Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-28
CONTEST IN KENTUCKY
Nearly an Entire Ticket to Be
Elected.
THE CA N DID A TES
NO GREAT INTEREST MANIFEST
ED IN CANVASS.
The Old Goebel Feud Still a Factor
in the Situa-
ton.
Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
LOUISVILLE. KY, October 26. 1909
The entire state government of Ken
lucky, including the legislature and the jul
dietary. except the county judges and court
Of appeals, is involved in the approaching
election.
John G. Beckham is the democratic can
didate for governor. Mr.. Beckham was
nominated for lieutenant governor on the
ticket headed by the late William Goebel
four years ago. When Mr. Goebel was
shot and killed, and the contest over the
office of governor was decided in his favor,
Mr.. Beckham became governor Under the
constitution of Kentucky it was necessary
to elect governor in 1900 to fill out the
uncXpired term. Mr.. Beckham. the acting
governor, was nominated by the democrats
and elected over John W. Yerkes. now
commissioner of Internal revenue.
Mr.. Reckham had opposition in his own
party this year, based upon attacks upon
his administration and the allegation that
he was ineligible. The constitution pro-
vides that no man shall be chosen governor
for two consecutive terms. The question
of his eligibility hinges upon the question
whether the three years for which he was
elected in 1900 constitutes term. or
whether the law considers it merely part
of the uneXpired term for which the legs-
lature declared Mr.. GOebel had been elect
ed This is still an open question yet to be
determined by the courts. but as the court
of appeals is democratic the democracy evil
IDENTIFY feels safe in taking whatever risk
may be involved in the doubt as to the
eligibility of its candidate.
Col. Belknap's Career.
Col. Morris b. Belknap of Louisville. who
commanded a Kentucky regiment III the
N IT niputirtr in 10 Porto
Rico campaign, heads the republican ticket
He is a member of Tie great Belknap Hard
ware Company. He is business man, who
has had but little hand in politics. His
principal public service, aside from h s
career as a member of the state guard, has
been as u member of the Louisville park
commission and officer in various
commercial organizations.
Though Nh. Beckham had opposition in
his own party for while the politicians
managing his campaign succeeded in secur-
ing the withdrawal of Henry Watterson.
Col. Robert BrecF nridge John X. Hen
drick and Judge Black. The ticket was
nominated in a primary. and the democrats
have promulgated no platform. Their cam
pagn has been pitched chiefly upon thA
guilt of the members of the former repub-
Lean administrator who have been in
dicted charged with the murder OF GoebeI.
Ioutsey. who was clerk to one OF the
state Offices is serving a life sentence in
the pententiary. He has turned states
evidence. duplicating all the accused repub-
leans. Jim Howard. who is alleged to have
fired the fatal shot. has been convicted for
the third time and given life Imprisonment
His appeal for a new trial is pending. The
third trial of Caleb Powers. republican sec
rotary of state. resulted in j verdict of
death. He mas also appealed. The demo-
Gratis are making their fight chiefly upon
assertion that these men are guilty, and
that republican victory means their. lib
Grafton. Governor Beckham, Senators
nd all fho,.
democratic speakers have given much at
tention to the Goebel assassination. The
speeches of the prosecuting attorney in
these cases are circulated as campaign
documents while the attorney himself re-
Peats them from the stump throughout the
state Governor Beckham has publicly
pledged himself not to pardon Howard and
Powers and has demanded to know what
Belknap will do with these cases.
The Republican Position.
The republicans have vigorously assailed
the conduct of affairs under the Beckham
regime, charging abuses Of the pardoning
power for political purposes. endeavoring to
demonstrate an intimate relation between
the democratic organization and the
Breathitt county feud leaders Gross mis-
management of public institutions and jobs
ir the collection of state war claims have
also been alleged.
"Belknap and business has been the re-
publican campaign cry, and an effort has
been made to show that the state needs
the business administrator ton that might be
expected by a successful business man SUCH
as Belknap.
On the ticket with Col. Besknap are sew
eral former democrats. W. H. Beckner
who represented the tenth district in Con-
gress as democrat. and who presided over
the democratic convention Of 1895 that
nominated p Wat. Hardin for governor. is
the republican candidate for attorney gen
eral. Jesse G. Speight. the nominee for
secretary of state was a democrat prior to
the split over the money question. Former
and Buckner candidate for clerk Of the
court OF appeals in 1897, IL stumping the
state for the republicans. Col. Belknap's
first wife was daughter Of Gen. Simon
excessively supporting the entire republican
ticket.
Little Enthusiasm in Canvass.
There does not seem to be much enthus-
iasm on either side and light vote is
anticipated. Beckham was nominated by
a machine built up by the power of his
Office. and many democrats who were
powerful in the Goebel machine are not
interested in his fortunes. Col Belknap
had the support Of Yerkes, Dr. Godfrey
Hunter and the greater part Of the fed
eral Office holders He was bitterly op-
posed by the Bradley faction and former
Gov Bradley has been too Ill to participate
In the campaign.
The greatest apathy exists in the demo-
cratic stronghold. the first and second dis
tricts. But this is largely Offset by the
contest between DIR. Hunter and D. c. Ed
wards over the succession to the late Vim
cent BOreing in the eleventh district. the
republican stronghold.
The result seems to depend largely upon
the vote OF Louisville. This city and county
gave Yerkes a majority of about 5000. but
the year following republican dissensons
resulted in the election of democratic
municipal government by about 6.OOO. The
democrats have an immense advantage In
the complete possession of the police power
and the election machinery. The fight
here is centered more on the criminal
judgeship race than the contest for gov
ernor. The republicans charge that tho
criminal court is dominated by criminal
lawyer and used to protect rather than
punish crime. Col. Henry L. Stone, an ex-
confederate and former democrat, as the
republican candidate for this office, has
conducted campaign somewhat similar to
the Jerome fight in New York. and has
succeeded in arousing great public interest.
Control Of the courts and the city council
Is necessary to the continued success of
the democrats in municipal politics. and
the republicans charge that they are de-