The times., 1899-07-29
MIXED UP In KENTUCKY.
Blue Grass Politics In m Uncertain
Condition..

Hue Grass Politics In m Uncertain
Condition.
According to the statements of Zach NJ.
Sheriey of Paducah. KY, made yesterday
to reporter for The Times, no man
knows anything definite about the polit-
ical situation in the Blue Grass State at
the present time. l might as well go to a
roulette wheel and take a chance on the
green" said Mr.. sherley, "as to predict
who will be the next Governor of the State.
The probabilities would be about equal in
each case. l am frank enough to admit
that / cannot form an opinion on the stu
alton as it is In Kentucky today l do
not believe there ever were. in any political
campaign so many elements of uncer-
tainty as there are in the fight this year
The whole scene shifts and alters there
every twenty four hours You go to led
thinking one man will win, and wake up
feeling sure he is bound to lose. Those
who are for Goebel today are against MIN
tomorrow, and vice versa. Old, eXperlenceu
politicians all over the State are Just
as much at sea as anyone else. They DO
not know, and will not even guess, VINO Is
going to win. All admit that the whirh-
gig is moving too fast for anyone out
fool to predict what day may bring forth.
There is, however, one fact that may
be stated with certainty continued MT
Sherley. The people of Kentucky VINO
are not in politics as a trade or as pro-
fession are growing very tired and sick ana
disgusted with what they call the rotten
political methods-in use in the State dur
ing the last few years. They do not con-
fine their charge to any particular candi-
date or party. They simply fesl that things
political are all twisted and that it is high
time for the decent. reputable. clean-hand-
ed citizens, irrespective of partisanship. to
assert their power and save the State from
what they believe will be defamation and
shame If corrupt influences continue to
dominate.
Outsiders do rot and cannot realize the
depth and breadth of that feeling. To ap-
preciate 1t fully. one must so to the State.
travel widely, stop off in various sections.
and converse with the people who are not
politicians. II one will do that it will be
found that the honest business man, the
thrifty farmer the professional man--law-
yer. doctor, or clergymau-are thoroughly
out of patience with this periodical wash
ing of dirty linen in public and with all
the malodorous charges and counter
charges made by the different parties and
opposing factions within each party. be-
, lieve the people OF Kentucky are each year
/ becoming less interested in the personal
| element in politics and are concerning
/ themselves more with the question of clean,
! honest, efficient government. l think the
| time is not far distant when that senti-
ment will crystalline in a manner that Will
astonish many politicians of both parties
/ who have been in the habit of trading
! upon the passions and preiudces of Ken
! tuckians. AS the Government belongs to
! the people and is answerable to them. it
/ seems to Kentuckians that they are right
| in insisting with all possible firmness that
| 1t shall be clean, honest. and reputable and
/ that the methods by which nominations
and elections are secured snail be alto
! gether unaIestionable.
! BY that remark l do not mean to refer
! directly or especially to the nominee Of the
| Louisville convention. l intend to include
| all men who come properly within the
scope of this criticism. There is a feeling
! among Kentuckians generally that one
| party is quite as reprehensible in this re-
spect as the other, and that one faction is
quite as culpable as any other faction.
There are so many candidates and each
faction is singing mud SO persistently,
! that the ordinary citizen cannot readily
make Up his mind whom he will vote for.
/ i
respective Of party or persons, but if you
| should ask a hundred Kentuckians picked
at random how they were going to vote in
/ the coming election, ninaty of them would
! candidly admit that they had not made
up their minds. Public sentiment has not
! yte cTystallized, and until 1t does political
predictions cannot be made with any de-
/. gree of accuracy
What effect will the nomination of for
{ hat ole
tion?" was asked.
u cannot TELL" replied Mr.. sharlay.
Governor Brown is an able man. Hia
candidacy might appeal strongly to the in
dependent vote of which l have been
speaking. If the people should be con-
vinced that Governor Browns nomination
has been made with disinterested motive.
and that he represents an honest protest
against certain political methods. he would
probably be o strong factor in the cam
paign.'
IN certain sections and with certain
classes Mr. Goebal is gaining ground. His
fight against the Louisville and Nashyilla
Railroad is gaining him the sympathy and
support Of many voters in Kentucky,
Whether or rot 1t Will be sufficient to off
set apparent losses in other directions l
cannot now determine.
Outsiders should not imagine that all
the dscord is in Democratic ranks. The
Republicans are split up as badly, in some
respects. as we are. The Bradley and Todd
factions are unrelenting in their hostility
to Taylor. and the negro vote cannot this
year be relied upon to support the Repub-
lican candidate. It is a mix-up all around.
In conclusion I wish to say that Ken
lucky is still normally a Democratic State.
The people generally deplore the fesuits
of the present Republican State Admins
tration. They desire to put Kentucky
safely back in the Democratic column
They will surely do so, unless peculiar
local conditions compel them to postpone
that wished-for result until after they
have crushed out certain influences which
are thought to be even more undesirable
that a temporary Republican victory. Nc
man can reasonably predict who Will be
the next Governor. That is a problem
which can be solved only by the changes
and chances which may take place between
nov and election day.