The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1899-08-25
GREETED BY 5000 AUDITORS
Gen. Taylor Handled the Goe-
bel Bill Without Gloves in
His London Speech.
Sketches From His Speech
are here Given.
THE GoEREL LAW.

newspaper which Is now the chief or
gan ofthe Music Hall convention tick
ct:
THE people may well stand sghast
before the revolutionary election bill
which has, like some dread monster,
suddenly emerged from the Businesses
of passion and error through which
the Legislature has been threading
its tortuous way. II Is safe to say
that the annals Of free government
will be sought In vain for anything
approaching 1t in shameless efirontery
and uncoucealed deformity.
This force bill gives the voters of
Kentucky not a ray OF hope. It makes
no claim or show Of fairness. II
places exclusive in the hands OF three
irresponsible persons to be named by
the authors OF the measure itself the
entire electoral machinery Of the
State. That Is the whole Of Il. In
one word, and at one fell swoop, Ken
lucky is to become the subject Of a
rriumvirate. which Is to decide who
shall hold Office and who shall not
Nomiually, the people are to be per-
mitted still to go through the form OF
elections. They are to be permitted
still to vote. The ballot box is not
actually abolished. But the Trium-
virate is In each and every case to cast
up the returns and determine the re
suit. +"
My friends, the measure has been
publicly and privately discussed and
commented upon in the press; you
have seen it in operation. and are
more or less familiar with its provis
ions. But 1t cannot be discussed too
often, nor at too great length. II you
will bear with me will speak briefly
OF those features which render 1t par
ticularly odious and an absolute men
ace to your most sacred rights.
It creates a State Election Conn mis-
sion composed of three men to be
elected by the Legislature. There is
no provision for a division Of these
commissioners among the political
parties. This board not only appoints
and removes county boards at pleas
ure, but sits as a court OF contest.
No provision is made for a division
of the members OF the county boards
between the parties. The people are
not to be consulted as to who shall
hold those county offices. The State
Board can arbitrarily act upon all
questions and its decisions are final
1t can remove county boards without
cause, and there is no redress The
county board appoints the officers OF
elections, and while they are required |
by the new, as in the old, law, to di-
vide the election officers between the
parties, they are left at liberty to de-
termine for themselves who are Re-
publicans and who are Democrats. II
the county board be Democratic. 1t |
has the power under the law to select
as Republican election officers any
man whom the members Of that board
are pleased to call Republicans, no
matter if they be openly defying their
party organisation. Neither the Re.
publican organization nor Its candi>
dates could prevent the perpetration
of this outrage. Incompetent and
unreliable Republicans can be ap>
pointed In ever precinct. The Shers
if. who Is the umpire between two
judges (the clerk having no voice..
may in every voting precinct be
Democrat, or belong to the party
having control Of the election ma.
chinery. The county board may
without cause, at'any time. remove
any election officer, even on the day
Of election. Aud am told that such
a thing did occur in Kenton county at
the last election.
INIQUITIEs OF THE LAW.
When law fails TO provide against
inequalities aud wrong, 1t is equiva>
lent to a direction to do wrong. To
make possible is to license. To place
the power to Cypress In the hands OF
any particular class OF men Is an abs
solute guarantee that wrong and op
preston will follow. Under this law
the Legislature may create State
machine;Ithis machine may In turn
create a county machine: the county
machine may create a precinct mas
chine, which may, with IMMUNITY
rape the ballot-box and overthrow
the will OF the people. The possibil-
titles for evil OF this law have been II.
Illustrated 10 its practical operations.
, The Legislature Of 1893 was over
whelmingly Democratic. It elected
three State Commissioners. everyone
OF whom was and is now a DEM
oerat, and a personal PARTISAN
Of the author OF the measure. Thus
In It's very incipiency we find a per-
version OF justice and equality. Where
Is ever semblanee Of justice In the
act placing in the hands OF the parti
san friends Of one party and one man
The supreme control OF the election
Of the entire Slater This
board thus deliberately packed, FIRST
selected a secretiry belonging to the