The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-11
Discord in Kentucky's
 Democratic Party.
HENRY WATTERsoN's OPINION
Defeat of Democrats Laid to Beck
 hams Door.
There Is Talk of Pushing Others fer Senatorial Toga, Senator Me- Creary and Judge Hager
 Being Mentioned.
BY J. R. HoRNAnY.

laN~ While the next Kentucky Lsgislaturs will be extremely close. there is iittlS doubt but the Democrats will have a small majority on joint ballot, and tho thing which threatens to crush the Sen atortai ambition of Governor Becknam IS the sullen anger of the men in his own party. who. justly or unjustly attribute the disaster of the present hour to him.
 During the late campaign, effort was made to cover up the differences within the Democratic organization and men were seen working shoulder to should CT who had not spoken for years. but the solid front presented by the lead. CTS failed to inspire .he~rank and nle and the result showed that the bitter ness tnsptred@bv several years of so- called one-rnan rule, could not he brushed aside even by the men whose fortunes had been most vftaIly affected by It's operations.
 Senator McCreary. whose frfends hold that he should have been re- elected to tha Senate. but who was defeated in primary election forced upon him by Governor Beckhan. At a time when many Democrats. thought such an election ili-advised. took the stump and championed not only the cause os the Democratic State ticket. but that of Governor Beckham Hf seemed to forget the treatment he had received. but, in the lurfd glare of kha disaster of last Tuesday. 1t is easy to be seen that his friends did not for- get.
 And the Mccrearv incident is onIy one Of many which served 10 insp1re bitterness and discord. Henry Waiter son. the veteran editor of The Leuis ville Courier-Iournal. and another oI the old time Democratic leaders wnosf word carried no weight with the nets regime. says in his paper:
 Wntterson Lays Binme.
 If we were asked to put in a single sentence the cause of Democratic sts. aster In Kentucky. we should ansa
 the one-uan power. The one man pow .ar. established bv William c 9el5el
 Acended to John crepa wickliffes ~ ~ ham. Always a preacrions po1seesinn 1t became perilous and finally deadly in the hands of an ambitious. unaptr ing organizer. sacrificing everyhesl, and eyerything--the ethics ard pr;tsA tice of just government and along witt the principles of Democraey--to the single purpose of building seif-per- petua ting niaci1iue. ike that Of int Camerons and thereafter of Quay. ir Pennsylvania"
 This single paragraph from a long stinging editorial shows the feeling of many thousands of Kentucky Demo crats and 1t is this widespread tenden. cy to hold Beckham responsible for the melancholy pass to which sthe once proud organization has been brought, that stands an almost insurmountable of his amb!tion--the United States Sen ate. As a general. this element toldt that he has led the army to disaster and they feel that he should sufEer with the rank and file.
 If Beckham could count on the unit. s.N A.. Aa. Legislature. his election would be al. most certain. but he cannot do thia. Already. In spite of the primary cleo ton in which he was nominated for the Senate. there is talk of pushing other Democrats for the toga. Senator McCreary and Judge Hager, the lat ter the defeated candidate for Govern or. being mentioned. While expressing confidence in the outcome. the friends of Governor Beckhan realize the grav- ity of the situation and until the Legis- lature assemblies and the momentoue issue has been disposed of. the fight in behalf of the chief executive wall Dc carried on with the greatest possible 1t is a fight for political life on the part of the Governor.
 State Chairman Hines. of the Demo cratic Campaign Committee. clatme that the Democrats win be able to or ganize both branches of the Legislature and that the party will have q major ity of nine on Joint ballot. On the other hand. Chairman Thatcher. of the Legislative committee, says i've will organize the House. where we will have hfty-three members. Tn the Senate we will have sixteen members The next Senator will be a Republican, I can think of no condition that could exist to make possible the election of Governor Beckham."
 In the event that the Republicans can control the situation, either through their success In certain con. tests which are to be inaugurated, of by reason of Democratic opposition td Beckham. 1t Is almost certain that for mer Governor W. O. Bradley will be sent to the United States Senate. He was the dominant figure in the recent campaign, both in the State and it Louisville. He practically dictated the T. omination os willson for Governor and of Grinstead for Mayor of Louis vile. and there Is no doubt but his eio- quencc on the stump contributed largely to the success of both cahdi- dates
 The Legislature meets in Januarw and the session promises to rival fir interest and excitement that memor- able session when the military of the State camped around about the legis. lative hall and when a long series otr exciting incidents eliminated in 5e assa ssinatlon of Governor Geobef and the fight of Governor Taylor Not tlie least remarkable feature of the gathet. ing will be the fact that the big. tri- umphant figure of former Governor Bradley will loom largely upon ths he is the man the Dem. ocrats charged with bringing aboul the reign of bloodshed and terrorW which eliminated in that display df force and the disaster which