The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-10-09
DEMOCRATIC PAPER
Rakes the Machine and Its
Engineers Fore
and Aft.
Can the Leopard Change Its
Spots?

Mayfield Monitor, a staunch Democrat
ic paper, wrote the following strong
Indictment OF the Democratic machine
in Kentucky. The fact tat Messrs.
Hager and Beckham won in that pri-
mary does not change the force nor
the truthfulness OF the charges made
by the Monitor. II they were true
then, they are now. We submit the
Monitors article TO the voters OF the
state that they may know what a DEM
ocratic editor in the Gibraltar OF
Democracy" thinks of the Democratic
machine and its engineers. Messrs.
Beckham and Hager. And bear in
mind that these charges were not
made by a Republican and that few
months has not in the least changed
the leopard's spots:
VIVA. the Fight Is.
The present campaign is not merely
n fight between the "ins" and butts"
as the machine organs would have the
people believe.
II is a fight OF the people to dislodge
the Frankfort machine. a well organ
ICED lot of politicians. banded togeth-
er for the purpose of controlling all
the Offices of the state and filing
their capacious pockets from the state
treasury.
And it IS a fight that is OF much
greater import to the people than they
can at present realize because ma
chine politics in Kentucky as applied
10 the state, is comparatively a re-
cent thing. and IL is hard for the peo-
pie to understand its many evils and
the great danger attending is perpet-
uation.
Maohineism represents all that Is
bad In politics. II is practical politics
gone 70 seed The greatest graft 10
the smallest number is the motto Of
the machine politician. Statesman
ship and patriotism are completely
eliminated from his creed. The peo-
pie are all "dumb-driven cattle" to
him. possessing neither private nor
political rights which he Is bound 10
respect, and beyond the means they
afford for gratifying his greed fer
graft and lust for power excite no IN
terest I'm his unconscionable soul.
The Frankfort machine IS modern
in every respect. The most up TO
date appliances for extracting money
from the peoples pockets and fooling
them into the belief that they are be
ing robbed for their own good are
employed. Scientific experts. who
know all the ins and out Of machine
politics. are in charge and nothing
that will bring sheckles into the hands
Of the machine or increase It's power
for perpetuation is being neglected.
This is the machine which Beck
ham, Hager & Co. built. and for which
they are asking a new lease of life.
Il has already cost the state untold
thousands in extravaganza and mis-.
feasance, and what il has cost is a
II
II continued in power.
This is the machine which the peo.
pie are fighting and which they would
sweep from the face n the earth N
they could realize half Of its rotten
ness.
This is the machine which Messrs.
Beckham and Hager are expecting 10
put them in power and give one six
and the other four years more at the
public crib.
This is the machine which started
out TO build a state capitol for eight
hundred thousand dollars and asked
the legislature for two millions be
fore the foundation was completed.
This is the machine that paid $780,
900 for capitol plans when they were
offered plans by reputable architect
for $4,000 and this same architect
offered to give a bond to build the cap
itol for 1925. 900.
This is the machine that paid .s2f.-
900 for printing. when under their
contract Il should not have cost 81
600; and a another time gave away
s12. 900 or $4,000 in the same manner.
This is the same machine that paid
1924, 900 for extra attorneys fees TO
their pets IN three years.
This is the machine that lowered
the rate OF taxation 2h cents on the
hundred and raised the value Of prop
erty 20 per cent. making the tax much
higher than before
This is the machine that has taxed
everything in sight and levied back
taxes that 1t might have money to
meet fits wasteful and extravagant
practices.
This is the machine that put the
charitable institutions IN the hands OF
Percy Haly. a Frankfort politician.
who learned craftsmanship in his
fathers saloon.
This is the machine under whose
brutalities have been
practiced at the Lexington asylum
that have resulted in the death OF one
patient and perhaps more
This is the machine that comes up
and whltewashes all such deviltry.
for fear Il might hurt the administra-
tlon aad ger some Of its pets in prison.
NJ