The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1906-01-18
Especial Washington letter.

iOptIidi NhSthubkOH AtNtcEsl
TNHE last-and most convincing evi.
dence that we live in an age of
change is the easy defeat OF the
Hon Joseph G. S. Blackburn
for reelection to the United States SEN
ate by the Hon Thomas ii. Paynter,
judge of the court of appeals of Ken
lucky. Kentuckians are essentially and
almost universally Il race of Hotspurs,
and Joe Blackburn is the typical Hot
spur. He possesses every virtue and
every vice Of the average Kentuckian.
For forty years he has been one of the
most popular men that ever lived In the
state. Neither Henry Clay nor John
J. Crittendcn nor John c. Breckln-
| ridge had stronger hold on Kentucky
hoi polloi. From the mouth of the Cum
berland to the mouth of the Big Sandy
he knew nearly every man, woman and
child, and nearly every man, woman
| and child knew him and nearly every
blessed one of them called him Joe
| 1t has been said Of him. no doubt with
| great deal of truth, that he knew the
| name. pedigree and record of every
race horse In Kentucky.
| He was a gallant soldier Of the Con-
federacy, of course OF the cavalry
branch, for no genuine Kentuckian will
ever walk where he can find a horse to
ride. On the stump he was as capti-
| waiting as Tom Marshall. AS mixer
and handshaker he never had q supe-
rior in Kentucky or any other state.
| Thirty years ago he succeeded Beck in
the house of representatives. From
that day to this. with the exception Of
| four years he was in retirement, he has
| been In the house or senate. He came
within what the Kentuckians would
call n Georgetown Craze of beating
Randall for the speakership. He play
ed a conspicuous part.amid the stormy
scenes of the Hayes-Tilden presiden-
| tial contest. On that occasion he made
one of the bitterest speeches ever heard
within the walls of the capitol, portions
| Of which are quoted even to this day
as samples Of verbal aqua fortis. That
| he should be defeated at oil is remark
able but that he should be defeated by
staid and sober jurist OF high degree
! is more remarkable still. The chances
are that in primary election, though
backed by the Beckham machine. Judge
| Paynter would not have been able to
poll one vote out of three in contest
| against Blackburn. Nevertheless, under
the present system of electing senators
Judge Paynter received fifty y-nine votes
In the Democratic caucus when he only
needed fifty-three.
Blackburn is only sixty-seven years
old, an exceedingly well preserved
man. while he is a fine lawyer, excep-
| tionally strong as criminal lawyer,
politics is his special delight. 1t is hard
to tell whether he has a political fu-
| ture. The chances are that he can be
| elected governor next year il he wants
| to be. He might possibly return to the
house from the Ashland district, though
| South Trimble seems to have pretty
good grip on his constituency. 1t is not
at all probable that he will attempt to
| gobble Senator McCreary's toga, as he
fought just as hard to save Blackburn
as did Blackburn himself and, any
how, Governor Beckham has his eagle
| eye fixed on the McCreary toga. But
Beckham will find it an exceedingly
difficult task to divorce Senator Nc.
| Creary from his official raiment