Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-10
The Congressional Situation in the
State Summed Up by Districts.
DISAFPECfIoN Is WIDESPREAD
Republicans Have Fighting Chances
nSeveraI Democratic Strongho|ds.
DELEGATION MAY BE 8 TO 8

1
LOUISVILLE. KY, August s. 1896
| There will be high old times in Kentucky
| during the coming three months and there
will be more politics to the square inch
! than was ever seen before. The attitude
Of the "old line democrats, as the boilers
! from the Chicago ticket and platform
choose to call themselves, has put nearly
| every district in the state In doubt, and
the complexion of the next delegation in
| Congress may be of a saffron hue. In the
first district. the old Gibraltar Of democ-
racy. John W. Hendrick Is opposed by
| Charles X. Wheeler, rab.d free silver
| man. ard W. 7. George. another free silver
| man. Hendrick has the best of the situa-
| ton as to the nomination, but has been a
little shaky on the financial question, and
| Bill Reed Of Marion may slip in and get
| the nomination. If he does the free silver
! faction will cut his throat with as little
conjunction they would skin a coon.
| Hendrick. II nominated. will have difficulty
in carrying the district from the same
source. and from all appearances it is a
muchly muddled situation.
In the second district DR.. Clardy. the
farmer statesman. who once ran for gov
ernor OF Kentucky as the wheeler nom
| inee, but who got back into the party and
was sent to Congress from the second dis
! trict defeating Lige Sebree has again won
the democratic nomination over Lawrence
r. Tanner. In the precinct meetings there
was absolutely no interest taken, and In
two precincts only six voters took part
| Dr. Clardy will not have very smooth sail
Ing. as the gold democrats met this
| week at Hopkinsville and put on foot a
| who will split Clardy's strength and per-
NIT sound money republican, E. T.
Franks of Owensboro, to win. Clardy,
while In Washington last winter. gave out
n forv he
question. which have ''Queered" him with
| both sides of the party in the second, and
he. like Hendrick. may have a hard row to
hoe.
The "BIOody Third"
The third, the "bloody third" as 1t is
| called. will have monkey and parrot time
| w. Godfrey Hunter has been unanimously
| nominated by the republicans: John s.
Rhea. the noted free silver orator, who
| placed Blackburn In nominate at the
Chicago convention, will be declared the
democratic nominee on the 18TH and Gen
=. w. Hobson, an anti-Hunter republican,
| mas been put out By the Bradley faction Of
the republicans. in order to weaken Hunter
| Hobson Is a fine fellow; was the youngest
general In the civil war: very popular with
all factions, and IS a sound money candi-
date, who may catch many republican
voters. who are not absolutely positive of
Or. Hunters position on the money uues-
| ton. Indications. however. point to the
election Of the gum-shoe statesman, who
has only gone down once in defeat in his
| district. when Congressman l. H. Goodnight
was elected.
In the fourth district Mr.. John w. Lewis
| VIII have dozen little whipper-snappers
! at his heels, but he will be returned with
ease. Dave r. Murray, j. s. Workman
Dave Smith. E. H. Smith and others would
IKE the democratic nomination. but "Bnr'
| Sweeney. the big free silverite from WASH
ington county, will probably get it.
Lead Pipe Cinch.
Walter Evans has lead pipe cinch," as
the sportiveiy inclined gentry would say, as
| a sure winner in the fifth. He has as vet
had no opposition from the democratic
party and won the republican nomination
| without an effort. The sound money demo-
Gratis al! realize that Louisville will surely
return MIR. Evans. and none OF them have
| had the temerity to announce for the
democratic nomination. Col. Thos H. Sher-
ley, ex-national committeeman from Ken
| lucky. felt the bee buzzing in his SOM
hrero for few weeks, but developments
| that came fast and furious clearly showed
Uncle Tommy" that there was no chance
for him, and he has publicly declared he is
mot in it, The free silver men are urging
| ex-Gov. John Young Brown to enter the
race, but he will not do so. A. j. Carroll,
John H. Brand. Col. I. B. Nall. ]. w. 8.
| Shackleford Miller. Capt. John H. Weller
and Col. J. B. Gathright have all been
| urged to enter the race for the nomina ton,
but they have all positively refused. and 1t
really seems that Mr. Evans will have only
straw man to shoot at.
AL. Berry, the tall sycamore Of the Lick
ing, having fepped over to the free silver
ties in the sixth. has lost his only hope of
return to Congress Mr. Berry is slated,
and silver man, Of longer service in the
silver army. is to carry the banner Of the
white metallists. 1t may be that Richard
P. Ernst of Covington will win, as the
sound element in Nawn0rf CIV
ington will fight Berry. Berry carried every
county in his district in the last election
and won by 1000 votes. but 1t Is thought
there are fully 5000 disaffected gold men in
the district who may throw their support
| to Ernst.
breckenridge Again to the Front.
The seventh. the old Ashland, is. as
I usual, in the throes of hot political fight.
Colonel William G. P. Breckenridge Is
again to the front In public life, and will
be leader Of the sound money men in his
district. while in the silver wing of the
party there are five others fighting for
the honor Of the nomination-W. C. Owens
present Congressman; John D: Carroll. E.
| E. Settle. Editor John o. Hodges and
Charles ]. Bronston. The gentlemen all
want the democratic nomination. and Mr.
Breckenridge is the ouly one who refuses
to stand on the Chicago platform, and un-
less four Of the free silverites withdraw
and concentrate on one man Mr.. Breck-
inridge will be the nominee. There is al
ready much bitterness manifested over the
organization of the local committees, In
which the white-haired silver-tongued ora
tor had little the best OF it. George
Denny. who contested Mr.. Owens cleo
ton, will undoubtedly again be the repub-
lican nominee.
John B. Thompson, twin brother to ex-
Cor gresham Little Phil. Thompson, who
now resides in Washington, has all the
best of the race for the democratic nom
tnation in the eighth. his only opponent
for the nomination being Representative
Pryor ]. Force of Shelby county Mr.
Thompson Is free silver advocate and
Force for sound money, and as the whole
machinery Of the district has been re-
organized with free silver men Thompson
will be nominated with a whoop, but know
ing ones say he cannot win. The repub-
leans have put up comparatively un-
known in the person of George NJ David
son of Lincoln, and It will not be surpris-
ing to see him carry the district, which
only gave McCreary 1,75O majority at the
last election.
The ninth Is yet in a state of uncertain
ty. with several candidates for the nom
nation and none having a decided lead
Trouble to Come.
In the tenth there Is trouble to come
Jud1e Puckncr NJ