The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1903-04-17

pOuSuJS were dLId1U Ol one, anu
begged that the court say nothing Of
the matter. If l was not eligible,
there is not member of that court
that. in justice to himself, in friend
ship to me, and in his love for the
peace and quiet Of our beloved COM
monwealth, would not oppose my can
didacy for this Office. But, as a mat
ter Of fact, there are several of the
democratic judges Of that court who
are earnestly for me for the nomina-
ton.
The mistake male by my opponents
Is the same made by a host of others
who have sought public Office. The
political highway Is strewn with the
corpses of men who have not given
the people credit for having as much
sense as they have. Many a bright
career has been suddenly ended,
many brilliant star in the gorgeous
armament Of political hope, and many
an ambitious statesman on the high
tide of success, have sunk into the
outer darkness, all because they
thought that it was an easy thing to
fool the peOple,-yes, the plain, COM
mon people,-whenever it suited their
purpose to do so.
| have an abiding and mistaken
faith in the intelligence and honesty
Of the great body Of our people.
have never lost confidence in them,
and in this matter I know they have
sense enough to see the plain propo-
sition,-it does not take lawyer to
see it,-that the court of appeals
would never have ordered the name
of an ineligible candidate placed upon
legal ballots, and that no member Of
that court would favor the nominal
ton of such candidate if the court
considered him ineligible
The talk about another contest is
merely a bug-a-boo to brighten chill
dren, merely a political trick to alarm
the voters. l have borne the brunt Of
one contest, when our state was in
grave danger, and l did not shirk my
duty. l would not now, for any office
or honor within the gift of the people,
put in hazard the peace and welfare
of my state. There is not the slight
est danger Of such contest, except
in the fervid imagination of some Of
those who are trying to defeat me in
this primary.
My opponents charge that l am
afraid to meet them in joint debate.
charge that they are afraid to meet
me at the polls in the primary on May
9Th, and that they are doing every
thing in their power, by litigation and
by denunciation, to block the holding
Of that primary, because they know
they can not defeat me in fair con-
test before the voters. Their only
hope is a convention, where the pow
or Of money and the power of political
combinations can often thwart the
will Of the people. The cry about q
machine primary" is so absurd that
it is not entitled to serious notice.
Who ever heard Of a real political
machine" wanting primary? What
machine" ever sought to take the
people into its confidence by giving
them a chance to vote? A machine"
always wants conventions, and is bet
ter able to carry out its plans in that
way than in primaries. But the peO-
pie are not deceived by this talk, and
they know 1t is simply a "stop-thief'
cry. There is machine, "a strong,
active and alert one,-trying to get
control Of the state offices. and fight
ing me because it can not control me,
and that is the machine" which is so
much opposed to this primary. That
machine can not stand up in a fair
fight before the people. It's methods
and its purposes can not risk the light
Of public view 1t has assailed the
democratic organization Of Kentucky,
because it can not control that organ
ization and could not force it to call
a convention. It has denounced the
members Of that organization, and
charged them with being my friends.
/ am proud of the fact that a large
majority Of the democratic committee
are my friends. They are the men
who make the party's fights, and who
have been honored by their people in
being elevated to the councils Of the
partys welfare. If they favor my
nomination and election, it is a COM
pliment to me. The charge that |
have tried to influence their action by
official favors Is so baseless and I'M
true that l shall treat it with the con-
tempt it deserves. The men of that
committee who have been attacked
are men Of the highest character and
standing-men who have at heart the
best interests of their party, and who
would never let their friendship for
any man put in danger the success of
the party. They believed that a pri-
mary was the fairest and best means
Of nominating candidates for state
Offices, and for that reason they called
| it. The court of appeals has decided
/ that they had right to call it, under
the law, and the action of the commit.
! tee has been fully vindicated
These members Of that committee
compose the subcommittee which has
In charge the conduct of the primary
The names of these men are guaran.
tee Of fairness and impartiality. The
| chairman Of the committee is the
Hon. A. w. Young, who within the
last year has been nominated without
opposition by the democrats of his
district to be their circuit Judge. An.
other member is Judge j. M. Lassing
the present circuit Judge of his dis
trict, and the nominee for the next
term without opposition. The other
member is Mr.. Mott Ayres, the editor
Of leading democratic paper in West
ern Kentucky. No one will dare as
sail the character and integrity OF
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