Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-09-18
THE KENTUCKY CAMPAIGN.


There is campaign going on just
now in Kentucky for Governor, which
like other campaigns in that State has
amusing as we'll as tragic features.
Col. Morris b Belknap, the Republic
can candidate, is not native Kentuck-
ian, but was imported into that State
ostensibly from Iowa, but really from
Washington City, where bis father
who was the, we will say, notorious
because his conduct made him go at
the time-W w. Belknap one Of the
Secretaries of War under Gen. Grant,
and who, if we remember the history
of the times correctly, resigned on the
eve of prosecution for malfeasance in
office, thus avoiding prosecution, but
not odium, and which act was most
severely criticised then, and which
resignation, it is believed, no presi
dent save Gen. Grant would have yer.
mitted. Of course Col. Morris b. Bel
KNAPP is not responsible for bis father 4
shortcomings, but under the circum'
stances his cry Of fraud does not carry
the same weight it might otherwise
since in the State of Kentucky as well
as elsewhere, the sins of the father are
to some extent visited upon the son
unto the third and fourth generation.
Col. Belknap is otherwise handi-
capped. He Is the son in-law of Gen.
Simon Bolivar Buckner who Disgrace
fully surrendered Fort Donaldson
during the civil war, who acted
as one of the stool pigeons for
Mckinley in 1896, and who has recently
surrendered to the Republicans. In
addition to these handicaps, he has the
recent Republican administration of
Gov. Taylor, and its bloody record
hanging about his neck like a mill
stone, which administration ended its
of crime with the assassina-
ton of Gov. Goebel. The third trial
of Caleb Powers who was Secretary OF
State under that administration, has
just ended with his conviction and
sentence to be hanged, and this itself
would weigh down and sink most any
Col. Belknap has speech
which rumor says has been prepared
'or him by Col. w. G. P. Breckenridge. |
How this may be we know not, but he |
8 declaming this speech in a school
,oyish fashion about the Blue Grass
State, State where. if the people de-
light In anything more than the bev.
.rage which has made the State ia |
nous. it is oratory. This is another
handicap.
Now here is sample Of the speech |
made at Mumfordsville last Saturday
The dramatic and tragic panorama |
# political events in our State for four |
'ears Is one from which we instinc
lively turn away. 1t is heavy tragedy |
With the slime of untruth clinging to |
is garments. Repulsive and reckiDg
With the foul atmosphere of dungeons,
t displays body prostituted to per-
ury and fraud"
1.-The table of pardons granted dur
ng the last three administrations and
unlimited to the public by the Gov !
rnor In defense of his record is an In
eresting one, although conspicCously |
Incomplete. Still it shows that at least |
.125 cOnvicts have been set free in IL
ears Those paroled and not counted
you'd easily carry the NUN Der to l,2G0.
"Mr. Beckham has asked me, ia the
vent of my election, if 1 would par
on Howard or Powers, or either of
hem. / answer in the words of Lord
;oke. When the case happens shall
re tit for a judge to do"
1t is pardops which stir the soul Of
,ol. Belknap, not convictions, because
Vhen he touched on the trials of the
toebel assassins he says: ''these trials
ave been SO far conducted with par
isan juries and perjured Witnesses"
ct he ought to recall that whilst the
uries are usually composed of Demo-
rats they are Of as good citizens as
he State of Kentucky affords, and the
illnesses whom he says are perjured
re all Republicans who were part, or
cry close to the last Republican ad-
Illustration. or part of the noun
lin gang brought down to kill Goebel. ,
With his fathers record, with old
ian Simon Bolivar sticking to him
Ike barnacle, with Taylor's admin
tration, and Goebel's assassination
capped, banked and piled upon him, G
he pulls through we are prepared Y
say that be is strong man a yeri- s
BILE Sampson, that the Republican =
lrty in Kentucky is the mightiest t
ganizatiOn in this new world, and 1
ould be considered mighty in even g
e mighty Kingdom of Lucifer. q
1t would raise Col. Belknap in public a
timation if he left the question of too t.
any pardons by the present Demo- Il
attic administration and advocated N
ssation of political murders such as P
brutalized his friends Taylor, il
'wers and Others and denounced this y
me, and promised to see that all !,
ese assassins would be prosecuted, Ell
stead OF promising, as he really does, tt
pardon Howard and Powers as soon a
be gets into Office. iirr
1-.-e-- be
Inc very best of reasons prevail why ~
people should pay the taxes impos-
by the Dingley Bill. BY this means
y much of the money of the coun-