New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-05
BRECKINRIDGE'S CANVASS.
AN EXTRAORDINARY POLITICAL CAM
PAIGN IN KENTUCKY.
THE MORAL QUESTION CONFRONTING THE
FAMOUS ASHLAND DIsTRlCT-T1IE ClRcCM-
STANCES OF THE CONTEST.


lrRoN STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
Lexington, Ky. Sept. But two weeks more
remain of the extraordinary canvass precpitated
three months ago TIE Democrats OF this Con-
gress District by Colonel w. c. +. breckenridge
Determination tc seek denomination ana re-
election at the hands Of his reluctant and pro-
testing constituent. Interest in the progress
Of this canvass has naturally extended far be-
yond the borders of Kentucky: for the issue moral
and personal rather than political. which IL Is 10
decide is unhappliv FAMILIAR in all It's grosshesS
OF detail. In every hamlat and crossroads settle
ment from Maine t. the Pacific That any man
In public life should venture. in the face OF ex-
posures as ignoble and degrading as those OF inc
Pollard trial, to confront constituency with de-
mands for further political prefermen seems al
most notwithstanding, as II does, every sound
instinct and tradition Of American politics. NO
public man certainly with less than Colonel
Brecknridge's supe-lative effronery or his i'm
penerable insensibility to all forms OF social or
moral censure world have wished an appear u
the verdict Of the ballot-boX. under circum-
stances so hopeless.y backenng. The colossal
egotism Of the sitting member and his braZch as
surance OF AN exemption from judgment by or
binary standards have however, thrust upon the
Democratic party liz this district the unweicome
responsibility Of Condoning or rebuklng inc ania%-
ridge. by his own confessions. stands convicted
Boldly pieadins the rrelevancy of the disclosure
Of his real character through his own ana MISS
Pollard's testimony. denying that personal opll-
observation-disclosures. gro; sness lying decei. anu
al manner of moral baseness-can affect MS
character and usefulness as a politician, ne mas
challenged the state and the country to witness
a social and political experiment al once SINISTER
and revolving. though happily almost unique so
far In American political history. That the an,
swer OF the voters OF this hitherto unruffied and
easy-gning Congress District ~ this dOubt1u!
challenge should be awaited with widespread
anxiety is az natural as ii is creditable TO pubic
opinion.
THE INTEREST ALL-ABSORBING.
In Kentucky itself the political and persona. In
terest attaching to Colonel Breckinridges expert
ment is all-absorbing. Nothing since war times
has so stirred the State. The With. or Ash
land Congress District has been for three gen
erations the political and social centre Of the
Commonwealth In a igurative sense its eight
counties more than any other. are the real Ken
tucky--the Kentucky of history, of poetry OF
Imagination; the home Of The blue grass and the
distiery of the thoroughbred trotter and run
ner: rich in soil. tonic in climate rare In beauty
the source ana spring Of the social. lnteiiecludi
and political life OF the state From his coun-
try home. Ashland. just outside Lexington. Gay
for a generation dominated the politics or Ken
lucky and moulded the fortunes Of the great
Wing party Representing the district for many
years In the popular branch Of congress lne
name of his fan Gus country seat became Pe.nia
nently attached 10 T. and through ali mutations
the district in which Fayette County has peen
grouped has borne the designation OF Ashiand'
After Clay cane. among others. James 'iarh'
Tom Marshal Garrett Davis and NllHam Is.
Preston Just before the war John G. Brock
inridge and John J. Cri,tenden sat In turn
in the House of Representatives Tor Faye,te anu
its companion counties. The outbreak OF hosuli-
ties drove breckenridge South 10 be Confed-
crate Major-General and Secretary IN JEFFERSON
Daviss cabinet while Cr'ttenden held iast 10 snr
ha1t. IN Epp
LOYALTY After the war came Beck VINO repre-
sented the district until he was promoted 10 me
Senate. Blackburn followed Beck to tne no o,aS
and soon Joined him in the .deliberative" branGn'
TO be succeeded in turn as Representative by w
c. p Breckenridge. In this brilliant nst Oh
names can be read in brief the political history
Of Kentucky so Ear at least as relates TO the
States influence in National affairs. In many
Congresses these eight counties have sent pom
Senators 20 Washington as Wei as ,ner - ~
REPRESENTATIVE and their practical conrol OF t'l~
politics Of the Commonwealth has rarely peeh
broken MI Carlisle apart. no one mas arisen IN
other sections of the State 10 dispute supremacy
With .he s,atesrnan Of the Blue Grass region, ana
MIR Carlisle can scarcely be counted as rea!
Kenfucklan Of the school Of Clay. put rather as
the chance prCduct Oh OihC4''i"t- S"ONi'' '
on Kentucky SOIL.
DEARTH OF CANDIDATEG.
Pride IN political record 40 creditable and dis
tinguished has been honorably cherished by the
people of the Ashland district. and its accom-
nanvng tradition of continuity Of service has
long been accepted unchalenged. The freedom
from opposition amably guaranteed 10 a sitting
member under the custom If uncontesied re-
nomination plays al important part now IN Coo
ne! isrecknridge's experiment OF thrusthg MS
unpleasant personality once more upon an IN
willing constituency. Whether because OF tne
general expectation that the present Representa-
five would sit out many terms, or because
energy and ambition in Kentucky are begii nlns
10 be diverted more and more from pohtcd ~
f1tfr0 on no
stratIon before Judge Bradley in Washington OF
Colonel Breck!nridges moral unhtness Tor pup
lie station, iamentabe dearth OF Candidates III
this district about which 10 buId UP an iih1leui-
ATE and effective opposition. No one couIu De
found in this county. Fayette, or in the adjoining
counties OF Woodford and Frankhn-pohucany
and socially the most important in the district
10 take up the fight against the dlscredlted Sill
ver-tongued" orator If some conspicuous Dem,
ocratic leader in any one OF THESE counties hau
come to the front last spr.ng. READY 10 accept
the candidacy, Colonel breckenridge WOud nave
been driven absolutely from the heid AS IL nap
pened. but two opponents could be Iouhd 10 mar
the race for the nomination. and as they Were
both young and rather inexperienced pohtcay
Colonel Breckenridge was naturally ENCOURAGED
TO take up 4 more aggressive attitude ana oo.d i
dispute with them the honor he still so cynicaHy
aspires to- Mr.. Owens. who appears to nave al
tracted the support OF the more mighty respec'a-
bic and influential OF Mr. Breckinr1dge's oppor,
ents Is a young lawyer Of Scott County. when
lies north of Fayette toward the ONO RIVER.
Mr. Settle the other candidate In the anti,
Breckenridge interest. lives IN owen Couh'y' sun
nearer Louisville and the Ohio and distinctly out
of the aristocratc Blue Grass region. or the
eight counties in the district Mr. Settle is ex-
pected to carry his own, owen. which is a Demo-
cratic stronghold and TO hold fair share Of
the vote in the two other northern or upper END
counties Of Henry and Oldham. Mr. owens
counts on CARRYING Scott County where he lives.
and Franklin, which adjoins. whose county seat
is Frankfort the State ,apitai The other three
more popu,ous Blue Grass counties-Bourbon,Fa Fay
cite and Woodford-are divided between owens
and Breckenridge MIR. Settle having only tri-
fling support in each III subsequent letter
more careful estimates will be made OF the
strength OF the three candidates and their pros
poets OF success. The nominee for Congress Is
10 be chosen at primaries in all the counties, to
be held on September Is. the nomination going
10 the candidate having the highest total vote.
Nrhia r1aethnd Of seection 4 need not be pOinted