The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1883-07-17
Mr.. KNOTS DEFENSE
Of Republican Arraignment ofthe
State Government.
He Meets the Charges seriatim-
The Financial Condition Of A.
fairs The parioning
Power The Sink
ing Fund.

Power The Sink.
ing Fund.
The great interest taken In the dis
cussion of State affairs by the two
candidates for Governor in connec-
tion with the charges made by the
Republican convention and in Col.
w. o. Bradlcy's published statement
charging mal-administration of the
financial affairs of the State, has led
the Louisville Commercial to pub
lish the Hon. Proctor Knott's reply
to those charges as delivered at
Hartford recently. He spoke as fol-
lows:
b. FELLOW CITIZENS: An accusation
although void of the slightest SEM
blancc of truth, may be SO boldly as
serted and so frequently repeated as
to mislcad the most intelligent intel
lect If permitted to remain wholly
uncontradicted and unnoticed, un-
less 1t may be so grossly absurd as TO
defy the commoncst credulity. pro-
pose, therefore, to employ at least a
portion of the time which, under the
arrangement between my distinguish
ed competitor and myself, / am to oc-
cupy on the present occasion In ex-
posing the falsity of some the wild
and extravagant charges which are
alleged against the Democratic party
Of Kentucky in the platform recently
adopted at Lexington, and which
have been substantially reiterated in
the more recent address of the Re-
publican Central Committee and in
order 10 avoid any imputation of UNI
fairness, or even the slightest suspi-
cioh of uncandor, will repeat those
charges precisely in the Language en-
ployed by those who preferred them.
THE PARDoNISG POWER. g
The first count in the very extraor-
dinary indictment to which invite
your attention is: "That the admin
istrationiof o,lr State affairs has been
such under the present Democratic
rule as practically to nullify all our
criminal aud penal laws; that it has
en,leayored to make the vice Of gam
bling respectable by pardoning all
.persops charged with that crime ; and
that ii has invited lawlessness in its
worst and most dangerous form, by
denying to the courts and juries OF
the Commonwealth the right to dc.
termine the crime and punish the
criminal s,gs sTt
Fortunately, fcllow-citizcns, these
broad, sweeping assertions are Sc
notoriously aud shockingly, untrue in
almost every essential particular tina,
they not only carry their own refuta'
ton upon their face, but amount to
deliberate insult to common intelli
gcncc. To discuss them upon th'
hustings would be like controvertins
the wild rawlings Of bedlam. Their
Is not a man in the entire Common
wealth, Icarc not what his party af
filiations or political predilection
may be, whose intellect is a shade
above that of the unfortunate imbe
cile who is n pensioner upon tn
bounty of the State, who does no
know that all our judges and jurie
have, and have always had undc
Democratic auspices, as much righ
to determine the guilt OF. innocence o
those who may be charged with vic
lating them as they have ever hat
ffrom the organization ofour Stat
government down to the prescn
hour. There is not an ,intclligcr
person in this audience, .Republica
or Democrat, who does not feel an
know thathis life, his liberty and hi
property are just as secure undo
those laws now as they ever were.
| need not ask you, fellew-citizen
what should be thought of the cal
dor, tousc no harsher expression, I
those who, to secure mere local pa
| ty advantage, seek to excite q prejl
dice in the minds of the ignorant an
unthinking by bold and unblushin
indulgence in such reckless assertion
as thesc-assertions SO totally at VI
rance with the absolute knewlcds
of every intelligent citizen Of Il
Commonwealth, C but i ask you
think for a moment of the effe
which. such expressions, made und
such circumstances, are likely
/. hayeupon the prosperityof our Stat
kentucky, with all the disadvantag
under which she has heretofore J
bored, Is to-day peryaded by Y
spirit of progress and improv
ment. Her people everywhere q
animated with the laudable desire
see her wonderful resources dew
oped, and her Advancement in veal
and prosperity promoted by all re
sonablc and available means.
that-cnd they would divert TO Q
midst a portionat least Of the VI
tide Of immigration annually drifti
to other sections OF our country. b