The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-12-06
The Next Legislature May Make
the Selections.
Two OF Our Greatest Men, Abraham
Lincoln and Jefferson Davis
Were Kentuckians.
MUCH INTEREST Is AROUSED

the Capital at Washington, d. c.,
says the Louisville Herald.
When the Hall of Fame was estab-
lshed by congress provision was
made for each state to select two of
its most eminent sons to place their
statues therein. Nearly every state in
the union has taken advantage OF
this opportunity and niche is still
reserved for Kentucky, but 1t has ne
yer been filled
The Kentucky legislature is the
body empowered to make the selec-
t.on and to provide the statues, and
the next session, which meets Janu
airy 2, 1906, will be asked to furnish
Kentucky's statues.
Peculiarly enough the great men
mentioned for this honor have been
dead for at least a generation anG Of
those who have died In the past gen.
Grafton, the only one whose name is
seriously mentioned is Col. w. C. P.
Breckenridge. He, however, never at
;ained the eminenoe of his kinsmen.
John Breckenridge. and John C.
Breckenridge. and II is improbable
that his statue will be selected.
Kentucky has furnished the great
es: president OF tho United States
with the exception perhaps of Wash
lngton and Jefferson, both of whom
were born in Virginia when Kentuc-
Ky was part of Virginia. Kentucky
furnished the only president of
the Southern Confederacy and some
OF The greatest orators and statesmen
the country has produced.
Living Kentuckians are. OF course.
excluded from the list. Two of her
greatest sons. George Rogers Clark
and Henry Clay, were born in Vir-
ginia at a time when Pennsylvania, las
kentucky was at first called, was a
part Of Virginia. but they moved to
Kentucky when young men. and are
properly Kentucky products. Clark
conquered the Northwest territory,
which gave to America the rich states
lof Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin
and Michigan, and was a man of
great character. Clay was undoubted-
ly Americas foremost orator and
statesman, and deserved but missed
the presidency three times.
Two obscure lads were born in the
western part of the state within COM
paratively a few miles of each other,
a generation before the Civil war
broke out, One migrated in early
childhood to Illinois. The other mi
grated in early manhood. southwark
Ito Mississippi. Each absorbed the sent
iments of their adopted sections. The
Kentuckian, who moved northward,
was Abraham Lincoln, who became
president at the most crucial period
IN the country's history. The Kentuc-
khan who moved to the Southland was
jefferson Davis, who became the first
and only president OF the Southern
lConfederacy.
Other Kentuckians who attained
distinction and national renown were
John j. Crittenden, Thomas +. Mar
shall Albert Sidney Johnston and r.
H. Menifee. President Zachary Tay-
Tor spent his boyhood in Kentucky
and he has lineal descendants still
living in Louisville, but he never at
talned to the distinction of many %
Kentucky's sons.
Partisan admirers of many other
Kentuckians, such as J. b. Beck, Will
liam Goebel, Isaac Shelby and other
United States senators and governors,
have also urged their claims, but such
supporters are generally men not well
acquainted with Kentucky history
and with the truly great men Ken
lucky has furnished to the world
George ID. Prentice, Joel T, Hart
and perhaps one or two of Kentucky's
inventors might be mentioned for the
honor and We're they not overshad-
owed by such names as Clark. Clay.
Crlttenden, Lincoln and Davis. one
of them might be selected for the
honor.
The legislature will undoubtedly
re willing TO supply the statues of
Kentuckians for the Hall of Fame,
but Il Will not be an easy task for the
legislature TO agree upon the two
names TO select. Partisan lines should
be obliterated in making such a Sc
lection, and local lines ought to be
obliterated, although, perhaps. few