Evening star., 1895-06-07
Kentucky's Republican Gubernator-
ial Candidate Hopes to Break It.
BLUE GRASS DEMOCRATS CONCERNED
The Silver Fight Has Caused Fac
tionaI Bitterness.
MR.. BRADLEY'S STRENGTH

There is a republican opportunity in Ken
lucky that is causing a great deal of con-
cern to the democrats of that state. 1t is
the possibility of fusion between sound
money DEMOCRATS and the republicans If a
free silver democrat is nominated to run
for the governorship.
The convention that has just named
William O.. Bradley to be the standard
bearer of the republicans of Kentucky de-
clared in favor of the financial platform Of
the republican party of 1892. The republi-'
cans of Kentucky are strongly in favor of
sound money, and their nominee is re-
garded there as being as positively op-
posed to the free coinage of silver at 16 to
1 as Is ex-Gov. Buckner, now a candidate
for the senatorship.
Brndlcy'x Plan of Campaign.
If Senator Blackburn is to be renominated
there Is strong possibility that man
will be chosen for the governorship reflect
ing his sentiments on the democratic side.
Mr.. Bradley is a mixer. He is man of
such cordial and genial disposition as to
attract among his followers many people
who do not agree with him in politics.
During the war he was strong Union
man. though a native of kentucky. and in
the last national convention welded an
important influence in throwing the votes
of the southern delegates TO Mr.. Harrison.
His work In this connection was recognized
by Mr.. Harrison, and throughout the lat
ter's administration Kentucky appoint
ments were dictated more largely by Mr..
Bradley than by any other man.
Mr.. Bradleys friends look upon him as
harboring an ambition for a place on the
national ticket of the republican party.
and they say that his work for Mr. Har-
rison in 1892 and his subsequent friendly
relations with the eX-President may bring
about his nomination as Vice President.
Mr.. Eikins is also regarded as being am
III t,1r ~
ticket, and he. of course, would stand a
better show for preferment. SD far as Mr..
Harrison's influence Is concerned. than
would MIR. Bradley. But Mr.. Bradley has
III view campaign which he hopes will
break the solid south, and if he accom-
plishes that he will go TO the convention
with prestige that. will stand him in
good stead.
A Lesson Taught.
When H. Clay Evans came SO near being
governor of Tennessee the republicans OF
that state recognized that they had not
realized and grasped their opportunity.
They had no idea that their chance for
carrying the state was so good as it proved
to be. and they failed In party organization
and in the Vigor of their campaign, because
of this fact. Although Mr. Evans and his
party friends claim that he was really
elected governor of Tennessee, they were
all very candid, in private conversation at
least. In acknowledging that II they had
large VOTE they might have placed him
in the gubernatorial chair by a large ma
jcrity through well-equipped party organ
ization. and by a more vigorous campaign.
The fate of Mr. Evans Is now teaching a
most important lesson to the republican
nominee for the governorship of Kentucky
Mr.. Bradley is an excellent organizer, and
even the democrats acknowledge that as a
manipulation of party machine Mr.. Brad
ley has no superior In Kentucky. The
nominee for the governorship has already
begun. work to effect a splendid party or-
ganization, and the result that was
achieved in Tennessee last year by the 70
publicans, with Mr.. Evans at their head is
acting as powerful incentive to the re-
publicans of the blue grass state.
Intense FactionnI Bitterness.
The silver fight in Kentucky has already
caused such intense bitterness among the
factions of the democratic party of the
state as to make 1t seem almost impossible
to bring about party harmony in time for
the next election. In that state the silver
question has wiped out all other issues
Even intense democrats are saying that
republican victory in 1896 will not be es-
pecially harmful to the democracy of the
state. This sentiment is being expressed
by sound money men, who are claiming
that in advocating the free coinage of sill
yer the democracy Is leaving its old moor
ings on the financial question. They say
that a republican victory in 1896 would not
necessarily mean continuance of repub-
ucanS in power Tor they look forward to
dying out of the silver sentiment and to
the time when the democratic party of
their state will return to sound money prin-
ciples.
These men are earnestly working for the
nomination of a sound money Senator and
a sound money governor. But if they fail
the feeling that is now shown among them
indie ates that it Is altogether a possibility
that they may kick aside party traces and
vote for a sound money man, even though
he may be found in the republican ranks.
A number of leading democratic papers of
Kentucky have already spoken in exceed
iDgly friendly terms of Mr.. Bradley.
Whereas H. Clay Evans incurred hitter
enmty by voting for the force bill. Mr..
Bradley is not regarded in the same light
by the people of his state, although his
record during the war was that of a Union
man.