The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1896-03-19
JUDGE BEcErER.
n Correspondent OF a West Virgl7ia Pa.
h 4S.5 per Interviews Him.

Hon. ". NJ. Beckner, who was
nominated and elected ia 1904 to
fill ont the unexpired term Of
Hon. M. g. Lisle ia congress. He
lis q most genial travelling COM
panion, and q gentleman Of varied
experience in state and national
politics, and from an humble po-
sition in boyhood he has attained
most tfattering recognition from
his countrymen. He was born
June 18th, ls41, in Nicholas corin-
ty KY, aud after a short career as
a teacher he located in Winchester,
KY, in January, 1865, and soon
thereafter was made county attor-
ney and later county Judge.
In 1880 he was appointed a
member of prison commission by
Gov. Luke P. Blackburn, and visit
ed all the prisons of the country;
wrote the report of the commission
which was highly eomplimented
by those engaged in prison reform. ;,
All prison legislation in Kentucky
has since been on the lines Of this
report. He was appointed railroad
commissioner in 1882, and served
nearly two years when he resigned,
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 new school law
of 1881; was elected to the
constitutional convention in 1890,
and took leading part in framing
the new constitution of Kentucky;
was elected to the legislature in
1888 without Republican opposi-
ton; was nominated by the Demo-
Gratis in 1894 to fill out the unex-
pired term of M. C. Lisle in con-
gress; was elected over his Repub-
lican opponent bw 1851 majority
served on the committee of cleo
tons; offered the first resolutions
in congress expressing sympathy
with the Armenians, n poor noun
tain people oppressed and perse-.
cuted by the Turks because they
believe in the Christian religion
introduced a bill providing for
equality in the grant of public
school lands for school purposes ;
made q speech on the currency
question in which he favored the
repeal of the tax on state bonds
so as to let!thom issue circulating
notes; advocated the use of both
gold and silver as we'll as paper
currency, all to be on a parity in
value; wrote the report OF the nil
nority opposing a bill introduced /
by Mr.. Mccall, of Massachusetts,
which, If passed, would turn over
to the United States courts the de-
termination Of every contest for a n
seat in congress, 50 far as d preyi-
Gus right is concerned shat 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. Il. Wilson, Dan
Lockwood and Others. Judge
Beckner got his committee, which
had unanimously endorsed this
bill, to reconsider, when it only
got out Of Is members Of the
Committee. This is one Of the
most dangerous and unconstitu-
tionai measures introduced in
years, because the state authori-
ties alone have the right to certify
who was elected and the house to
decide MS to the election and return
Of ito own members.
BY his land grant bill Kentucky
would get certificates for nearly
/ 400, 900 acres, and West Virginia
nearly 900, 900 acres of land. The
states that formed the pnion and
Tennessee, Kentucky, Maine and
West Virginia got no lands for
school purposes. The states adj
mitted to the union from 1903 tor
1850 had $40 acres, or one section
out Of each township, reserved for
schools. All states since 1852 have
had two sections reserved. If KEN
lucky could get this land, and