New-York tribune., 1895-10-26
BLACKBURN'S CHANCES.
HIS SUCCESS ALMOST WHOLLY DEPEND
ENT UPON THAT OF GENERAL HARDIN

TO SECURE A RECONCILIATION IN CASE OF
THE LATTER's DEFEAT
lrRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF rRrBuNE.l
Louisville Oct. 25.-It would be difficult to say
which phase of the novel political struggle now
in progress in Kentucky-the fight for the Cover
norshp or that for the In the United States
Senate which Is 70 become vacant on March 4.
lss7-is intrinsicay the interesting and
| important. Both contests are made on the same
lines; both accentuate the same ieep-seated an
| tagonsms In Democratic policy and both In
| volve the same irreconcilable conflict between
! the Democratic partisans OF free silver coinage
ard the Democratic supporters of the Admins
| trations Sound money" programme Both con-
tests alike, whatever may be their immediate
| outcome. will entail a further struggle for
! supremacy between the rival Democratic fac
tons. which can only lead to open schism and
party disruption.
| The fight for tn, Governorshp. because Ii
promises the virtual overthrow of the formid-
| able Frankfort ring, which for more than thirty
years has dominated Kentucky politics. las alb
sorbed perhaps. the chief share OF public at
tention and public interest Yet the fight for
| the Senatorship though involving consequences
somewhat more remote. scarcely be said to
yield to the fight for the Governorship in either
significance or Importance. Fer II the defeat
Of Mr.. Hardin next month is to throw the ma
| chinery Of government at Frankfort. for the
first time in the States history. into the hands
| Of Republican Governor. and thus pave the
| way for general readjustment Of the condi-
tons of local political life. the failure OF Mr.
| Plackburn's hard-fought campaign for re-elec-
| ton is likely to have an equally decisive nfu-
| ence In the field Of national politics For on
the heels of the threatened retirement of
| Cameron PETER and Voorhees, from the United
| States Senate Mr. Eackburns defeat by
sound money" opponent in Kentucky would
serve to overturn In the LVth Congress the free
| silver coinage majority which has controlled
| the Upper House" almost continuously for the
| last ten years, and thus break tie last hold 4
| the silver propagandists Federal legislation
On the other hand. II both Mr. Harc'n ard Mr.
| blackburn TO be successful, the victory OF
| the former. though important locally as re-
| establishing the shaken credi' Of the free-coin-
| age dogma, would nevertheless be wholly over
| shadowed In the triumphant return to Congress
| Of a Democratic leader who single-handed had
| met and overcome the whole power OF Federal
| influence and Federal patronage. and had VIM
| dicated his own ideas Of financial policy. even
against the authority OF Democratic secre-
| tary Of the Treasury and Democratic Presi-
| cent.
|
In the general chaos in which this falls extraor
dinary canvass has plunged Kentucky politics. IL
| is next to impossible to tell where the nght Tor
| the Governorship ends or where that for the
| senatorship begins The two campaigns have been
| so completely merged that 1t is hopeless 10 try
to disentangle the personal interests In
volved In the one from those involved In the oher
The fight for the senatorship follows. Of course,
| the broad lines OF the party schsm which on the
question OF free silver coinage has split the Demo-
| cratic organizat ton into two hostile camps The
| issue between the two factions Is. II anything
| more sharply defined In the Senatorial contest
| than in that for the Governorship. The rrlends
| of Sound money" who under Mr.. Carlisles lead
ership won an ostensible victory In the Louis
Vile convention and dictated Its now famous plat
FORM find the fruits of their triumph menaced
| bv q Senatorial candidacy even more defiant and
| rebellious than that Of Mr.. Hardin for Governor
An aggressive and courageous advocate OF the Tree
| coinage heresy and an open and vehement as
| saiant of Mr. Clevelands whole financial pro-
! gramme Mr. Blackburn is making his campaign
for reelection the sole issue OF opposition 10
the National Administration and Its policies. and
announcing publicly that his success next winter
| will involve the final overthrow OK the SOUND
| money" influence in local party councils ana
the unouestioned return Of Kentucky to the ranks
| OF Democratic
have a share in Mr. Hardin's canvass. and they
have operated TO soften somewhat the irritation
of the sound money" faction at his high-handed
repudiation of the financial planks OF the LOUIS
Vile platform But no questions Of local prejudice
| or party expediency can obscure the significance
OF the bold and sweeping challenge cast by Mr..
blackburn IN the teeth OF the President and his
sound money" following. On Mr. Blackpurns
part at least the struggle OF the silver lactioh
for supremacy in State politics is one OK LIE ana
death Importance II he is defeated. he does not
expect to receive any quarter from his poiitical
| enemies: nor does he propose 10 ofrer IT, II ne
Is victorious.
The extreme and almost intemperate character
OF Mr. Blackburn's anti-Administranon canvass
uould long ago have destroyed his availability
| for reelection had he not had the ADDRESS 10
| grasp and profit by a lucky opportunity to iden-
,ify his own political fortunes with those OF the
| refractory candidate for Governor MT Black
hurn had the acumen to see that though the mass
| ~ the "sound money" Democrats might not hesl-
tate to oppose free silver candidates for the Legis-
lature. they would scarcely venture TO punish Mr.
Hardin's characterization by throwing the whole
administrative machinery at Frankfort into the
| hands of a Republican Governor. Clevery shell
| ,.r,no his own canvass. therefore. behind Mr..
| Uardin's the fiery advocate OF free coinage has
| endeavored to throw about his own candidacy the
| mantle of party regularity. and to reduce the
sound money" opposition to his own reelection
70 the level of the open Administration bolt which
now threatens the deieat OF tht heao VI '"e Dei"o
| cratic State ticket
; 1.aCKBURN's SUCCESS BOUND UP IN HAIR
DIN'S
Mr. Backburn's denomination and reelection
denend. in fact, entirely on the success OF Mr..