The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1896-03-10
FOR CONGRESSIONAL HONORs.
In the Tenth District Of Ken
lucky.
HIS CAREER AS A PUBLIC MAN.

gentleman who wants TO represent
this district in Congress after March
next:
"In travelling to Pikeville, KY, this
week we were thrown with the Hon.
w, M. Beckner, who was nominated
and elected in 1894 to fill out the I'M
expired term of Hon. NJ. c.. Lisle in
Congress. He is most genial travel
ing companion, and gentleman of
varied experience in State and nation
al politics and from an humble posi-
ton in boyhood he has attained most
fattering recognition from his
countrymen. He was born June 18th,
lS4l, in Nicholas county, KY, and
after a short career as a telcher he To-
Gated in Winchester, Ky, in January,
1865, and soon there after was made
county attorney and later county
Judge.
In 1880 he was appointed member
of Prison Commission by Gov. Luke
p. Blackburn, and visited all the pri-
sons of the country wrote the report
of the commission which was highly
complimented by those engaged in
prison reform. All prison legislation
in Kentucky has since been on the
lines OF this report. lie was appointed
railroad commissioner in 1882, and
served nearly two years when he re-
signed, although he had two more
years of service before him in an office
worth $4,000 per year, with little to do
He began the agitation of the school
question in Kentucky twenty-five
years ago; organized meetings and
conventions urged the passage of the
school law of 1884; was elected to
the constitutional convention in 1890,
and took leading part in the framing
the new constitution of Kentucky :;
was elected to the legislature in 1893
without Republican opposition; was
nominated by the Democrats in 1894
to fill out the unexpired term of M. G.
Lisle in Congress was elected over
his Republican opponent by 1921
majority ; served on the committee of
offered the first resolutions
in Congress expressing sympathy with
the Armenians, poor mountain peo-
pie, oppressed and prosecuted by the
Turks because they believe in the
Christian religion introduced a bill
for equality in the grant of
public school lands for school purpo-
SEES; made speech on the currency
question in which he favored the re-
peal OF the tax on state bonds so as to
let them issne circulating notes advO
Gated the use of both gold and silver
as well as paper currency, all to be on
A parity in value; wrote the report of
the minority opposing bill intro
iuced by Mr.. Mccall, of Massachu-
sets, which, ifpassed, would turn over
TO the United States courts the deter
nination OF every contest for seat in
Congress, so far as a previous right is
,onserned-that is, as to who should
sit until the proof is taken and the
contest finally decided.
Judge Beckner's report on this was
highly complimented by men like
VIM. l.. Wilson, Dan Lockwood and
others. Judge Beckner got his com
nlttee, which had unanimously endor-
,ed this bill, to reconsider, when it
,nly got 7 out of 10 members of the
This is one of the most
dangerous and unconstitutional meas
Tres introduced in years, because the
State authorities alone have the right
o certify who was elected and the
House to decide as to the election and
'eturn of its own members.
BY his land grant bill Kentucky
would get certificates for nearly l,400
100 acres, and West Virginia nearly
100000 acres of land. The States
hat formed the Union and Tennessee,
Kentucky, Maine and West Virginia
got no lands for school purposes. The
States admitted 10 the Union from
1903 to 1850 had GAO acres, or one Sec
ion out of each township, reserved
or schools. All States since 1852
lad two sections reserved. If Ken
ucky could get this land, and manage
t well, it would greatly increase her
chool fund and lengthen her
chool term in each district.
Judge Beckner has always advp-
ated whatever would be of most ben