The age-herald., 1900-07-20
Peake Made a Vigorous Speech
 on National Issues.
FAVORED OLD SYSTEM OF VOTING
Faction Who Favored Judge Tarvin for Governor Was Unseated by the Majority Report-Adjourn-
 ed After Midnight

Lexington, Ky, July 19.-It was almost midnight when the Committee on Creden- tials brought in majority and minority re- ports to the Democratic State convention. In the weary hours after midnight the con- vention was still patiently listening to the story of local contests.
 The Democratic State convention was called to order here at 225 by State Chair man Allie W. Young. The first and great est demonstration of the convention oc- cured before 4 p. m., when the drapery yelling of the large portrait of the late Governor, William Goebel, was removed. The audience went wild with hurrahs for Goebel, as though he were living and standing before them. The only work or the convention was to nominate candi- date for Goebers unexpired term and the adoption of platform.
 First Test Made
 During the agitation of the past two days here it became known that the first test between Governor Beckham and the field, including Black, McCreary, Lewis, Tarvin, Smith, Pryor and Garnett would come on the election of temporary officers. Chairman Young started stir on an nouncing at once that nominations for a temporary chairman were in order. Ine names of Judge J. E. Robbins and R. Frank Peake were presented. After sec onding speeches the balloting proceeded, with the lines closely drawn by the Beck ham men supporting Robbins and the com bined opposition supporting Peake. The ballot as cast was:
 Robbins 626 Peake 466, and this was &C., cepted as a second test of strength be- tween Beckham and the field, as the Beck ham men had during the forenoon carried seven of the eleven Congressional districts for members of the committees, with the result in doubt in a couple of the other districts Judge Robbins election was made unanimous.
 He then addressed the convention, devot- ing his attention to the state legislation growing out of the revolutionary conditions during the past year. Judge Robbins paid a high tribute to the late William Goebel and reviewed the contests and conflicts of the past year. He insisted that assassination and civil liberty were the issues in the pending campaign and charged ex-Gov- ernor Taylor and his associates in their short administration with complicity in the murder of Goebel as a result of the resist ance that he said they advocated and ad- vised and which they promoted by bringing about an armed invasion of the state capi- tal The speaker was very vigorous in his indictment of the Taylor administration and others.
 1st=e Peake's Vigorous Speech
 MT. Peake made vigorous speech on na- tional issues, and incidentally on usurpa- ton and assassination in state aaffirs. He spoke longer than Judge Robbins and cre- ated Quie a stir by his argument in favor of the immediate modification of the Goebel election law He said he would personally prefer returning to the old Kentucky sys- tenn of-vive voce voting, but that the popu- lar sentiment seemed to call for non partisan system of elections and to this prevailing opinion heed should be given if the party was to be reunited and restored to power. He insisted that the Republicans were hoping that the Democrats would not meet the popular demand for a change in the election laws and that their only hope should be blasted by the Democrats being equal to the emergency of the hour. He called attention to tre fact that there was an election for President and members of Congress this year and that in case of another close contest the result might be subject to federal supervision.
 Senator Blackburn, who had been de- feated for a member of the committee on resolutions at the meeting of the Seventh Congressional District, was added to that committee as one of the members from the State-at-large.
 At 4:aO the convention took recess until S:30 tonight.
 On reassembling a motion to refer all resolutions to the committee on resolutions was tabled because of the sentiment among the delegates regarding the proposed modi- fication of the Goebel election law an- a disposition to add resolution to the report of the committee on platform if that report was not satisfactory. The delegates heard speeches for several hours, and finally ma jority and minority reports were presented at 11:40 D. m. on credentials. The contests related mostly to the Democrats from Campbell and Kenton Counties and the del- egates headed by Congressman Berry and others and who favored Judge Tarvn for Governor, were unseated by the majority report.