The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-04-28
Whars the Matter WITH kentucky?


What's the matter with Kentucky! II
you pick up the Louisville papers you
will ind all of them cutting each other S
throats and labelling one another IN
crate" idiot" traitor and all the
rest of IL. Our old friend. Uncle Hank
Watterson says go to- "esad ana
marry now" i'm order 10 bring back the
halvcon days but the boys won't nave j.
In fact. the Youngsters receive him Win
cat calls. and tell him 10 cut II or
come off" or smoke up or he'll 20
ont" There was "a time when the Ken
tucly gentleman had the call, when Ken
lucky editors were courteous. tAous n
they were taking one another's life; and
even when an editor met Breathitt
county desperate whom he had denounc-
ed in his paper. the denouncer ana the
denounced were never too wrathy 10 lore
go the Measure Of a fraternal visit 10 the
bar. OF those happy. golden days the poet
truly sang:
Kentucky, O Kentucky,
love your classic shades,
Where fit the fairy figures
OF dark-eyed Southern maids,
Where the hooking birds are singing
Mid the flowers newly born
Where the corn IS full Of Kernels
And the Colonies fun Of corn.
II was of this Kentucky that the Hon.
T. w Brown, of Memphis, spoke when ne
delivered that famous eulogy IN the King
case on the land OF corn juice ana swirl
colts. But alas, change has come over
the spirit of Kentucky dreams. John q.
Carlisle. once the idol of the Kentucky
Democracy. has been driven from the
state. The voice OF the eloquent Breck-
inridge. through grave fault Of his own,
II must be said. is 10 longer heard. There
are no Marshalis in the State now TO
charm the people with the music Of their
eloquence. Senator Lindsay. hOnored as
few men have been In his state, Is now
unpopular and approaches the end ~ his
political career: and Henry Watterson
has about as much influence over the PEG
nile a. the Witch Of EndOr. Nor Is tnis
all. There WAS a time when j. Skeezics
Come-Aeain Blackburn and !. Natyou
CaIrem Hardin were as David and Jona-
than. or Damon and Pythias. shoulder
10 shoulder they fought for the cause OF
Democracy but now they fight no more
for one another indeed. they are boln
afflicted with a defective vision wheh
they pass by. Joseph wants 10 be sell
ator and Wat would like 10 be Governor
but the tin horns arc not all dead. ana
they must De c0nciliatei. Great and lofty
minds like Goebel and Bronston. Hez
Lung and Potsey Grubbs must be taken
into consideration: and 50 Joseph Is l
ing IN the most hirtatious manner ana
Wat has that same uncertain training
which exists in the barnyard when the
fowls are all waiting for hen 70 come
of the nest and tell them whether 1t was
an egg or not So acute Is the situation
that the Kentuckians can't even pull OFF
a race for justice Of the peace without
the chance Of riot
And our old favorite. the Star-Eyed
Goddess Of Reform. has been misplaced.
and the mackerels are singing ribald
songs about her No doubt it is OF her
that they are chanting in the starry
night:
She was bred in old Kentucky.
She Is pie in New Orleans.
In Memphis she's a biscuit.
In Boston she is beans.
Yes. yes: the times are out OF Joint,
and the old Blue Grass State is going 20
seed The small fry and the mudlarks
are on top. and the men Of brain and
snve-v tongues ard golden pens have been
cashfered -Narnnhis Commercials Appeal.