Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-03
KENTUCKY CAMPAIGN
Opened BY Meetings in Several Cities
Ia the State.
BECKHAM and YERKEs SPEAK
Former at Henderson and Latter
at Bowling Green.
LARGE CROWDS ATTEND

FRANKFORT, KY. September 3-The
campaign i'm Kentucky was opened by both
parties in nearly every county Of the state
today. The principal meetings were at
Bowling Green and Henderson. At the
former place Mr.. John ". Yerkes. the re-
publican candidate for governor. was the
leading speaker. At the latter place Gov.
j. w. c. Beckham. the democratic candi-
date for governor. and ex-Goy. James b.
McCreary spoke. At Bowling Green the
democrats also had a meeting. addressed
by r. F. Peake Of Shelbyville.
HENDERSON, KY, September 3.-Gov
Beckham ex- Representative McCreary and
others spoke here today before an immense
crowd at the formal opening Of the demo-
cratic campaign in Kentucky.
This was the banner democratic district
for Gov. Goebel last November. and rous-
ing reception was given Gov. Beckham'
who was the running mate OF Goebel Elk
Representative McCreary. chairman Of the
democratic state committee, and canal
date for United States senator. also was
well received.
Gov. Beckham's Address.
Gov. Beckham said in part:
1t Is important that our illustrious ma
ing as he does the common people. should
be elected President of the United States
this year that he may preserve the prin-
ciples upon which our republic was founded.
and that he may bring back into Its proper
| moorinss the old ship Of state. which has
been embarked by its present misguided pl-
lots into the teInpeStuous and unknown seas
of dangerous policies. 1t Is also important.
1t Is absolutely essential to the honor and
| welfare Of Kentucky. that Its state govern
| ment should not be turned back into the
ha nds Of that party which has done more
to blacken the fair name of our proud state
and to bring into disrepute its noble cit
izenship than anything else that ever hap
pened to It In century's honorable exist
ence as a sovereign commonwealth IN the
federal Union.
The conduct Of the republican party In
the national administration may not have
been tainted with the same variety Of
crimes as the conduct Of that party in Ken
lucky politics has been, but nevertheless 1t
has been such as to merit the condemnation
OF the American people and the defeat OF Its
candidates at the polls.
They have trampled upon the Constitution
and have sought to override the fundamen-
tai principles upon which this government
was established They have catered to the
wealth and not to the manhood Of the coun-
try. They have. as Mr.. Bryan says, placed
the dollar above the man., and fuctua-
ton in the price of stocks and bonds gives
| them infinitely more concern than the dying
groan of the American soldier sacrificed by
| a useless war In the Philippines.
Deaf Ear to the Farmer.
Every labor organization and farmers
alliance in the country might petition Pres
ident Mckinley for some reform, and their
petition would fall on deaf ears IL half
dozen trust magnates who helped to place
him in the chair he occupies should oppose
it. Upon their help and upon their means
he relies to debauch American voters for
success In November; but by the grace OF
an aroused public conscience, by a stimu-
lated sense Of patriotism and by the I'M
bought suffrage OF a majority OF American
citizens the power Of those who Cypress the
people. who value the acquisition Of wealth
more than they do the protection Of human
life, who seek by wars OF conquest and
spoliation to lower our people from the safe
and simple principles Of a republican form
OF government into the perilous uncertain
ties of an imperialistic empire. and who
have surrendered the government of the
people over to the dictation of trusts and
money syndicates. their power. / say. shall
| be broken and crushed to earth by the cleo
/ ton Of that fearless champion OF the peo-
pies cause who has the mind to know and
/ will do what Is riSht-that inspired leader Of
newborn democracy, William J. Bryan
It was bad enough for the republican lead
ers to commit the crimes they did last win
ter in this state. but 1t Is far worse that
the representatives Of that party, after all
that had happened, should meet In state
convention and deliberately and with pre-
| 1t was awful to kill In cold blood man
who had been elected governor Of this great
state: 1T is infinitely worse that they should
indorse the conduct of those who stand in
dicted in our courts for completely in his
murder. 1 refer you to their platforms
adopted in the state conventions. one last
| May and other in July. that you may see
what they said on that subject. They can
| not escape the issue they have raised by
this declaration. We accept and we pro-
| pose to carry the fight before the people of
Kentucky to see II they will fndorse what
the republican platform indorses. 1t is
| sad commentary upon our civilization.
Ready to Meet the Issue.
But upon this issue which that party has
raised We shall meet them They cannot
shift it now. They shall not becloud the
real issue by hypocritical talk about the
election law. Their leaders know that IL
the election this fall Is unfair 1t will be
| their fault. If they do not like the present
law they now have chance to get another
one. Let them prove their sincerity. But
l believe that there are some republican
leaders who do not want to see the present
law changed. They do not fear its opera
ton. but they believe that out of the preju-
dice against 1t they will get many thousand
votes. The democrats of Kentucky want
| nothing but a fair law and a fair election
The kind Of law the republicans want Is one
that will give them the advantage and al
low them to steal the vote of the state again
as they did In 1896.
We are conscious of the rectitude OF
our own cause that We do not fear the re-
suit Of the peoples verdict. We believe
that the people OF Kentucky are fully
aware Of the real issues before them: that
they will not be misled by any pharisaicaI
cant about civil liberty and an honest count:
that they know the greatest question in this
campaign Is whether to have a
state government administered according to
law or military rule and assassination, and
that they prefer law and order to anarchy
and chaos. They do not intend to indorse
that party which has indorsed the crimes
of those who brought disgrace upon our
state. This is democratic state and demo-
Gratis will control 1t.
We invite all patriotic Kentuckians to
unite with In the effort to restore the
state to her proper position Of honor and
respect: to give her what she always en-
joyed under democratic rule-a wise and
just government: to hurl back the charges
brought upon her by republican rnfsman-
agement and crime and to show to the
world that within her borders law and
der shall be supreme, and that the life or