The morning times., 1896-01-22
HUNTERS RI RlIIs1|'T0 ? POWER
Coming Blue Grass Senator Laid
Shrewd Plans.
ONCE A COUNTRY DOCTOR
He Scented Republican Success n Ken
lucky Long Before His Colleagues
Dreamed of Such u Thing-Emer9ed
From Country Village a Dozen
Years Ago and Rose Rapidly.


stances leading up TO his election is likely
to come here from Kentucky TO succeed
Senator Blackburn.
1t is now almost foregone that the genial
and dressy senior Senator from the heart
of the bluegrass will not succeed himself
His views on silver have won him the unal
terable opposition OF several members of
the Kentucky legislature, who. both by
conviction and by interest, are bound to
oppose him to the end.
1t is very doubtful if lie Gould win even
If the Democrats had maintained at the
titc election something like their old. time
supremacy in the State.
Mr.. Rozelie Weissinger, who represents
a Louisville district, is one of the keenest
lawyers of the Falls City, is brother of
one OF tie wealtbest manufacturers there
and is closely bound up with the ,banking
corporate and money interests OF the great
manufacturing and commercial center.
He holds views in regard to The use OF
silver as money which would give President
Cleveland the cbis, and he announced
long before he was elected that he would
never vote for Senator Blackburn.
But the principal reason why Senator
Blackburn will not come back to Wash
ington after March 4, 1897. is that the
Kentucky legislature is pretty safely in
the hands of the Republicans. They can
control far enough 10 seat one or two
men of their own party in contested cases.
and then they will have things their own
way. For the present they are content to
run things with the aid OF Fopulist ap-
peDdage.
They have named their candidate in the
person of Hon. W. Godfrey Hunter. the
present Representative in the House for
the Third district. succeeding Hon. Her
schel Goodnight. He comes from Burkes-
vile. little river town In the foothills OF
the Cumberland Mountains. Its population
Is less than 500. 1t has a money order
postoffice and an express office, because
it is The county seat; but it has neither
railway, telegraph nor telephone cOnnec-
tion. q
The navigation of the, upper, Cumberland
is so uncertain that the little steamer that
plies that way cannot be depended on for
passage to and from the villa Ce with more
certainty than the coming of rise in the
river and the main dependence for get
ting in and out is the stage coach.
So with going back 70 Henry Clay poll
tics for her Senator, Kentucky will also |
go back to Clay's manner OF travel for
him. He is the physician of the place-a |
country doctor. & -Diz;
DR.. Hunters advent iis,o Kentucky poll |
tics as prominent ffgfrci dates back a |
dozen years, when he emerged from his |
country practice by series OF accidents |
over which be had no control, but which |
he had the good sense to take advantage Of. !
1t was soon after the Courier-Journal |
had succeeded in forcing upon the State for |
a $4,000 position Tom Henry. a big |
hearted. genial. ignorant mountain rowdy, |
who came down 10 Louisville soon after |
the nomination and made a disgusting |
drunken exhibition of himself on the prin-
cipal business street. in front of one of |
the leading hotels. The reporter of the |
principal Republican daily was at hand and |
gave a graphic and revolving description
of the see ne that night.
It went over the State like wildfire. Even
some Democratic country weeklles pub
lished the story and withdrew their support.
Bat the office was clerk of the court of
appeals and its fees actually rolled up
$50. 900 year. 1t could be run hy depu-
ties. and this fact was used effectively
In the campaign. In spite of all obstacles.
Henry was elected. defeating Hon. r. T.
Jacob. a high-rninded, patriotic Union sol
der.
After his election Henry was pensioned
Oh part OF the salary. while two other
men did his work. One of them. Mr..
Sam Gaines. is now chief of the mail di-
vision in the Treasury.
With this before him as ammunition for
his campaign. DR.. Hunter went Into the
race for Congress- Just at the time. too.
there was very bitter feud among the DEM
ocrats In the district over the clasbing am
bitions of Hon. John Halsell, then repre-
senting the district, and John S. Rhea, a
prominent attorney of -RusseIlville, and
one of the most brilliant stump speakers
In the State. a.rst- - -..--.a...l
In the Democratic primary for the nomi
nation there was such fight and such un- :
of result and charges of unfair
ness that it was decided to declare neither
and hold a new primary, In
this Judge Halsell held it was the agree
nent that both the old candidates keep out.
and leave an open field to new man.
But Mr.. Rhea was again candidate and was
nominated. In the election enough of
Mr.. Halsell's friends refused to vote to
secure DR.. Hunters election. .s.f .t...,...,
DR.. Hunter served one term, and then was
showed under to he almost forgotten
But when Republican hopes began to re-
rive, and when the convention was held to
1Ohiuott q aACPltStntdtfNt HUN tiiC ulStttCb 1
lie easily secured it. There was again divis-
on among the Democrats OF the district
'ver local issues as well as over silver.
lie said from the beginning that he had a
,hance to win. And he won.
But the funny thing about 1T was the '
fleet or result of one of those none {
ary inspirations which come to all men J
While Hon. Walter Evans,
x-commissioner Of internal revenue, had I
lis head down stirring the,long grass and s
ooking for gold bugs and glory at Louis
lille; while brilliant John Yerkes, head
Il the Democratic State committee. was
laboriDg at Lexington for the /
winning OF the stake. and putting forth all c
lis energy and acuteness directing the i
novementsof candidates, while Hon. Billy ]
}. Bradley was roaring Republicanism. +,
ound money, and State reform from the t
'reaks of Sandy to the big hill at Column /
us. i. e., from one end of the State to /
mother, vision from the unseen world '
anne to DR.. Hunters morning dreams at t
'urkesville one summer day. Ia
For moment the veil lifted before his '
yes; he became seer. He beheld that to t
'hich all the others were blinded by the n
lid zeal and enthusiasm with which they :,
'ere fighting local battles. He saw Re- v
ublicanfsm sweep the State. Even the 1
gislature was Republican,, and back of
loomed the United States Senate.
In 1t he presently saw himself gather
lg his papers one day in 1897 when his !,
,rm was nearing its close, and Kentucky
,ady to sink back into the blackness of p
emocratic night. He was preparing for C
little walk, but not to the train for n
entucky and BurkesviIle. 1t was merely b
, be from the south end to the north end e
the Capitol, there to take the seat hon. a
ed by Clay and Beck and Blackburn; to .
ask in the golden opportunity OF Sena- v