The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1883-05-22
NcKenzie's Great Speech.


recognized round after round
Of applause echoed and re-
echoed from pit to gallery. As soon
as order prevailed the orator began
in his matchless and inimitable man
uer and placed Gov. Knots name be-
fore the convention in the following
nasterly speech, which was one OF
the best ever delivered in Ken
lucky convention:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF
THE CONVENTION l wish to place in
nomination for the Office of Governor
of Kentucky man who wears the
civic crown of craftsmanship, and not
the heroic laurels of war. Immense
and prolonged cheering.l Every
Kentuckian manifests and always
will show the greatest enthusiasm ut
The mention of the names ofany great
leaders who illus trated our courage
and valor either under the flag Of The
Confederacy or of the Union, ang l
nonor that sentiment. place i'll
nomination the name of n man who
has no record as q soldier on the tent
ed field, but whose life has been one
of knightly devotion to the Demo
cratic party, and one who has brought
TO the service of that party uncoln-
mon endowments of mind and heart.
Trained in the school of Jefferson and
of Jackson, those mighty cxpositors
of the true faith, revering the tradi-
tons and the teachings and the his
tory of the Democratic party, adher-
ing to its fortunes amid the exulta-
ton of victory and the gloom Of de-
feat, he has given to its service the
splendid energy of his early manhood
and the refined wisdom of his maturer
and later life. Identified with the
great body of his fellow citizens by
birth, by fortune, by education and
by sympathy, his public career has il
Illustrated the strongest fidelity to the
constitution of his countr! and all
honest and eloquent advocacy of the
rights of the American people. APP
plausc.
For twelve years he has represent
ed the people of Kentucky in the low
er branch of the Federal Legislature,
Il service which is the scvercst and
most merciless test of human capac-
ity; a survival of the strongest is the
unvarying rule, and l hazard nothing
in saying that no Representative the
State has ever had on her brilliant
list of great names has ever made in
that deliberativc body a record mort
honorable to himself or more credita'
BILE to the people of Kentucky thar
j. Proctor Knott. Applause and Q
cry of $50 it, Duluth."] Admitted
to q seat in the Federal Congress dur
ing the dark and stormy days Of re
construction, before the passions o
war had cooled, at time when anar
chy and violence and misrule helt
sway; at a time when the grea
South was Frustrated and voiceless
he entered that great arena Of debat,
as the champion Of good government
; as the advocate of the autonomy o
the States and the supremacy Of tn,
Constitution, and as the sworn foe G
} all schemes of faction, plumber Wl
extravaganza. Applause.
Whether appearing on the floor @
the House advocating tine right of a
the districts of Kentucky to represen
tation in that body; or opposing tn
Suffrage bill, which proposed I
strike down the young manhood Q
the South; or opposing the bill +
punish cx-Confederate officers 70
holding office, State or Federal or op
posing those enormous land grants +
3 railroad corporations, whereby tn
, public domain has been squandereC
and greedy corporations enriched; o
as the leader of that minority In op
position to the Electoral Commission
+ bill, big which made possible tn
browning outrage of modern times
the theft of the Presidency or wheth
!, er we contemplate him az advocatin,
l with rare eloquence the purity of tn
: ballot-box or depicting the barbal
9 ism of an armed and hostile soldier
at the polls, we see that lie brough
. to bear upon all these great question
a comprehensive statemahship, en-
e lightened Judgment and a fervi
f patriotism that entitled j. Procto
a Knott to rank among the create
;. men that have adorned the annals
" modern times. Applause.] Ispea
i unbiased by the strong person
friend ship that / feel-a ,friendsh
that has grown with years and be,
strengthened by time and long ass
citation but say imp artially, and
believe | voice the Judgment of h
n times, that when the great verdict
posterity is made up, among the lol
list of names that the grand old Cor
e monwealtb of Kentucky has contri
uted to the Pantheon of Americ,
history, no name will slime mo
brightly than that of j. Pro ctor Kno
!. Great Applause Cautious and co
: sentative as q legislator; t,road, cor
= prehcnsive and liberal as thinke
y learned and eloquent as lawye
witty, forcible and convincing as
a hastings orator; lover of learnin
q he has devoured books with the
vine hunger of genius /; but highc
, better, gi-ander than all this, amid d
a storms ard conflicts, the trump
, and disappointments of a life no
reac hing its tenth lustrum, amid Il
: sress of great political discussion
| end the clash of party strife, his pr
r., vate character is as stainless and 4
, proachless as his public career
y brilliant and illustrious. Great a
pTause.
&c With no disparagement to anyon
ia! Mr.. Chairman. entertaining the hig
est respect for all the Distinguish
aspirants for the place of Chief Elk
IS cutive of the greatest State, in II
humble judgment, upon which t
. sun of heaven ever shone, |, with
! confidence, place the name of J. Pro
's tor Knott before this great convoc
! ton of Kentucky Democracy as
proper man to receive the suffrag
of the people for the great Office
y Governor, of this Commonwealth
II Great applause. "a ,.
D | Y r--------.--