The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-29
Al LAMENT FOR KENTUCKY.


About the time of the nomination of Mr.
Blaine and before the national Democratic
convention assembled the managers Of the
Louisville Exposition conceived the scheme
Of extending an invitation and Kentucky
hospitality to the nominees for President. 1t
was their hope that this would accomplish
several good things: Give Kentucky people
chance to see these distinguished Americans
just at the time when everybody wanted to
see them, give these distinguished Americans
a chance to see Kentucky, advertise the State
and city, bring prodigious multitudes to
Louisville, and help fill the Golfers of the expo
sition. The gentlemen who conceived this plan
were all Democrats but their plan was not in
tended to have any political significance nor any
effect except to show kentucky hospitality and
promote great Kentucky enterprise. They
were Kentucky gentlemen, as well as Demo
Gratis, and it seemed to them the Kentucky
way and the natural thing for gentlemen to
do, was to extend the courtesy of the post of
honor to the candidate who was their political
opponent, especially as he was first nominated.
To have invited Mr. Cleveland first would
be showing a preference over gentleman
who could have no possible object except to
show his good will to kentucky, and to help
their great enterprise. Under no conceivable
circumstances could Mr.. Blaine expect an
electoral vote from Kentucky. The conduct
of the managers shows the instinct of Ken
lucky gentlemen, and honors them and their
State and city. While the bitterness of poll
tics South, in spite of the stereotyped talk Of
the war being over, prepared men to expect
many absurd acts, no one of these
gentlemen imagined that any political lunatic
would carry his feelings so far as to raise a
political howl over this matter. They sup
posed it would be natural and easy for Ken
lucky hospitality to welcome and entertain
the two distinguished Americans as gentle
men and great Americans, in manner which
would honor both hosts and guests
Some fool from New Albany raised the first
alarm in the Courier-Journal over Mr.. Blaine
being invited first. Then some Kentuckian
in his cups, and rumored to be one who signed
an invitation to Mr. Blaine, was reported in
the Courier-Journal as making a complaint.
Then Mr. Watterson, from some retreat called,
with singular appropriateness, Virginia
Beach, launched a wild politics gone-mad
denunciation and protest odorous of Bourbon,
against the invitation to Mr.. Blaine as an in
suit to every Democrat. OF course, Mr.
Watterson is wrong and foolish. No insult
was intended and none could be, and he
knew it OF course every one knows
Mr. Watterson has made grievous blunder
and every one feels ashamed Of his disgracing
Kentucky; but unfortunately that does not
help the ridiculous figure Kentucky presents
to the world. A more unpleasant and morti-
flying thing is the existence of such state Of
affairs in Kentucky that the very first men Of
the State, who know they have done sensible
thing, calculated to do equal good to Kentucky
and the enterprise they promote, should at the
frown of Henry Watterson or of any other
man who is in a.state to write such an i'll man
nered'dispatch, be thrown into CONSERVATION,
scared to death, and begin to apologize and ex
cuse themselves as if they were caught in
some disreputable undertaking. These gem
tlemen have made an unfortunate exhibition
of moral timidity, and furnished an illustra
ton of state of affairs South which they are
always protesting does not exist and which
will very readily be appreciated in the North
Meantime, the fame Of Kentucky hospitality
and the character Of Kentucky men are tar
nished by an exhibition Of vulgar manners
and political bigotry, while another great and
valuable opportunity is likely to be sacrificed
to political follies