Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1899-08-18

Hot. Godfrey ~. Hunter turnsd ou
the largest Republican majority tn
county ever gave,
There ia nothing better known shal
| the fact that in 1896 no definite knowl
edge could be had as to what was th
1 Republican majority In the Eleventh
| congressional district for week afte
the election. The reports as to wha
that majority was were changed ever,
day, and the Republican majority grew
| with every change. 1t Is reasonabl,
certain that If the returns. OF the cleo
tion in 1896 from the other parts o.
| the state had not yet reached Frank
fort the returns from the Eleventh
congressional district would still bs
held back. In 1896, in the Eleventh
congressional district, the requirement
of the law that the election officers
should be divided among the political
parties contesting in the election was
wholly disregarded. The records oi
the Bell county court show this re-
markable fact concerning the election
of 1896 One of the precinct election
officers appointed by The county judge
of the town of Middlesboro was Hon.
Daniel G. CoIson, then the Republican
member of congress FOR that district
and candidate for reelection in that
election. Is 1t any wonder that ma
jority of 16, 900 was turned out for Me-
Kinley in that district? The wonder
Is that the majority was not $4,000.
A Remedy.
"In only one way could indefinite
repetition of these frauds be prevent
ed. That way was by changing the
appointing power so as to render 1t
certain that at every voting precinct
In the commonwealth the Democratic
party would be represented by two
real Democrats, as well as the Repub-
lican party by two Republicans; and
this the new law does. [Appiause.l
Many Misrepresentation were ut
tered and published about tfiis new
law. 1t was asserted that no penalty
for offenses committed by election of
ficers was provided by the new law,
and consequently there was no law
providing punishment for such Of.
fenses. But in the suit to test the val
idity of the law the appellate court ad-
Judged, as the advocates of the law
had contended, that the penalties pro-
vided by the original secret ballot cleo
ton law remained in force and, were
to every wrong done after
the enactment Of the new law. Tt was
claimed that because the new stat
ute did not provide for appeals to- the
courts from decisions Of election con-
test boards in election contests, there
fore that right was destroyed. But the
court OF appeals decided, as the DEM
ocrats contended, that the right of ap-
peal to the courts remained unaffected
In every case In which there was such
right before the new law was enacted.
.'The Republican platform declares
that the law commits broad power to
commissioners not cho-
sen by or accountable to the people
Tor their acts. To whom is county
Judge in any of the mountain counties
having large Republican majorities re-
sponsible? And what would such a
udgR care for criticism because he had
lot, in appointing election officers, di-
vided them among the old political
parties? Under the. old law the action
If the county judge in appointing elec-
ion officers could not be reviewed, nor
could he be removed from Office nor be
n any wise punished for disregarding
he law governing the appointment of
election officers. There can scarcely be
imagined a more irresponsible power
than that conferred by the old law
upon the county Judge.
"Rut the new law empowers the
state commissioners to remove from
,ffice at any time any county commits
sioner, so that whenever any county
violates the law there
s an immediate remedy by bringing
he matter to the attention of the state
board.
ct was said this law was without
,reeedent, but in Ohio the Republican
,arty has for years had in operation q
aw which vests in one man, the secre- |
arY of state, the power to appoint |
ounty election commissioners for all |
counties in the state save those con- |
aiming the large Republican cities,
nd in those excepted counties, which |
Usually go Republican even when the |
tate goes Democratic, the power to ap- |
,oint the election commissioners is |
-ested in the mayors. The Republican |
,ress of Ohio, of course, continues to |
Ienounce the infamous Kentucky |
lection law
''In Virginia. the home of Jeffer-. |
on, the father of the Democratic par
Y, the general assembly at every ses--
ion, by joint resolution, appoints a |
oard of three. election commissioners |
or every county in the commonwealth, |
vho in turn appoint the registration |
nd election officers Mahoneism has |
iven the people of Virginia a proper |
ppreciation of the Importance Of this |
ubject, and they have therefore placed |
upon the same plane with the high |
st function of government-the exer- |
ise of the sovereign legislative power. |
''In Tennessee, the home of Jackson,
han whom there was no greater Dem
crat, nor truer man, the governor an
ually appoints three election COM
nissioners for each county, who In |
urn appoint the election offiesrs. The
eople OF Tennessee have had. longer |
experience with Republican frauds
nder a secret ballot system than have
he people of Kentucky, and that ex-
erience has taught them what is nee
ssary to prevent those frauds
Phase of the Opposition.
II have confidence not only in the
wisdom, bat in the integrity of John
" Daniel and compeers of Virginia,
nd Isham G. Harris, Benton McMil-
In, Robert l.. Taylor, William B. Bate |
nd other Democrats of Tennessee.
'hair hr3nd of Dpu1Nprapy fs p0Od |