The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1905-01-18
GOVERNOR BECkaAM
Responds to Senator Blackburn

"The people of Kentucky who
have learned to know Mr.. Black
burn and who are accustomed to
his eruptive interviews are not sur
prised at the inflammatory utter
ances in his recently published
statement, nor do care one parti.
Gle about his unwarranted and alb
surd attack upon me. 1t is the wall
and last appeal of discredited
man who sees the handwriting upon
the wall and who now begins to re-
alize that patient and long suffer
ing constituency will not again dis
honor itself by sending him back to
the United States Senate. He now
recognizes that there is formida-
BILE and honorable opposition to him
in the State and that the good peo-
pie of Kentucky will this time, in
his case, draw proper distinction
between voice and sense, volubility
and craftsmanship.
"For over thirty years he has
been the meretricious beneficiary OF
popular indulgence as a member in
the two houses of Congress, and l
challenge anyone in Kentucky or
elsewhere to point to a single act OF
public service in all that time he
has ever rendered to his State, his
country or his party. Since his
present term began there has been
but one question before the Federal
Senate upon which this distinguish
ed Senator has attracted any pub
lie notice through the press, and
that mas been his superb leadership
and sleepless vigilance in the advo-
cacy of Queen Lilliuokalani, the
dusky and deposed ruler Of the Ha
waiian Islands, who blushingly
seeks, with Senator Blackburn as
her chivalric champion, the modest
sum of 100000 from this Govern
ment to soothe her wounded feel
ings over the loss of her throne and
to enable her, if possible, by the
practice of rigid economy and fru-
gality, to exc out wretched exist
ence with this small pittance.
"Quite calamity and herOlcally
has this senior Senator from Ken
lucky, with his knightly lance, es
poused the cause of this throneless-
damsel, and | have no doubt that
his sympathies were enlisted and
his zeal stimulated by the narration
to him of the atrocious methods
with which the Hawaiin machine
ousted the demure Queen Lii from
her island throne. This has been
about the only service we have
heard of his rendering to his con-
stituency since we last succeeded in
getting him back to the Senate
after a long and hard fight. !
would gladly respect his age, and
attribute his utterances to that, but
age does not entitle him to make
such wanton and vicious attacks
upon me and my friends He says
that he has contempt for Beck
ham, etc., and l say that l could
not honorably buy his respect,
which, in the matter of his re-elec-
ton, is for sale. nor do /, under
any conditions, want it. | had his
contempt in 1900, when, as a can
didate for the Democratic nOmina-
ton for Governor, | won over him
and all the opposition he could
raise.
Il had his contempt during the
campaign that fall, when, though
the nominee of my party, he tried
to defeat me, and ] charge it upon
him, and yet won over the Repub-
lican candidate by 300 majority.
Every utterance be gave out in that
critical campaign was used by the
Republicans for campaign material,
and / believe Blackburn so intend
ed them to be used. / had his
contempt during all of my first
administration, in season and out,
during legislative sessions, and up
on all occasions, from the time when
he, having been elected to the Sen