Breckinridge for President, because that
gentleman named son "Owep," after the
county had given him the majority that
secured his first election to Congress. Even
II Proctor Knott were not an able lawyer,
his Duluth speech will send him back to
Washington IS often as he wants to go
and Albert Willis was returned from this
metropolitan district last November main
~ because the people thought his compet-
ltor acted unfairly to Willis in announcing
himself ss candidate and beginning an
active canvass while Willis was still in
Washington, aud was thus unable to get an
"even start" In politics, as in horse racing,
kentRcky demands fair play.
1t was joke that is sad to have given
Doctor Luke P. Blackburn, brother Of the
present Congressman from the Ashland
District. hie frat idea of becoming Cover
| nor of Kentucky. The Doctor is a great
| framed, generous, whole hearted gentle
| man, who likes, above all things, to get the
| laugh on his friends, and he has mannerisms
that gave them ample chance to laugh at
him In return. Three years ago there was
| bitter contest for the gubernatoriaI NOM
ination by three very equally matched can
didates. On the day that the Convention
| met it WAS thought very likely that all
three would be dropped in the interest of
harmony and an entirely new man taken
up pand pat through. About noon that day,
Basil Duke, who was John Morgan's chief
of staff, Col. Jilson, Johnston, Henry Wat
terson, editor of the Courier Journal, Dick
Wiptersmith-whom evsryb body knows
and half dozen other gentlemen who
knew the Doctor well and perhaps had all
been the victims of his practical joking,
met, as if by accident, in the Gait Houee
and gathered around the particular chair
in the rotunda which he affected. few
minutes later messenger handed tele-
gram to Col. Johnston.
"By Jove, Luke" said he, "look at
The despatch was dated Frankfort, and
read
To Jison P Johnston, Proprietor Gait House:
! McCreary has been dropped, and his people
have given their solid vote to Luke P. Black.
burn, the hero of Memphis.
"Ob, nonsense" said the Doctor !; "I'n
no politician" but the Iparty was near
the room where Kentucky's chief product