Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-08-18
Hon, I. A. spalding.


Hon. l. a. Spaldlng speech al tne
barbecue in this place last Saturday
was a good and practical one. lie
spoke two hours to a large audience
OF ladies and gentlemen, who mani
tested much interest in what he said.
His chief topic was the needed chan
ges in the Constitution, and in point
ing them out lie showed a thorough
knowledge of the organic law of the
State and its workings. The chang
es and additions he suggested should
meet with the endorsement of every
body having the interest of the State
in view and who are lovers of good
democratic government.
lie said in substance that the NOM
ination for the Legislature from the
Democracy came to him unsolicited
and that it was sacrifice for him
peculiarly and otherwise to accept it,
but that the fact that the people of
the county had supported him when
he needed them impelled him to serve
them when called Oh.
lie vindicated the reputation of
Union for lawlessness by comparing
her criminal calendar with that OF
other counties in this and other
States, and by the record madein our
home courts. He showed that the
last term of our court only thirty-two
indictments were returned, of which
only four or five were for felonies,
and that the number mentioned is
smaller in comparison than in most
any other county in the State. lie
approved of our criminal code in the
main and claimed that the fault was
with the people and not with the law
that criminals are not brought tC
iustice-that the hearty cooperation
of the people with the officers of the
law is essential to the successful Nad'
ministration of any system of law.
lie suggested that our judicial of
ficers should be elected to longe
term of office and that they be mad
ineligible to second term of office
that County Attorneys perform tn,
duties of Commonwealth Attorneys
He urged the revisino of the reven
ue laws of the State. This he say
cannot satisfactorily be done durinI
one term of the Legislature, hence h
favors the appointing of commits
sioner to revise the system betwee
times to be acted on by the succeedin
Legislature. He showed wherei
the present system is cumbersom
and expensive, that thousands of do
lars are spent yearly by the State t
suppoi pauper idiots; that this
productive of fraud is evidenced b
the fact that nearly all of the paupe
idiots in the State are from two il
dicial districts, composed of the poo
est and most sparcely populate
, counties in the State that inquests {
: idiocy are held over infants tw
weeks old in some counties, thr
fastening them on the State. TIL
; abuse could be obviated by requirin
: every county to support its own id
OTIS.
. lie condemned the establishment
new counties and showed that Il
one of these are self-sustaining. n
/ territory should be made into cOul
1 ty that would not be self-sustainin
Q He favored the restriction of Il
S power to levy local taxes. TO illu
| trate the pernicious influence of Il
1 privilege he called attention to Loui
: Vile and her debt of 100000, al
e at the aggregate local debts of Il
State arising from local taxation
" $60,000,000, an amount sufficient
J, bankrupt most any State ofthe Unio
! He thinks that every town should
n incorporated under general law
: arranged as to accommodate the d
: mands of a growing municip
: corporation. Thus the opinions of Il
: Court of Appeals on municipal issu
J, would be a light fee for the COVER
t ment of the various towns and citi
). of the State.
k lie condemned in unmeasur,
a terms the practice of the LegislatI
in passing local legislation, and sho'
cd where il cost the State $1,000
during every session of the Legisl
ture. He favored general law u
der which the County Courts cou
transact this class of business and
@ strict enforcement. lie made maj
If other valuable suggestions. Many
J: the changes he mentioned he show,
e could not be affected without chan
t. in the Constitution of the State,
is which account he made strong a
h peal to the people to turn out a.
l. vote for the calling OF Constitutio
j. al convention.
y We took no notes of Mr.. SpaldinI
d speech, hence it is impossible for
10 to give a systematic report of
is speech. In consequence our SUI
le mary is rude and disconnected. |
IL speech was able, logical and exhal
a tive, and in spite of the dryness
Of the subject he succeeded in charmj
TO the attention ofhis audience throue
of out