Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-24
APATHY IN KENTUCKY
No Special Interest in the
Coming Elections.
INTERESTS AT STAKE
FOUR JUDGES OF THE COURT OF
APPEALS.
Their Campaign Practically Over
shadows the Congressional Races
Candidates and Their Chances.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

| III hGHluChy pOlillCS the CdIIl Ids hAloiiS
come. Rarely If ever has there been cam
| paign in which there has been so little pub
lie interest. The politicians even seem to
have had more than enough of strenuous
politics, and the organizations Of the two
parties have made but little effort to arouse
| the voters. The stump spellbinder has lost
| his occupation, for the time at least, unless
| he be candidate for place on the demo-
| cratic state ticket next year. The sharp
| factional divisions of 1896 on the money
| question and the differences and feeling in
| cident to the party split on Goebelism in
| 80 and 1900 have in large measure disap-
peared. Sixteen to one and the state pro-
| gram for which the late William Goebel
| stood are no longer the subjects of hot con-
| tertion In Kentucky. Gold democrats and
anti-Goebel democrats are running on the
regular democratic ticket, and the politi-
| clans who were foremost for 10 to ! and
Goebelism are quite as willing as anybody
else to have both forgotten With their
races to the future and the offices it is with
the greatest equanimity that they permit
the dead past to bury its dead.
While the apparent disappearance Of
these former fractional lines undoubtedly
augurs we'll for the democrats, it does not
follow that all who left the democratic
party because Of silver in 1896 and because
of Goebelism in 1899 have returned to the
fold.
Republican Recruits.
That the republican party has been con-
siderable gamer by each of these revolts
does not admit of doubt. The gold demo-
Gratis and anti-Goebel democrats who have
not returned to their own party have be-
come republicans or register as independ-
ents and vote the republican ticket. A
glance at the republican nomina lions shows
that the number who have become members
OF the party is considerable, and that it Is
part of the republican policy to encourage
this method of recruiting. w. c. bearing
republican nominee for court of appeals in
the sixth appellate district, was a demo-
crat before the political upheavals of the
last seven years. George Weissinger Smith
republican nominee for Judge of the com
mon pleas court In Louisville was demo-
cratic member Of the Legislature that passed
the Goebel election law, but he revolted at
that measure, though he had managed to
stay In the party up to that time In spite of
his refusal to accept Its financial doctrines
Mckenzie Moss in the third r. w. Shock
| in the second. Will Cannon in the seventh
and w. Lawson SumraH in the eighth. re-
publican nominees for Congress- were dem
ocrats when Cleveland was last elected
President. They are among the republican
recruits resulting from the democra tic divi-
slonS over the money question and Goebel-
ism. However, there is no evidence of any
conspicuous recruiting from these sources
since the election OF two years ago, when
Bryan carried the state by more than 1000,
and when Beckham was. elected governor
over Yerkes, according to the returns. by
more than 5000. Undoubtedly many dem
ocrats who voted for Yerkes have returned
to their former party affiliations.
In 1900 Bryan was 5000 votes stronger
than the state ticket. but that difference
has probably disappeared. The greater
part of the 5000 Bryan democrats who
voted for Yerkes have returned to their
party.
The election of two years ago was held
under the Goebel law and republicans have
ia r
reversed the majority for Beckham if it
had not given the state to Mckinley The
truth is, Kentucky is a democratic state by
a small majority, unless, with the ~estora-
ton of democratic peace and quiet, the pop
ularity of the Roosevelt administration has
wiped out the small democratic majority
Certainly no other republican administra-
ton has ever been so popular in Kentucky
and this means more votes However this
is factor in the situation whose influence
cannot be measured now with any degree
of accuracy.
Apathy means a light vote and recent
elections have shown this to be demo-
cratic advantage, a circumstance which
added to the disappearance of the sharp
fractional lines, gives the situation a decid-
edly democratic hue.
While the old democratic differences are
under the surface they still exist Some of
the district conventions have ignored the
Kansas City platform and some have in
dorsed it, but there Is an unmistaEable
trend away from Bryan and Bryantsm
This, however is not apt to be a factor In
the approaching election, since the great
bulk of extreme Bryan sentiment is In dis
tricts in which apathy from this cause
would merely reduce democratic majorities
Bryan Not Wanted.
There may be some significance In the
fact that Mr.. Bryan has not yet appeared
In the campaign in this state, and is not
expected on the Kentucky stump This Is a
conspicuous omission In 1897 the Nebras-
kan was taken through the state on spe
cial train in the interest Of the legislative
ticket and the candidate for clerk of the
court Of appeals In 1898 when congress-
was repeated. In 1899 he came again TO
help Goebel in spite of the protest of many
of his friends and loyal supporters The
capturing of Bryan was the trump card
played by Goebel. and the Goebel orean:za
ton made the most of it. In 1899 Rrvan
was not only the undisputed leader In ma
tional affairs. but the arbiter of local demo-
cratic disputes. His coming was required
to fix the seal Of party authority on the
work of the memorable Music Hall conyen
ton. Last year he came again and asked
democrats to vote for Beckham. But anna
rently he Is not wanted, and for the first
time in SIX years Bryan on the stump IL not
a feature Of the Kentucky campaign He
has delivered non-political lectures, but
there has not been 50 much a suggestion
that his presence. regarded as so essential
In the past, will be needed this year.
Whether this will Increase the apathy Of
Mr.. Bryans friends remains to be seen.
Four Judges to Be Chosen.
Besides the congressional elections Judges
Of the court Of appeals are to be chosen in
four Of the seven appellate districts. inyolv
ing the political complexion of the highest
court in the state, q matter which recent
Kentucky history has shown to be of much
political consequences But there seems To
be the same apathy in regard to these con-
tests in the congressional races. Neither
democrats nor republicans are excited over
the fact that this election will decide the
ultimate fate of the men in custody charged
with the Goebel murder Jim Howard and
Caleb Powers have appeals from second
convictions pending, and If the court, which
is republican. should be democratic
after January l. their chances for another
trial would be slim. However, this is not
being made an issue by either side Thus
far in the campaign nothing has been said
about these cases.
There is some doubt as to what the com
plexion of the court will be. There are now
four republicans and three democrats on
the bench Two of the retiring Judges are
democrats and two republicans In the first
district Circuit Judge Mum, the democratic
candidate to succeed Judge White, will be