The Frankfort roundabout., 1908-02-29
fight
Continued in SENATE
Another |tIe Over County
Unit Bill Expected.
REPRESENTATIVE KLAIR OUT.
WITS BOTH DEMOCRATS
AND REPUBLICANS.
CONTEST CASES WARMING UP

The House passed the county unit
bill, extending the county unit law
to every county in the State, on.
Thursday. This simple statement.
does not begin to convey an idea of
what happened before the county unit
bill was passed, nor does it tell of
the weeks of fighting which were
waged to prevent the bill from ever
coming to a vote. The opponents of
the measure, although only handful,
managed things well, and it was only
after the most determined assault by
the temperance forces that the bill
was passed. For weeks nothing has
been done in the House because of
the county unit bill, the opponents of
the measure absolutely tying up alb
business in order to prevent the bill
from being repor ed, for it was gen.
orally conceded that if the bill ever
came to a vote it would be passed
by a large majority, as it was. The
vote on the passage of the bill was
rs to IA. Many of those who voted
against the bill explained their votes,
and some of those who voted for il
lso explained why they did so.
Two things complicated the fight for
the county unit bill. The senatorial
race cut figure in the lineup of the
members. it being charged by botn
sides that the county unit bill was
being used for political purposes.
Then the contest cases, which the
Republicans were anxious to have
brought up, also prevented the Dem
ocrats from voting for motions which
ontemplated bringing up the county
nit bill but also provided for a re-.
ort on the contests. The Republicans:
were willing to take both but the.
Democrats wanted only the county
init bill. The whisky men wanted
the county unit bill kept in the back
ground but did not especially care
hat became of the contests.
With this sort of a situation inter-
esting results necessarily followed and.
the House saw some of the liveliest
| fighting which has been seen in sew
eral years, with expert parliamentary
ans working for each side. Every.
device known to parliamentary
body was used to delay the county
unit bill and for the last week the
same sort of devices were used to
prevent the contest cases from being,
eported. The two questions tied up
he House completely during the en-
tire week, until just before the hour
lot adjournment on Thursday when
the county unit bill finally reached
vote and was passed. But the con-
test cases did nos come up and the
Republicans are sore ald fighting mad
and ready to do almost anything.
They insist that Mr.. Gooch, the Speak
r, was wrong in his ruling, and should
ave allowed the contests to come up.
But Mr.. Gooch could not see It that
way and laid down the rule that the
ontest committee could not be forced
to make reports.
On Monday and Tuesday the Repub-
licans tried to get their contest cases.
reported, it being understood that
they would unseat Hugh Mahin of
Jessamine county. His seat is con-
tested by Mr. Howard j. Hal Wood
ford's seat is also contested, and it
was thought probable that he would
be unseated in favor of his Republi-
can opponent. j. K. Porter, OF Web
ster county, was in the chair on Mon
day and Tuesday, Mr.. Gooch being
.bsent in Louisville where he was
having his throat treated. He pre-
vented the Republicans from bringing
up the contest cases and also prevent
ed any motion to hold an afternoon
session for consideration of the re-
ports of the contest committees.
The same fight, to bring up the con-
test cases, was carried on again by
the Republicans in the House ON We'd
nesday. Mr.. Gooch had returned and
was in the chair. He recognized the
Continued on page 81