The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1906-10-26
an Open Letter From Mayor
O'Brien.
Paris, Ky, October rs, 1906.
John 7. Hinton. Esq,


engage in any controversy and am
willing at all times to allow the great
est possible latitude in political mat
tiers, but as you, in your desperate
efforts to make votes for your candi-
date for Senator, are using my name
so freely, and are so earnestly seeking
to make me and my official actions an
issue in the coming primary for said
office, SO far as it effects this city and
county, justice to myself and the peo-
pie whom you are attempting to de-
ceive, cOmpels me to take up and dis
cuss the contemplate and despicable
methods which you and your henchmen
are using. | can best show your utter
disregard for every known code of poll
tlcaI ethics by taking up in detail the
various arguments which ] am reliably
Informed are being used by you.
Your first argument has been adj
dressed to the law abiding citizens and
advocates of temperance with whom
you have come in contact; these you
have asked to vote for Beckham because
of his efforts to enforce the law to close
the saloons in Louisville. and to secure
the passage of the County Unit Bill.
II you are believer or an advocate of
temperance and the enforcement of the
law and the Sunday closing of saloons,
these sentiments do you honor, and if
you further believe that Governor
Beckham is sincere in his present atti-
tude and utterances on these questions,
you ought to support him any official
who does his duty under the law, and
his oath of office, is entitled and ought
to receive the support of every honest
and law abiding citizen. But even you
must concede that since have been the
Mayor Of Paris | too have stood for the
enforcement of the law and the closing
of the saloons on Sunday. The only
apparent difference between the pos
ton of the Governor and myself in
these matters, is that | have succeeded
where he has failed; [ closed the
saloons in Paris on Sunday, while he,
as yet, failed to close them anywhere.
In saying this | am merely stating
the facts and in no wise rejecting upon
the Governor; with him and bis actions
| am not concerned. If you are sincere
in the arguments you are making for
the Governor, then it would seem that
| would at least have your moral sup
port and assistance in the efforts that
|, as an official, am making to attain
the same end. Are you giving it? No,
but on the contrary you are using the
fact that ] did close the saloons on Sun
day as an argument in favor of your
candidate Tor Senator. You have made
1t point to say TO many of the saloon
keepers and their friends, that they
ought to vote for Beckham because
am for McCreary. Why? Because l
have enforced the laws and closed the
saloons on Sunday. A curious argument,
and coming from you, an utterly in
consistent one. In common with many
others who have heard it, | can only
conclude that You are in favor OF en-
forcing the law in Louisville, but oppos-
ed to such action in Paris To believe
otherwise would be to hold you guilty
of the most disreputable politics | have
ever known, for if you did not believe
the way | have said cannot think that
you would stultify yourself by using
such an argument. But | can assure
you that in this case your arrow has
missed its mark, for the saloon keepers
of Paris have no grievance against me.
There is no city in Kentucky where the
/ saloOn-keepers are obeying the laws
more readily or more cheerfully than
they are in Paris at present. The great
majority of them have assured me that
! they were perfectly satisfied, that in
requiring them to close on Sunday, /
had acted for their best interests and
that they expected to comply with the
law in the future. Leaving you, how
ever, to explain if you wish, your posi-
ton and your apparent inconsistency,
will take up your next argument.
You have said to many persons that
they ought to vote for Beckham be-
cause tom Moore and Jim O'Brien
are for McCreary." Since Mr.. Moore
has been County Attorney he has fear
lessly and energetically performed the
duties of his office. He has put an end
to gambling and chicken fighting, has
broken up blind tigers, has stopped the
payment of illegal fees to county Off
Gals, and has brought about, for the
first time in the history of Bourbon
county. a reign of law. That this
situation exists at present is due en-
tirely to the efforts of Mr.. Moore and
to him alone in linking my name with
MS in this argument you are merely
/ trying to take from him part of the
credit to which he is justly entitled.
/ His efforts have commended themselves
to every law-abiding citizen in Bourbon
county you alone are the exception.
AS you have raised this question
ask you to say if you wish people to
vote against McCreary because tom
Moore" who is for him, has closed
the eight crap games and the four
/ poker games, which were running
openly, VIGOROUSLY and publicly when
he went into office Or do you ask it
because the same Tom Moore" has
forced the closing of the numerous
blind tigers, which for years were con-
Quoted openly and publicly in Claysville
and Ruckerville as were the places in
city which pay license? Is it for these
reasons, or some other, that you appeal
to the people whose crap games have
been closed, poker games stopped and
blind tigers forced to suspend, to vote
for Beckham because Jim O'Brien and
Tom Moore are for McCreary?" AS
you have seen fit to make political
issue of these matters | am willing to
make you the following proposition: If
you will give one good valid reason
why any man who believes in the