Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-05-04
Address Of ]. stoddard johnson,
President Of the Kentucky
Press Association, at its
Meeting Held at Hen
derson, April %,
1886.


1886.
GENTLEMEN OF THE KENTUCKY
PRESS 1T affords me great pleasure
to meet you once more and TO renew
with you the pleasant associations
common TO many of us. 1t has been II
matter of regret that for several
years our meetings have been sus-
pended and it gratifies me to believe
that one of the good results of our
assembling here will be the revival
Of the spirit which once characterized
our association. l am reminded in
looking into your faces of the changes
which have taken place in the per-
sonnet of the profession since my en-
trance into il nineteen years ago, for
while l see a number of familiar faces
known to all then the large majority
of the men who control the press of
Kentucky have come upon the stage
in later years and most of them have
brought TO their labors the vigor of
young manhood. 10 these especial
ly 1t may not he uninteresting to re-
count briefly the history OF the Ken
lucky Press Association as L can
thus show the object had i'll its Or
ganization and point out the evils
under which it has suffered Of late.
For several years after the war the
necessity oil a better acquaintance
and cooperation among the members
OF the press was recognized, and upon
the suggestion OF MI G' w. kallck,
then editor OF Lexington paper,
call was issued signed by himself,
Mr.. D. Ii. Smlth, OF the frankfort
commonwealth, ana myself, invltlnS
the members oil the press OF the STATE
10 meet at FfahKlort III January, 1909
Tor the purpose oil forming an Asso-
ciatoh; AS tne result there was
spirited attendance ana George ID.
frelitlce, Inc veteran editor OF the
LouisVllle journal, was elected our
nrSt PRESIDENT Inc next year we
met al Lexington anu a. U. hodges,
OF the frankfort commonwealth,
was elected as the successor oil Mr..
Prentice' III June 1911 there was
announcer meeting heia at LouisVilie
upon tne occasion Oh the meeting OF
the western Fress ASSOCIATION, at
when Time an excursion was made
TO Mammoth cave; FOR ten years
consecutiVely inc hehlucky Iress
Association met Ill large attendance
al various placeS III the oIate ihcluu-
ING Owehs10ro, rarIs, SneiDyVllle'
henderson, Dahville, sowing Treen'
noPklnSVllie, FRANKFORT aha Lag Ashiaio,
the last meeting Deihg Ill 1851 Inc
oOJects OF tue ASSOCIATION oelhg pure
~ social anu lor lhe cuillVatloil Oh a
splrit vi fraternity as wen as incl
ueh'ally 10 acquire Detter khoWl-
euSe Oh the otate ny meeting III al
iorenI locail,ies each year, ABUSES
sprahg up Whicll enforced suspeh-
SION Oh the meetings. Inc Assocla-
Iioh having uone me tne iohor 10
eiect me It's rresiaeht annually since
IoiV, no not clainl exemption lor
any Dlame Which should attach 10 me
ior not guarding against the lehueh-
cies WHICH resulted SO uhiortunateiy'
AS lar as my protest could go rais-
Gu my voice against inc ABUSES, Dnt IL
was unaVaillhg' Each CITY Vieu win
the oiher IN STRIVING TO excel Ill the
spiehuor OF us ulspiay III the enter,
tainlheht OF the press ana included
Ill It's invitations so many mat IL be-
came ailncult 10 tell VINO OF Inc at
tehuahts were really the guests, those
iegitlmately OF the press OF The Dum'
mefs VINO were accredited Tor the &C.
casioh as correspondents ana the
poiiticiahs VINO sought the oppor-
tuhlty 10 cultivate the 1ayor OF inc
newspapers. Ihese Two eVils-the
prohllscuous attendance ana the eX-
traVsgant ehtertaillhehts-lhade II
evident that unless reform could
DE brought ABOUT ana Inc meetings
restricted 10 actual coma .Pde men-
Ders oil me press ana the Tree lunch
feature elimlhated ihe suspension OF
our meetings would De pfeieraole
Ill consequence OF lhls 1eellng winch
was general among the self-respectins
members 1a6n mere nave been no meetings
since 1851 except one Ill 1854, when
we met IN LOUISVILLE upon inc INV
tati0n OF ihe Manager OF the south
ern EXposltloh,
since lhen there mas grown up
very general desire that the meetings
shoulu Oe renewed unaef a re-)rgah'
izatl0h OF the ASSOCIATION upon prac'
ucai business basis, and as the result
Oh t,lls leeilhg nave summoned you
10 tne goou cry OF henderson at the
Suggestion OF me members OF the TO-
Cai press tnal they would be glaa L
nave us win thein. AT no more nos
pitaoie place coulu we nave met as
can ATTEST from past experience, Du
l rus' ner generous people Will re
strain thelr hospitaDie prompting
unu NOV subject us 10 tne confession
; ,na' ou5 Iesoiutiol Oh reform is worm
Iess anu tiiaI az the lirSt reunion W.
IeIutn 70 inc hesn pots instead OF al
tenulhg 10 inc business lor winch w