Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-25
KENTUCKY CAMPAIGN
One of the Liveliest in States
History.
THE SENATORIAL FIGHT
Mccreary to Be Opposed by Governor
Beckham.
THE CONGRESSIONAL CONTESTS
Review of the Conditions in the Sew
eral Districts-Republica to
Try to Gain in Som
Special Dispatch to The Star.

is being hurled at the populace in what Is
probably the most Interesting and moment
Gus campaign that the old Blue Grass>state
has witnessed in many years. Not only
does Kentucky share the congressional
elections with the other states but will at
the same time dispose of a warm demo-
cratic primary for state Offices and a
United States senatorship, the candidates
for the latter position, Senator James B.
McCreary and Gov. J. C. w. Beckham.
having agreed to leave the disposal of
their respective claims to democratic voters
! in the primary election.
The Beckham-McCreary contest is al
ready In full swing and both candidates for
the senatorship are making an aggressive
Will be supported by powerful local or
eanlzation built up in the main with pa
tronage from the state government In
recent contests In the party this combina-
but Beckham has materially weakened his
chances by a determined stand he has
taken to enforce the Sunday closing law of
saloons and theaters in Louisville While
tnls action has brought to his banner al
most the entire temperance vote of the
state, 1t, nevertheless. has been the cause
OF Beckham losing much strength in certain
quarters that understand thoroughly the
game of politics.
Beckham's Defeat of Blackburn.
- ""S .AoCChLdul THAT H6dQcu the move
ment to dispose of Senator Blackburn, and
In this fight the game proved easier than
any one in the state thought it would The
result has been that Beckham and his fol-
lowers have been led to believe that they
are invincibie as political manipulators and
nothing looks too large to them In Sena-
TOT McCreary. however. the young politf-
clans have found foeman worthy of their
steel and the fight grows warmer as the
days go by. Blackburn was expected to
resent his turn down by assisting McCreary
In his campaign against what has been
termed the machine, but so far his voice
has not been heard on the hustings
McCreary and Beckham spent several
days making bad faces at each other over a
proposition to have a series of Joint debates
that gave promise of adding much interest
to an already interesting campaign but the
party leaders interposed and pleaded that 1t
would mean disaster to the party in several
close congressional districts If the two can
didates for the senatorshp should lock
horns the platform. The proposition
therefore fell through and the two candi-
dates do their debating at long range.
Nominations for Governor.
Great interest also centers in the cam
paign for the democratic nomination for
governor. Gen. N. B. Hays, the present at
torney general of the state. and S. w Ha-
ger, the present state auditor, are the rival
candidates, Bitter personalities and charges
Of graft In connection with state contracts
have marked the campaign between Hays
and Hager. Hays makes serious charges
against Hager and his fellow ONCE holders
at Frankfort Of having been guilty of seri-
GUS Irregularities in connection with print
ing and other state contracts by which the
state Is said to have lost many Thousand
dollars. Hager responds to the charges by
saying that Attorney General Hays was
woefully derelict in performing his duties
as attorney general, and that he failed to
attend one-half of the meetings of the
board that passed on such transactions.
The democrats of the state In large num-
bers also criticise Hays for what they term
telling stories out of school, but notwith-
standing all this Hays apparently has tn.
lead In the canvass at the present time
His speeches have been the warmest and
bitterest of any of the candidates and he
has thus brought to his aid all the various
elements that are antagonistic to the state
fer to call it. 1t is not yet apparent how
ever. that McCreary and Hays have formed
combination, as would appear likely under
the circumstances. but from all appearances
each Is running his campaign free
lance and strictly Independent Of all other
candidates.
Hager started out in the contest as the
administration candidate but a break soon
occurred between him and Beckham. with
the result that he, too, is running an indie
pendent campaign to large extent. This
contest is dividing honors for attention
with the senatorial fight.
An tAO So4S CSSAO1d1 DlSLT1CCS.
In the congressional districts some pretty
contests promised The ninth district
has become famous in Kentucky elections
for being the closest district in the state
1t Is seldom that a representative from
that district has a majority of 500 to his
without contest j. B. Bennett, while the
democrats have again put up James N
kehoe, Benefits immediate predecessor in
the seat. and who was defeated two wears
Thn
this district is already warm and promises
to be the prettiest fight in the state
In Louisville, the fifth district, the demo-
Gratis renominated Swager Sherley. who has
had but little trouble to hold the district
to himself in the last two congressional
fights. The republicans, realizing the
no chances and put up William Q. Owens
probably the ablest campaigner in the state
MI owens at one time represented the old
Ashland district as a democrat. having
Breckenridge, soon after the Madeline Pol
lard episode. Owens abandoned the demo-
cratic party during the time of Goebeis
reign, and has since been closely Identified
paign In Louisville has not yet opened, but
when it does the chances are that it will
afford not little excitement as Sherley
Is alsosknown as an able debater.
Langley in the Tenth.
In the tenth district. normally about 1000
QemOcrdtfc, the repuDllCAnS nave nOminat-
ed John w. Langley until recently disburs-
ing officer and appointment clerk of the
census bureau in Washington. Langley is
personally popular throughout the district
and has one race for Congress to his credit
where he greatly reduced the democratic
majority. The democrats have renominated
Representative Frank H. Hopkins, but. un-
fortunately for him. only after one of the
bitterest conventions held in Kentucky in
recent years. The issues growing out of his
nomination are acute and will undoubtedly
cost him many votes among his party as
socfates. Several democratic papers nota-
bly, the Jackson News, edited by j. Wise
Hagins, have repudiated Hopkins and
placed Langiey's name at their mastheads.
Langley Is making an active campaign, is
speaking and organizing the district and
will no doubt make a telling fight against
Hopkins.
In the third and fourth districts the re-
pubiicans will make hard fights as both are
close and are sometimes represented by re-
publicans The third two years ago elect
ed Representative Richardson by such
narrow margin that it. took the officia, |
count to settle the matter. In the remain
ing districts. aside from the big eleventh
with its 10000 republican majority. the
democrats will have the usual walkoyers
The republicans will not nominate their |
candidates for state offices until some time
next spring, but it is already apparent that
former Appellate Judge A. Rollins Rnrnan, !
tntav Ixrs, -