The evening times., 1899-07-14
The Machine in Kentucky.

Above the roar of applause which mark
ed the proceedings of the Kentucky Re-
publican Convention at Lexington yester-
day was plainly heard the sharp click of
the Hanna machine. The ticket and the
platform are among the most perfect
specimens of machine work turned out
during the year
Taylor. the nominee for governor, was
used as a club by Senator Deboe at the
direction of Hanna to bruise the heads of
Governor Bradley and his friends. Indeed,
such complete control did the Administra-
ton forces have of the convention that the
Bradley following were entirely shut out
and were not allowed TO have anything to
do with either the making of the ticket
or the platform. The colored brother, too,
for whom in times of party stress the Re-
publican managers show fearful solicitude,
was denied representation in the convcn-
ton unless he bore the machine mark.
II against this combination of machine
made ticket and platform the Democrats,
under the leadership of Goebel, cannot re-
deem Kentucky this year then it is almost
needless TO hope for that State to
be ever restored reliably to the Demo-
cratic column. In their platform the Tay
Iorites congratulate the Republican party
that existing Federal legislation for the
suppression of harmful trusts, pools, and
combinations is the work of a Republican
Congress, performed in the Administration
of a Republican President" This plank
in the platform is, of course, a joke and,
while its humOr may not be apparent to
every earnest opponent Of the undue ag
gressions of organized wealth, yet every
weIl-informed voter will understand that
if there was any sense in the convention
that platform declaration was uttered
more in a spirit of facetiousness than with
any purpose CT deception.
The rapid multiplication of trusts and
combinations of all kinds under the pres
ent antitrust law shows the ineficiency
of that measure to afford the relief de-
manded. In addition TO this very practi-
cal exhibition of inadequacy Attorney Gen
eraI Griggs. who is a rather robust Repub-
lican, has declared that the Federal au-
thorities are powerless under present en-
actments to curb the Vaccinations of
harmful trusts or to prevent their
formation. So positive is the Presi-
dents legal adviser of the correctness of
frankly declares that the only way trusts
and combinations may be rendered harm
less is through State legislation. 1t can
not be questioned that the Kentucky Re-
publieans are quite as we'll aware of these
things as We are, and therefore the infer
ence is correct that their platform boast
Of the effort of their party to minimize the
harmful operations of trusts through Fed
eral legislation is a bit of grim humor that
is not intended to deceive the wary
OF course, the convention endorsed
without reserve" the Administration OF
! President Mckinley. 1t would be a poo-
| machine, indeed, that would so loosely
operate as 10 have reserves" Up to the
present moment the machine is defending
Alger and Algerism, though a sense o
fairness impels the admission that during
the absence of Hanna in Europe a strone
| disposition is being manifested to get ric
of Alger and to begin the work of deodor.
izing the Administration for the purposes
of next years Presidential campaign. Tht
news of this evidently has not reached
Kentucky or there would have been at leas
one reservation in the endorsement Of
the Administration.
The platform also declares ''our conf.
dence in the policies adopted and the meas
ures taken by the President to restore or.
der and to establish progressive govern.
ment in Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Phil
ippines." Obviously the Kentuekians ar,
unaware of the advice the President hat
! given himself through his Insular Commits
sion In this advice to himself the Presi
dent apologies to the country and to tn,
world for the shortcomings of his coIenia
policy and lays all the blame therefor upoi
| the inadequacy of our laws to meet tn,
situation, implying an intention on his par
/ to throw upon Congress the full respon
sibility of formulating an insular policy
Despite the foolish factienalism with whicl
Mr.. Goebel has to contend in his party
we do not see why the Democracy-whiel
now means, in the broad sense, opposition
to the Administration-should not reclaim
Kentucky this year. The Republican caus,