The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-15
The Kentucky Revolt.

There will De a convention Of protest in
Lexington tomorrow, attended by those
Kentucky Democrats who regard their
partys candidate for Governor IA much
too conservative in his views Of policy, and
much too radical in his methods Of promot-
ing them in convention and on election day
The declared purpose of these Kentucky
Democrats is to denouncr GoEBEL to pro-
test against all that he represents in the
present rutiled politics of Kentucky, and,
reterating their loyalty to the cause of
silver. to put the Hon. JOHN YouNG BROWN
in nomination for Governor endorsing the
nominees of the Louisville convention for
the other State Offices. They are for hon
est elections for free silver, for cleaner
politics, and for WILLIAM J. BRYAN
The true history of the Kentucky revolt,
of which tomorrow y Lexington convcntion
is the formal inauguration is interesting.
According to past party usage in that State
primary elections are determined not with
reference to the identity of the delegates
chosen, but according to the candidates to
whose support these delegates explicitly
pledged. The Democratic primaries, in adj
vance of the June State convention at Louis
willie, were very turbulent In some coun-
ties there Were unsettled contests between
the friends of the three chief aSpirants T.
WAT HARDIN, the unsuccessful Democratic
candidate for Governor in 1898, Mr.
GoEBEL, young Covington lawyer, not
native of Kentucky and regarded as n DO
litical upstart by many old-line Democrats,
and captain STONE n former Congress-
man. soldier and Il favorite among the
former Confcdcratcs who are most numer-
Gus in the section of the State from which
the Captain halls.
Mr.. HARDIN. silvcrito comes from CEN
trial Kentucky; Mr.. GoEBEL from eastern
Kentucky, in which usually the Rcpubli-
cans ara most numerous, and Captain
STONE from western Kentucky. Mr.. HAIR
DINs canvass started with n decided ad-
vantage for under established Democratic
usage in Kentucky he was entitled to
denomination in 1890. In the primaries he
led the polls with tho largest number Of
instructed delegates all delegates in Ken
lucky being practically instructed in adj
vance. To forestall tho nomination Of Mr..
HARDIN and to prevent his friends from
controlling tho organization OF the nomi-
mating convention, the supporters of Coz
BEL and STONE the two minority candi-
dates, entered into a combination. On tho
preliminary vote they chose Judge RED
WINE as permanent chairman hya plurality
OF 20 over the candidate favored hv the
friends Of Mr.. HARDIN. Thereafter they
decided the contests favOrahly to each
other and adversely to HARDIN, excrpt
where contests between STONE and (i6EBEL
existed; these were compromised ami
cahy. Tho three candidates for Governor
were evenly matched in strength. on the
fourteenth ballot this was the vote: STONE,
B77; HARDIN, 367; GoEREr, 357.
IL was AT this point that trick was per-
Hetratci If which GuEBEL was III" iustiga
tor, as his foes charge. and ~ which he was
Afterwards, undoubtedly, the beneficiary.
AG"ehel delegate prop"-"d that on tho
third ballo; succeeding, tho Candidate ST.
curing the lowest number ur votes should
b" dropped from the poll AMI no vut" there
after cast for him snould hr recorded
plan frequently adopted in Congress ron-
T'ntionS IN the West and South. Nuartiun
was then taken, hut later ON, the relative
position Of tho candidate, not being
changed, motion was made that on and
after tho twcnty-iifth ballot the lowest
candidate should bo dropped. This was
adopted by Il vote of 81 to5LN.
ON 'ho twcnty-ruurth ballot it was for the
FIRST time perceived that number of
@"EBELs supporters had been voting for
hroNE; and on the critical and determining