The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1908-04-22
BURNING WORDS
OF PARTY PAPER
In Regard to Present Poll
tics in Kentucky.
LEXINGTON LEADER EDITORIAL
In Which Editor Sam J. Rob-
ertS Speaks Out in
Strong Terms.

In the South, edited by Sam J. Rob-
erts, Collector OF Internal Revenue
for his District, has the following to
say in regard to political matters in
Kentucky:
The ex-federal office holders now
holding offices in or under the State
administration, who are going up
and down the highways reading fed
eral office holders out Of the party
because some OF the latter are sup
porting Secretary Taft instead OF
Vice President Fairbanks for Presi-
dent, are seeking to justify their IT,
rades by charging that the editor OF
the Leader, who holds a federal office,
did everything in his power to pre-
vent the election Of Governor Brad
ley to the United States senate"
The Leader Is alone responsible
for its utterances, and its editor is
the only federal office holder who
may rightly be called to account for
what 1t may have said about the SEN
atorial contest or may now say about
political conditions generally. 1t fol-
lows its own judgment and sense of
duty, and attacks upon federal office
holders as a class because of it's at
titude are wholly gratuitous and out
Of place. .s .. ..ts.t a.s
The Leader did not do everything
in it's power TO prevent the election Of
Governor Bradley as Senator" On
the contrary, 1t did everything 1t
could honorably do TO elect him, and
baked only when 1t was proposed to
sacrifice party honor by strangllng
the county unit bill, to which the
Republicans unreservedly committed
themselves In State convention only
to abandon in advance every political
ty looked forward in the event OF
success at the polls in November. I'D.
The Leader believed that the pas
sage of laws giving to Kentucky an
ideal registration and election sys-
TEN, fair division OF the State In
TO congressional, senatorial, represen-
tative and judicial districts and non
partisan control of prisons, asylums
and charitable institutions generally,
was of vastly greater concern to the
commonwealth and to the Republican
party than the election OF a United
States Senator. We had exploited Gov
ernor Bradley's meetings and speeches
had been thanked by that gentleman
for the consideration given him. We
looked upon him as practically THERE
publican senatorial nominee, and no
man in Kentucky gave him and the
cause more, loyal or generous support,
financially and personally, to say
No one was more sorely disappointed
than the editor of the Leader when
it was found that the general assem-
bly, was Democratic on joint ballot,
and that Governor Bradley could not
be elected to the United States Sen
ate by Republican votes
On the night before the Inaugural
tlon of Mr.. Wilson the so-called
contest committee" which was man
aging Governor Bradleys campaign
called secret caucus Of all the Re-
publican members OF the general as
sembly then in Frankfort and put
through this rump and unauthorized
body, resolutions declaring for Brad
ley for senator and binding the Re-
publcans to caucus and vote as a
unit on all measures OF a political
character.
The caucus was the turning point
in the movement for non-partisan leg
islation aud destroyed all chance OF
securing fair registration, and election
and redistricting laws under Cover
nor Wilson's administration. The
Democratic press took up these blum
dering resolutions and denounced the
insincerity Of the Republican minor
ity in appealing to the Democrats,
who were in the majority in both
houses, TO lay aside partisan feeling
to pass Hon-raitisan laws, and AZ the
same tine resolving TO caucus, vote
rs Il unit ard make every political
measure party question.
Majority Ttriics can afford to draw
strict pal.y lines on every question,
but minority parties defeat thair own
purposes by such a course.
Before Governor Wilson had
chance to call the proposed non-par-
tisan or bipartisan conference. from
which good results had been expect
ed, It's possible usefulness had been
absolutely destroyed by the rldlcule
heaped upon the Republicans as a
result of this foolish star chamber