Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-11
KENTUCKY SITUATION
ARE GOING IN MIDDLE
OF THE ROAD.
Will Not Vote With the Democrats
Republican Organization is In
Good Condition.
s0ec,., Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
LEXINGTON. KY, October 10. 1904
The apathy so pronounced In the political
situation in Kentucky a week or two ago
disappears to some extent as election day
draws nearer. The Incorporated towns
have all held registrations. and this has
served to awaken interest in the election
somewhat.
The democrats have their usual good Or
ganization and are doing some work, al
though the efforts being put forth from the
state headquarters apparently do not ap-
proach the work usually done.
The republicans are fortunate in having
decidedly the strongest organization their
party has known since the campaign OF
1887, when Bradley was elected governor.
and when the state went republican for the
first time in It's history. The national COM
mittee generously agreed to allow the re-
publicans to retain all the money In the
state contributed by KentuckIans.
The republican organization was respon-
sible for a big increase in the republican
registration in Louisville, and If the same
ratio of gains should hold good over the
state the republican electors will have a
comfortable majority. The republicans reg
istered in Louisville $40 more votes than
last year. the democrats registering 2,lO7
less, a net republican gain OF 2,If.
Republican State Organization.
The republican state organization at
Louisville under the supervision of Chair
man Richard Ernst has done the most eff
fective work along organization lines that
has ever been accomplished by the republic
cans in the state. The work Of this COM
mittee is far advanced over the work of
any previous campaign, and the republican
party finds itself in better shape for the
final struggle four weeks before than has
been the case heretofore on the eve OF
election day.
The vote in previous elections has proven
the republicans to be from ten to fifteen
thousand votes stronger in Kentucky In
national than state contests. This fact
also is responsible for much Of the enthus-
iasm in republican quarters.
Another factor in the present election Is
the presence in the field of populist electors
and populist nominees in five or six Of the
congressional districts. The kentucky pep
ulists have been acting with the democrats
since Bryan's first nomination, and it Is
this element that has enabled the demo-
Gratis to roll up such large maiorities in
western Kentucky. This year the pOpullsts
are going 1t alone and keeping in the mid
die of the road.
Besides the detection Of the populist vote
the democrats have some unfortunate local
complications. The so-called machine demo-
Gratis, led by Governor Beckham, and the
anti-machine element. led by Senator Black,
burn. have had some bad fights. This
breach continues to widen as the time ap-
prOacheS for electing the members of the
next legislature, who will have the cleo
ton of Blackburn's successor. In many
of the counties the issue of Blackburn and
anti-Blackburn Is sharply drawn, and can-
didates for the legislative nominations are
required to declare their senatorial prefer
ences.
The Congressional Districts.
Representative John s. Rhea of the third
district stood out against the machine and
was forced off the track for the renomina-
ton. The convention in this district was
one of great disorder, and considerable bad
feeling has resulted The closeness of the
vote between the contending candidates
coupled with the charge of fraud and I'M
fair manipulation, has badly split the party
in the district
newspaper man. and he was only able to
win after a hard fight over contested
points. the committee on credentials decid-
ing all points in his favor. The contending
candidate for the nomination was Nat A.
Porter. The result of the primaries in the
first instance was favorable to Porter but
by sharp move on the part of the Rich
ardson men in one of the counties, who Sc
cured reconsideration of the vote, Por-
ter defeated. The Porter followers in
Warren and Muhienberg counties espe-
cially. refuse to be reconciled
The populists in this district comprise
sever f-l GU Sotot dHO they nave uOHl-
mated as their candidate for Congress H.
l.. Thurman. The surface indications in
this district point strongly to the election
of the republican candidate, unless the
democrats are able to bring about harmony
between now and election day. The dem
ocrats realize this and making strong
efforts to induce the populist nominee to
withdraw in favor Of Richardson.
The hardest fighting is being done in the
fifth or Louisville district. Representative
Swager Sherley has been renom,nated by
the democrats. The republicans have
named William c. Owens. who represented
the seventh district In Congress few years
since as a democrat, he at that time win
ming the democratic nomination after a
fierce struggle with VIM. C. Breckinridge
who had just passed through the Madeline
Pollard episode. Owens is proving a strong
candidate. and is being we'll supported by
the republican campaign committee, which
has been able to raise a good campaign
fund this year.
Uncertainty in the Ninth.
The only other congressional district con-
sidered debatable ground is the ninth, now
represented by James NJ Kehoe, who has