New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-21
THE FIFTY-NXTH CONGRESS-
REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATION FROM
KENTUCKY LIKELY TO BE REDUCED.
ONLY ONE DISTRICT SURE. WITH CHANCES OF
SUCCESS IN FOUR OTHERS
f.Y TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE1

| fBY TELEGRAPH THE TRrBUNE1
| Louisville, oct. Notwithstanding the
strides Republicanism has made in Kentucky
| in the last four years, the State Is still. under
normal conditions, Democratic, and will con-
tinue TO be so for some time to come. Three
years ago. 1t is true. Republican Governor
was elected-the first in the States history
| and a Legislature was chosen which, after
MANY struggles installed a Republican United
States Senator in the seat so long held by James
b Beck and his lieutenant and successor In
| Democratic leadership, J. c. s. Blackburn. In
| 1896, moreover, twelve OF the States thirteen
| electoral votes were given to a Republican can
+ didate for the Presidency. These party sue.
cesses. though striking have proved more or
less illusory: the causes. largely accidental and
TEMPORARY. which produced them. have prac-
| tically ceased to operate.
| The Republican victories OF 1895 and 1890
| were due directly to the revolt OF the sound
money element in the Democratic party against
| the demand for free silver coinage embodied In
| the candidates. Of =. Wat Hardin for Governor
| and William ]. Bryan for President. In no other
| State was the fight within the Democratic party
against the free-siver heresy made with greater
bitterness or determination. Enlisting here the
sympathy OF all the more conspicuous Demo-
cratic leaders. It assumed for A time the aspect
| Of a genuine party revolution Most OF It's
strength was the surface. however. and Il
was a movement from the top. not from the
depths of the Democratic organization. 1t had
| force enough to defeat Hardin in lS93 and 10
save the State for Mckinley in 1896 by the
narrow plurality Of 2S1 But last year though
its candidate for the only State office TO be filled
received nearly twice many votes as were
| given to General Palmer for the Presidency the
Sound Money Democracy had the chagrn OK
seeing a free-sver nominee carry the state by
a plurality Of nearly lS,OOO. After TWO years
| of effort the sound-money leaders had been abba
10 poll Just 943S votes, and, disgusted Win
,bo,r failure 70 make q more decided impression
on Democratic sentiment. most OF them mast
| ened 70 cut loose from further association with
a hopelessly losing cause. Following the lead
of The Courier Journal" which is now actively
supporting the regular Democratic candidate
for Congress in this district they are quietly
endeavoring to regain their lost status In the
party. trusting to the future to develop other
Issues on which they may again recover power
and leadership. OF the 9,i3S votes cast last
wear by the Sound Money Democracy. probably
th,c,-f ourths will go this fall 10 the regular
Democratic candidates for Congress, making
still harder the uphill campaign which changed
conditions have now thrust upon the Repub-
|
| ncans.
THE REPUBLICAN MINORITY PARTY.
How promising this campaign is can be seen
| by glancing at the election figures or the last
three wears. Despite its recent substantial VIC
tories. the Republican party has RENAMED
through them a minority. In 1Ss5 when Will
lam O. Bradley was chosen Governor, his vote
was ,7o 1876 against 1G3 52i FOR p Wat Hardin.
| pettt pOlled 1911
votes leaving the Republican strength, as COM
| pared with the free-slver strength. in an actual
minority of 1880. Again in lN.b, although Ma
for McKinley's vote rose to 2lSlI1 the total
| for Colonel Bryan. through fusion with the
| Populists and enormous and unexpected gains
In Western Kentucky, was increased TO 2liss0
and over 5000 votes were cast for General
Palmer the god-standard Democratic nominee
| Last year the Republican shortage was even
more pronounced. the regular Democratic candi-
| date for Clerk Of the Court of Appeals winning
by Il .SO4, in spite of the fact that I,2'i votes
were cast for a Populist nominee and 9'o62 FOR
| a Gold Democrat
The shrinkage in strength shown in last years
vote in view Of the collapse Of the Democratic
sound-money movement, in itself is no reflection
| on Republican energy or management Tins
State Yet IL cannot be said that the Republi-
| can leaders have ever fully risen TO the oppor-
| tunities offered them through the Democratic
rupture and defeats Of 1895 and 1870 That
| conciliatory end broad minded policy which IN
| States like Maryland and West Virginia has SO
| greatly strengthened the Republican party IN
| the confidence and respect Of the public mas
| unhappily not been put in practice mere. No
sooner had the present Governor been installed
IN office than he began a campaign to secure
nfa1 IN
him for the Republican Presidential nomination
| "A camraign which led TO divisions In the party
and resulted in the election of contesting dele
gates in several districts. In this city bitter
fight was precipitated between the friends OF
tho Governor and those Of Mayor Todd, VINO
onnosed the contemplated instructions The
| Todd delegates were finally seated at 81. LOUIS,
and much personal and partisan bitterness
which might have been avoided, was engen-
dered No sooner too. had the Legislature met
! than a long and heated struggle was begun tor
| the Senatorship, and the session limit was
reached without an election having been maze.
| The Republican caucus nominee was lot.eu "
| withdraw in despair, ana IL was not uii'' -
an extra session had been called ana aiiioS'
| finished It's work that the Republican loI'eS
were able To agree on nominee Tor S eia'U.'
| The animosites of 1s96 were carried ana,
entity into last years election. and Mayor lolu'
who was beaten for reelection here, has p.eh
charging ever since that his downfall was aus
10 factional enmities within the party. ms
year his supporters have made open war on u'e
| Republican nominee for Congress, ana put an
independent Republican candidate in the heIi'
| Last fall from all causes combined. the Repuo-
| Ncan loss in votes in this county. compared WIN
| 1886 was something like 1900. and only eSs
striking losses were incurred in other towns
| and cities The single State office at stake thei
| was of little consequence; but in the SthcI"
| reaction a Legislature overw hclmingly peiho-
| cratic was chosen. 10 whose extreme partiseu
| ship the Commonwealth owes the DANGEROUS
| and oppressive Gocbel Election law -.
This law breathes the spirit and purposes u
| nnn Il he NlOlonf lnN uIl-