The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-10-22

STATE MACHINE
Continued from Page One

the same officers being rewarded by
appointments TO positions of trust IL.
| the charitable Institutions of the
state, Mr.. Franks took up the story
that is being circulated over the state
that A. z. Wilson is attorney for the
tobacco trust, while the Democratic
administrator is the friend of ths
growers, and has done great things
for the farmers of the state. He
showed that Mr.. Wilson, as attorney
at the Louisville bar, brought a sui:
agaist the Southern Railway company
for damages to tobacco that was being
shipped over the railway company's
line. The claim for damages was
just one and a Democratic jndge in
the lower court and a Democratic
court Of appeals passed on the case
and said It was just and should be
paid.
He said:
Claim on Farmers.
"The administration is making
great claims for what IL has done for
the tobacco growers of the state. If
their statements are true, am truly
glad, for | have always been in favor
of all Legislation looking TO the in
terest of the farmers of the state.
But, suppose We look into this mat
ter, and Sc IL these fellows have, al
ways been Interested In the farmers
as much as they claim. Two promi-
nent Democrats, one drawing a salary
from the, state, the other very high
in the councils of his party, told me-
not long since that in the last cam
paign of 1905. a prominent Demo-
crq, whose name is under the
rooster, to be voted for this Novem-l
Der. went to New York and solicited
and received $4,000 from the Amer
lean Tobacco company to be used for
the Democratic campaign; Beckham,
Hager & Company, and that 1t was
used to help elect the Democrats in
that campaign. The Georgetown
Times (Democratic) has this to say
on the subject:
Beckham is making a plea to
the country people on the tenn
perance question, but he has
never explained how the man.
ayers of his campaign sold out
. the country people, body and
soul. to the American Tobacco
Company for $4,000. Beckham
lays great stress in his speeches
on some things the senate in
vestigating committee did aud
said, but he is as silent as the
tomb about this fact which was
brought out in the committee.
VIII the country people vote for
man who allows his campaign
managers 20 take $4,000 from
this great corporation that the
farmers are fighting? There is
not farmer in Kentucky but
who feels that he is oppressed
by this great tobacco corpora
ton, and yet when any one In
the legislature wants legislation
in favor of the tobacco grower
the Beckham henchmen always
passed the word down the line
that they must not be hurt. be-
cause they put $4,000 in the
campaign fund The only law
which ever protected the tobacco
growet was the Mccain law, and.
yet Governor Beckham had his
friends 10 repeal II and say to
the tobacco grower that the
buyer could steal ten pounds out
of ever hogshead and not pay
for It. Truly a great reformer
to appeal to the farmers of Ken
lucky.
''If Mr.. Beckham and Mr.. Hager
are so much interested in the tobacco
growers of the state, ought they not
to be legislating against this trust
rather than soliciting campaign funds
from II?
Some Strange Voters.
81 am at a loss to know what the
Democratic committee wants with
campaign funds, when IL has so many
expert election officers scattered over
the state: unless the committee had
some trouble in getting p. Pear. A
Apple. r. Raspberry, Il. Rock and S.
Cedar to the polls; but as the apple
and pear crop is short in Franklin
county this year, they may have to
ship them in from Arkansas or some
where else, and IL will need some
MONEY to pay freight.
"Attorney General n. b. Hays.
your present attorney general, puts
some very interesting questions to the
state administration. This is Demo-
cratic authority. and the Democrats
should take ii as good