The sun., 1888-11-04
THE KENTUCKY CANDIDATES.
A RITILINa JOINT DEBATE IN TEE
EASTERN SECIIUN.

EAb1EhN SHCflON,
TIE Powerful .ns Picturesque Tina gin alton
ofCoi. woiford Trained Upon Congress-
man Finiey-sks .soraPing Eioquence.
LOUISVILLE, Nov. 3.--The most unique
political campaign In the State is the canvass
between Col Frank Wolford and Judge Frank
Finley for election to Congress from the
Eleventh district. II is q revival Of the politi-
cal methods and personal characteristics In
vogue ip campaigns OF fifty and seventy-6ve
years ago.
Judge Finley Is a Republican, and is the
present Congressman from the Eleventh dis
trict. Col. Wolford is q Democrat, and repre-
sented tho district the two terms preceding
Judge Finley's election. when he declined to
make the race because Of failing health.
The district which they are canvassing is as
extraordinary as the men. 1t was created
after the last census, and the gerrymandering
instincts of the Legislature made 1t stretch
nearly half across the 81 ate and 1t brings to-
gether the queerest assorted population 10 be
found in Kentucky 1t is almost entirely male
up OF tho mountaineers OF the eastern section.
but II reaches over into one OF the richest and
most fertile portions OF the Commonwealth.
The inhabitants of the latter are good Demo-
Gratis and good citizons and OF them there Is
nothing further to be said. But the mountain
GERS are of that hardy, peculiar type which
through its many bloody feuds has become SO
well known as representative OF Kentucky.
There are thirteen counties in the district, one
OF these, Pulaski. having the largest area of
any In the State. These mountain counties
were oil loyal to the Union during the war. aud
half the adult male population bore arms for
the Federal cause during the rebellion. The
jealousy between their inhabitants and those
of the Barrens" and the Bluegrass regions is
intense, aud the nountaineers are SO clannish
that they form u curious and powerful element
in the politics OF the State. Yet in spite Of the
fact that they stick together 80 well AZ against
the other sections. the two parties are very
nearly equal in the mountains, and nowhere
else In Kentucky are party lines 30 closely
drawn in local contests.
The two candidates are excellent types Of
the district. Col Wolford is the most pictur-
esaue politician in all Kentucky, or. ior the
matter of that. in the South or West. He
is something moro than the mere rugged
mountuineer politician that Judge Finley is.
He is the last representative OF a race that has
been dying out ever since the war. He s
braver thun lion, Tor lion eau be intimidat-
ed sometimes, aud Frank Nolioru never was.
He was IA cavalry oificer in the Union army,
distinguished gallantry. In the land oi moon
sinners he never took but one drink OF whis-
Just before going into a battle. He reith r
smokes nor chews tobacco. and he never
mas, and ID the most fertile and picturesque
liar on the western hemisphere. Add to THIS
that he is strictly and deroutiy honest. tender
hearted aS q child. as cniyarous as he il brave,
anu as boastlul as he is brave. and you have in
some sort aroneeptlon OF what oid Frank
Finley is man of massive physique. six feet
three inches high: iull OF ,shrowdness, and
ay, ~ Y nnnI "A hTl N
write Till about ~ years old. 1e never wore
suoes until ne was twenty. but he had grit and
family when he was Is years Old. In some way
he picked up the elements Of an education.
shrswd lie Was first Ator
ney. then Commonwealth Attorney for six
years Then Circuit judge ior as many years
more: he was then appointed United States
district Attorney By 4. B. hayes, but a lew
months experience with the Louisville bar
sent him back to his native heath. wnsre lie was
years, at the end OF which tune he made The
race Tor Congress against u Democrat nom the
barrens. lne mountains stood Eallanlly by
him. and he WAS sent to the House ot kepre-
sentative es 10y n hadsone majority. In addition
made u fortune out o! star route mail con
tracts. He Is worth probably SloO.OUO. which
The canvass between the two men Is made
almost entirely ON horseback. The mountain
eers would not tolerate u buggy, and Col. mol-
lord could not be induced 10 ride in one though
he is now II yealsoi age and worry inlirm rom
wounds receiI ed in the mexican and civil wars.
He has faithful horse. which he rides all over
the district, sometimes gong as far as lorty or
fifty miles Over rough roads IN one day
Oratory counts lor great zeal i'll the noun
while Finley would prefer more modern
methods OF campaigning. Tho old soldier has
u sky-scraping eloQuence that can tire the
rustic heart as no other man can 90 in Ken
tucky. not e\en Joe blackburn or Billy Breck-
inrilge. He is as great a Rraggart as ever
lived, and constantly refers to his services 10
the Union during the war and to the Cunled-
crate soldiers alter the war, In 1866 he was
u member OF the kentucky Legislature and
took the ground that complete amnesty ought
to he allowed her citizens who went with the
southern armies chords bravery and elo-
|. quence maze INN a power in tho Siale then,
and he carried his reiiel measures through.
He was al unilinchinG Democrat, and has
to lree tho negroes. but to preserve the Union.
To hear, the jo.nt discussions between the
ionrcwipd4d iTn e as he Is eoouent. and 6oh he and
Finley speak IRON three TO five hours at u
stretch. The mounta neer hentuckian is moth
Ing II not politician, and the excitement OF a
'sueaklng marks al epoch in his simple and
nneyentiul lie. he never grows weary Of pol.
TO hear Finley and II ollcrd wherever they 70.
rules or ,he couItesies OF debate when the two
come together. AT the outset OF the campaign
Col. Woliord announced that he meant to drive
Finley oil the stump If he undertook to bull
sequence has been that light is expected
every time The two candidates meet They ned
what WOllord terms int Debate GOWN IN
Russell county the other day. l ought to have
mentioned that the o!d soldier says tint"
where they met this time was "Jmtown." a
picturesque little ham.et lorty miles of from
the nearest. railroad. The meeting had been
well advertised. and the crowd which came to
hear was enormous. Everybody was on horse
back. and 81 cry fence. Il &C. and hit hing rack
in town had troop ol horses standing meekly
in front.
Col. Woolord had the first speech. and began
by saying that he felt obliged TO notice some
things which his opponent had lugged into the
canvass. The tlst slander which he wished to
refute was The insiuuation that while In Con-
Rress he had not sent out the garden seeds
which had been given him Tor his constituents.
He had distributed all he had received. and had
sent Judge Fin ey large number OF packages.
He had Finley's receipt to tho Post Unice Tor
these, and II the peope had not received them
he wanted to know what Judge Finley had done
with them. Did no sell them? He then related
how Finley got his nomination. and suid:
hut al gong be elected. for Judge Finley can't
buy enough votea with al his money TO beat me. why
Judge Finley has given up the race bur he won't admit
It. and ho Ia mad as Jury because have got him beat
lie rst mad at At Munfsrdylie and got 80 furi
Yes he rup the ladies' and he ried TO but was
crippled ind could not run, and how lie swo el Oh
Lurd hut didn't run, being Christian, pray ed for
him Yes prayed Tor him, but the prayers OF an arch
ANGEL couldn't do Finey any good Aui going 10 beat
HIM and be knows It, The Democrats AL going to