Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-08
BLAckBURN's SUCCESSOR
The Delicate Situation in the Kentucky
Legislature Discussed.
There Will BE a Tie on Joint Ballot
Two Contests in the House
May Affect 1t.

The Kentucky legislature, charged with
the duty of electing a successor to Mr..
Blackburn in the Senate, organized at
Frankfort yesterday, the republicans elect
ing full line of officers in the house and
the democrats doing likewise in the Senate.
Charles Blanford of Breckenridge was elect
ed speaker of the house. Two populists
voted with the republicans. The governors
message is not yet completed and will not
be presented for day or two.
A Delicate Situation.
The situation is one of unusual delicacy
and difficulty The session is limited by
law to sixty days. Balloting for Senator
will not begin for two weeks and hence the
actual time allowance, so far as that mat
ter is concerned, Is less than fifty days. If
no election takes place, vacancy will oc-
cur on the 4th of March, 1897, when Mr..
Blackburns present term expires, and will
continue until a new legislature, to be
chosen in the fall Of that year. shall have
made a selection. The effect, therefore, Of
failure on the part of the present legis-
lsture to elect will be to throw the senator
ship as great prize into the arena two
years hence. That result in certain cir
cumstances would not be unwelcome to the
democrats, and hence the belief that their
program may develop into play for 1t.
90 A Deadlock to Start With.
The present body is composed of sixty
eight democrats, sixty-eight republicans and
two populists. On joint ballot the populists
by standing together would hold the balance
Of power; but one is Of democratic ante
cedents and the other of republican ante
cedents, and each has announced his inten-
ton Of voting with his former party
friends on the question of the senatorship.
Here, then. is deadlock to start with.
Can 1t with safety be broken? There are
two contests in the house, both considered
good by the republicans, ana they are dis
posed to seat their men, But the procedure
IN such cases is different there from what
1t Is IN the national House. The speaker
there does not name the elections commit
tee and give 1t a majority to accord with
the majority of the house. The committee
may have majority opposed to the ma
1ority of the house. 1t is possible, there
fore, for the two republican contests in
question to fall into the hands Of demo-
cratic committee on elections, and IL such
should be the result 1t is plain enough that
report in the cases could be delayed until
the end of the session.
Democrats May Withdraw.
But even If the republicans win in this
lottery they will have to proceed with great
caution. The democrats by withdrawing
from the joint session of the two houses
could at any time break a quorum, and
this they are threatening to do If any ad-
matter of the two house contests. Precisely
what they would consider fair treatment
short OF leaving their two friends undis-
turbed In their seats is not explained.
Will There Be q Caucus:
A problem Of difficulty for the democrats
relates to caucus action. Shall such action
be taken? 1t Is the rule, and the Blackburn
men demand 1t. They assert their ability
easily to control caucus, and insist that
their favorite is entitled to the vote of
every demo cratic member Of the legisla-
ture by reason of the fact. Some of the
sound money democrats seem to concede
this caucus claim of the Blackburn people
by holding out against such action. 1t may
be taken. however, in spite of them, and if
1t is, and they refuse to be bound by it.
the situation will become more complicated
than ever.
No Scandal or Suspicion.
The leaders of both parties in the state
are anxious that whatever is done may not
be tainted in any way with scandal or sus-
picion. There is always danger in close
vote and jealous campaigning. The candi-
dates on both SIDES in the race are very
popular and estimable men, and their
friends are very greatly aroused in their
behalf Senatorial contests in the state
plane, and so little has money been known
in them that when Mr. Carlisle was chosen
to succeed Mr.. Beck he discovered when
he came to leave town that he was without
funds enough to pay his hotel bill.