The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1907-11-01
ex-governor and GALLANT CON-
FEDERATE SOLDIER, gen. BUCkNER

Ieil Ill way.
Those of the original band who re-
fused TO follow this new avocation
were of course stigmatzed as des-
erters, renegades and traitors un-
worthy to march under the immacu-
late banner of Holy Pilgrims!
In like manner the Democratic par
ty in Kentucky maintained for nearly
century the rights of the people. II
/ proclaimed equal rights to all, exclu-
sive privileges to none; ballot free
from intimidation or fraud; judici-
airy free from partisan bias; a rigid
enforcement of the laws; the strict
est integrity In officials; and the prac-
tice of public virtue in all classes of
the community as the only true basis
of patriotism in our republic. But
some ambitious men in the party seek
ing 10 promote their personal ends
have succeeded in remodeling this
creed. They met in Frankfort and
proceeded TO enact an election law so
partial in is action that it robbed the
people Of all right to fair suffrage.
This act of injustice was followed, as
natural sequence, by the frauds of the
Music Hall convention, where the vote
of large majority was stifled by in
timidation and every form Of iniqui-
ty.
There the Democratic party was
overthrown and a constituencies ma
chine, warning upon every principle
of Democracy, was reared upon its ru
ms.
Though it was exultantly proclaim
ed by an enthusiastic Democratic ora
tor that after the passage of the new
election law IF any stealing was to be
done 1t would not be done by the Re-
publican party" such was the indi-
gnation of the people that they over
came all the fraudulent votes which
had been recorded against them and
defeated the candidates of this ma
chine by a decided majority; and the
Democratic Election Commission
whose majority were men of honor and
in tegrity, aworded thecertificate to
the men chosen by the people and
they were duly installed into office.
But the machine was not thus to
be thwarted in it's fraudulent purpose.
A contest was instituted. The return
ing board was recognized and these
slaves of the ring recorded the will of
their masters by unseating the officers
chosen by the people and installing
a usurping minority in their places.
With equal subservience the legisla-
tive body which first organized the
machine registered the will of it's crea-
ture by DISTINGUISHING without cause
more than one-fourth the votes of
The Safe in order to defeat the will of
The people; and TO give their action
ne semblance of validity did not hest
f2'e 10 antedae the time o their
fraudulent action.
What has followed since is a matter
Of history; some of it of judicial his
DRY. We have but TO study the deci-
sion of our highest court TO find the
methods pursued by this machine.
The right of the people to freely ex-
press their will in their choice of their
officials is denied. Ballot boxes are
stuffed with imaginary names; voting
places are secretly removed contrary
20 law pending the election; criminals
of every class are imported as repea-
,ers and are allowed during their stay
10 pursue their vocation of ROBBERY
under the protection of the police.
Honest election officers are driven
from the polls; peaceable citizens are
knocked down, beaten and imprisoned
for no other offense than of complain
ing of wrongs, and offending police
men are publicly commended for their
violation of law and promoted for
their crimes against society.
If the stuffing of ballot boxes was
inadequate, it has been shown that
in the country the very trees Of the
forest, if not the beasts of the field,
have been recorded as voters to silenc
the voices of living men who protes-
ted against these outrages. An impair
lial court could not fail TO set aside
an election so attended by fraud, in
timidation and violence as was that
held in Louisville in 1906.
The officials chosen by executive au-
thority to replace the discarded Off
GERS were true Democrats who did not
fail to expose the scandals and corrup-
lions of those who proceeded them;
have enforced the laws against crime
and have sought to bring the party
back TO its former standard of purity
and patriotism; but the machine has
refused to support them in their
measures of reform, and has thrust
them aside and substituted as their
candidate for the highest offices in
the city man who defies the author
ity of the State and openly avows his
purpose to refuse to execute a law