The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-17
Btckham Forces Cannot Con- tOI the Necessary Num-
 bsr of Ballots
LEGISLATURE HAS DONE
 ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
5eckham's Supporters Show No Sign of Wavering, While Republicans Are Sticking To Bradley
 Like Glue.

Franklin, Ky, February 16-The Ken lucky general assembly has striven for exactly a month in an effort to elect United States senator to succeed James B. McCreary and today is apparently no nearer an election than it was on the uay the first ballot was taken. On the first vote Former Governor Beckham. who had been nominated at the demo- cratic primaries received 66 votes Former Governor Bradley, republican, 64 votes. while seven democratic members were scattering and one republican absent through Illness. During the month in which balloting has proceeded Beckham gained back Senator Tabb who voted against him the first day, but lost Repre- sentative Blair, while Representative Der ham, who was Ill, has recovered and is now voting for Bradley, making the relative strength of the two candidates practically the same as when voting began.
 During the four weeks interveninr. however, the limit of politics has been piayed by both democratic and republi- cans in the effort to secure an advantage iii the race and break the deadlock. The principal charges and countercharges hava been over a bill to extend the provisions of the county unit local option p-ohibi- ton law uniformly to all counties of the state. The republicans have charged that the Beekham democrats have used this as afiegislative football seeking first to deal with the reealcitrant members by agreeing to help the bill and failing in that to hang it over their heads as a punishment for their failure to support the democratic nominee. On the other hand the prohibition democrats assert that the republicans have violated the emphatic declarations of their last state platform for voting with the so-cailed liquor democrats to delay the bill. It was charged by the Beckham democrats last week that an agreement was reached whereby the republicans were to deliver 40 votes to delay the prohibition bill in exchange for four votes from the minority democrats to unseat two democratic representatives, thus putting Bradley within three votes of victory. On the day when this charge was first made 40 re- publicans voted to delay the bill which the democrats assert Is vindication of this accusation.
 Contesting cases involving the seats of NNhiVSidlic representative Ndnln or Jef- ferson county and Woodford of Bourbon county will undoubtedly come up early in the week and the Beckham democrats say it will be then disclosed whether the minority democrats will keep their part of the alleged bargain In the mean time the friends of Beckham are making every effort to prevent the loss of any of their votes.
 The constant efforts of the democrats who are opposing Beckham have been to present the name of some democrat who might prove powerful enough to induce some of the Beckham men to desert him
 Republicans are supporting Bradley as unit. hopeful that they may finally secure enough votes from the anti-B Beck ham delegates to elect him
 While the senatorial pot is at the boiling point, legislation is practically at a standstill. The session is more than half over yet but one bill has become law and It only provides for a stem ographer for the governor