The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-19
WAVE OF REFORM.
1t Appears to Have Swept
Louisville, KY, Clean.
Entire New Set of City Officers
Is Appointed.
RESULT OF FRAUDS
Perpetrated in Connection With
the Last Election.
Neither Party to the Contest
Secures Recognition.

Louisville, Ky, July 19.-With the
appointment by Governor Beckham
of complete new boards of councilmen
and aldermen in a day or two Louis
vile will have reached the culmina-
tion of a political revolution which in
extent and effects has only been
paralleled by one or two other cities
of the first class in the history of the
United States. The upheavaI is the
result of the recent decision of the
Kentucky court of appeals overturn-
ing the election of 1905. On the face
of the returns as counted on election
day the Democratic ticket for city and
county offices Jefferson county-had
been declared elected, but contest in
the courts was instituted by repre-
sentatives of the fusion ticket, the
only one in the field against the
The court of appeals in the final
hearing of the case decided that
gross frauds in the matter of re-
peating, illegal voting, intimidation of
voters and Justification of the count
had prevailed to such an extent as to
render the election invalid. Under
the terms of the courts mandate it
became incumbent on Governor Beck
ham to appoint boards of council and
aldermen and a mayor for the city of
Louisville and a county Judge for JEFF
ferson county. The mayor and coun-
ty judge were under the law empow-
cred to fill all the remaining county
and city offices made vacant by the
decision. All the appointees under
election is held in November of this
year to fill the offices until 1909
Governor Beckham appointed Rob-
ert w. Bingham mayor Walter P.
Lincoln was appointed county judge.
The new mayor and county Judge
proceeded forthwith to make practi-
cally a clean sweep. OF all the minor
offices. such as city treasurer, county
sheriff. ETC., to the number of IS. only
two or possibly three of those holding
Will be allowed to hold on until No
Vember. COntrariwise. none of the
unsuccessful fusion candidates has
been appointed to any vacant place,
appointed sheriff. The mayor also ap-
pointed new boards of safety and pub
lie works. The board of works is re-
ported to be contemplating a general
clean up of those holding positions in
that department on the ground that in
common with a number of members Of
the police and fire departments. their
chief work has been in the nature Of
organized intimidation and conniving
at election frauds which caused the
overturning of the 1905 election.
The board of safety has already
made a start by securing the resigna-
llOn Ol OIiSI OIL 9OlCe ana
the reduction of Assistant Chief Ridge
and six captains. all the commanding
officers of the police department., to
the rank of patrolmen. Similar sweep
ing changes are expected to be made
in the personnel of the fire depart
ment, although Mayor Bingham an
nounced last night that he would re-
tain the chief. Fillmore Tyson.
One of the results thus far of the
changes has been the putting of the
lid down tight on saloons and gam
bling and the general exodus of small
gamblers and tender1oin habitues and
suspects" of all kinds.
Last Sunday Louisville was abso-
lutely dry from midnight Saturday
until o'clock m. Monday
The situation seems to be shaping
itself toward one of the fiercest strug-
giles ever known in Louisville politics
the coming autumn when the recently
ousted officials and their following
hope through the primaries and cleo
ton to regain control.