Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-29
FIGHTING BLACKBURN
Kentucky Senator May Not
Pe Reelected.
HARD CONTEST IN SIGHT
WAR BETWEEN THE FACTIONS
WAS BEGUN AT ST. LOUIS.
Victory Of Urey Woodson Gave Him
Courage to Attempt to Down
All Opposition.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star


Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
LEXINGTON, KY, october %, 1904.
| The democrats of Kentucky are threaten
ed with an open rupture that gives promise
| of greatly weakening their organization
as an effective fighting force, and it is a
| question of much moment whether the i'm
pending break can be STAYED off until after
| the approaching election. The bone of con-
| tention is the United States senatorship and
| control of the party organization in the
| state. The party will be reorganzed in De-
| cember and the members of the legislature
| to be elected next fall nominations Tor
which have already been made in several
| counties, will have the selection of a sue
| cessor to Senator Blackburn. The machine
and anti-machine democrats cordially hate
| each other, and even the temporary truce
| for the present campaign shows signs OF
| giving away to factional strife.
Senator Blackburn's declaration that he
! proposed to keep fighting until every vest
age of the machine is wiped out and broken
up, and the subsequent refusal of Secretary
Trey Woodson of the national democratic
committee, who is leader of the anti
| machine forces, to do business with state
Auditor-Chairman Hager, alleged machine
leader. are now matters of Kentucky po-
litical history
Endeavored to Retaliate.
The state committee endeavored to retail
ate on the anti-mac chine faction for these
affronts of keeping Blackburn off the stump
in the larger cities where he would have
an opportunity to meet the people and adj
vance his candidacy for reelection by send
ing him a notice to confine his speech
| making to the smaller villages, as 1t was
thought "school-house meetings would be
the most effective" Blackburn resented
this suggestion and replied to the commit
tee with a letter that left blue streak. all
the way from Versailles to Louisville. So
the white-winged dove of peace that how
cred over democratic headquarters for
brief time has taken its flight.
Senator Blackburn'S response to the COM
mittee, which he also gave to the press, was
as follows:
Il am sorry that my distinguished serv-
Ices are not needed the stump in large
mass meetings throughout the state, but
bow to the will of the committee, and If 1t
thinks that l can do better service on the
stump in the county precincts l am willing
to go. I send the following list of appoint
ments, and desire that you advertise the
dates extensively Here the senator named
about one dozen cross-road post offices in
different parts of the state that could not
possibly be reached in less time than one
month by hard travelling, and then added:
These dates will cover one week just at
the close of the election"
Waging fractional Fight.
A Louisville paper quotes a democratic
state politician, who is said to be unidenti-
fed with either faction, to the effect that
the factional fight between the Beckham-
Granger forces and the Blackburn Nc
CrearyWoodson coalition, which has for
some time been foreshadowed even in the
democratic papers, has been covertly waged
since the democratic national convention in
md q IN
openly Immediately after the close of the
present campaign.
War was practically declared at the st:
Louis convention said this politician; land
after Woodson had won his signal victory
over Haldeman for national committeeman
the editor of one of his papers said to me:
Just wait until the election is over. Then
the fight will be on in earnest, and we are
going to whip h out of them.
The postponement of hostilities was
tacitly adopted by mutual consent. If
Parker is elected Woodson will have SO much
pie at his disposal as national committee
man that he will be able unaided to create
a really formidable fighting machine. To
begin the war against the state machine
now would hurt Parker'S prospects in Ken
lucky. If Parker wins do not think there
is any question that Beckham will be con-
quered and his machine demolished. But
if Parker loses it will be a battle royal"
Big Campaign Fund.
The first noticeable result of the ill-feel-
lHS III lhC pal "LhSA - odiO " nave
arisen from the plans of the state machine
to prevent the reelection of the senators,
was the matter Of the campaign fund for
Kentucky. When Woodson asked for list
of the county committees Auditor Chairman
Hager ignored him. The national commit
teeman secured the names direct from the
counties, and at the same time was en-
abled to strengthen his own position in the
state.
The republicans have profited by the fac
tional fights In the democratic ranks. The
Goebel fight, the money question and now
the machine and anti-machine contest, have
all served to ALLEVIATE voters from the dem
ocrat1c party permanently. Four of the
eleven republican nominees for Congress
this year were formerly active democrats,
and this proportion will hold good as to
the voters in the ranks, which explains how
it is that Kentucky is now a very close
state. while only a few years ago 1t could
be relied on for democratic majorities above
fifty thousand.
The Courier-Journal is authority for the
statement that the republican state head
quarters In Louisville has just received a
consignment of money from national head
quarters estimated at a little less than
100000. and that this amount together
with what was already on hand, will give
the republicans over $4,000 to spend on
election day. The story recites that the
money was received by express in bills of
small denominations, and that the express
charges We're $11s. which would be the
1NC" vi rate on q little
$4,000 Should this story prove to be well
founded. but little will be left to chance"
as campaign fund of that magnitude in
Kentucky at this time will work wonders.
Congressional Districts
AS election day draws nearer 1t is pos
sible to get better line on the congress
sional districts and more accurately predict
the outcome. The first district will return
Ollie James, but his majority will not be as
large as usual. There is considerable criti-
cism Of his luke warm support of Judge
Parker and he will lose votes on this ac-
count. The first is the banner democratic
district the state. but 1t is here also that
the populists are strongest, and this year
they are executing a rear flank movement
that Is harassing James no little, although
he Is In no danger Of defeat.
In the second district the democrats re-
nominated A. o. Stanley, and his majority
will perhaps be about what 1t was two
years ago. when he had 3.s47 to the good
The third district Is experiencing one of
the hottest fights in the state. The money
question still Yields a potent influence in
this district. and the present representative
John 8. Rhea, who forced out OF the run
ming because of his ultra silver views The