The bee., 1911-08-18

campaign at Elizabethtown, KY, on
Monday, August IA, before an immense
crowd, which gave him the closest at
tention. He sounded the keynote Of
this campaign as being whether the
people or the interests should control
the States politics, and then discussed
the County Unit question, the Bradley
election and the question of his own
resignation from the Court of Appeals
pending his candidacy for Governor.
The demonstration in approval OF
Judge O'Rear's speech was gratifying
70 him and his friends. He spoke as
follows:
The principal issue in this cam
paign is, Shall Kentucky cleanse the
politics of the State? Kentucky is
not exceptional in having the political
boss, the corrupting lobbyist, and the
triumph OF intrigue in her legislative
department Such has been the lot of
all the States. Kentucky would be
exceptional IL her condition had been
different from that of the other States.
But she is not. She will be exceptional
only If she makes no attempt to throw
off the domination of the unclean ele-
ments in politics.
When we call for a more popular gov
ernment, for restoring to the people
the misused powers of government, 1t
fs because we believe that In the peo-
pie only is the requisite virtue and
strength to rid the politics of the State
of its alien and demoralizing infiu-
ences. The slogan therefore should be,
Shall the people of Kentucky rule
Kentucky? And the aim of the cam
paign should be to produce clean poll
tics in order that we may have cleaner
and therefore more efficient govern
ment. 1t is my purpose to center the
campaign there.
There never was an issue in this
country whether clean or unclean
politics should prevail That is to say,
when unclean politics did prevail, and
an attempt was made to purify con-
ditions, no party ever Joined the issue
and declared in opposition that un-
clean politics was better for the State
and should consequently be continued
The fight has many times been made
1t has never been made without justifl-
cation In the conditions Whether 1t
has succeeded depended always on
whether the people got their eyes
open to and kept them upon the actual
conditions and the real issue. The
opposition always denies the existence
Of unclean conditions, or II they are so
obvious as to be beyond denial, then
the attempt has invariably been to de-
feet the public attention from the real
issue; to introduce collateral or i'm
material or irrelevant issues; to at
tempt to draw the public away from
the main fight, and have the battle
pitched on side questions. In Ken
tucky this year the atter-pt has been,
and win continue to be, to withdraw
the main question from the peoples
consideration, and to allure them to
grounds less vulnerable, or presenting
better chance for success. The op-
position in Kentucky will try to have
you believe that something else is Of
more Importance to you than debate
Of and the eradication of the evils
which enthrall, control and bind Ken
tucky to a course damaging to her
standing abroad and to her growth and
power at home.
That the State has been boss-ridden,
machine-ruled and bby-controlled,
% the public detrlment and shame, is
the first question of fact to be settled.
The next question will be the remedy.
Dominated BY Party Machine.
Four years ago, to go no further
discussion was found to be true. that
Kentucky was dominated by a party
machine. Senator McCreary declared
upon the stump in his campaign
against Governor Beckham for the Sen
Htorship that such was the fact. At
that time Governor Beckham was in
control for the only time in his admin
fstration of the machine of his party
In the State. His Auditor, Mr. Hager,
was nominated by that machine for
Governor, and his Treasurer. Mr.. Bos-
worth. was likewise nominated for
Auditor; he was himself nominated
for Senator; he had but recently sue
eeeded by II in electing Senator Payn-
ter and retiring Senator Blackburn.
Nr. McCreary then believed and said
that the machine of Governor Beck |
lam, presided over by his competent
friend General Haley, his member of
the Board of Control, and his other |
friend, Mr.. Eli Brown, Chairman of
the Prison Commission. was menace
TO good government in the State. and
was a corrupting influence. Attorney
General Hays made the same fight III
his race for the nomination against
Mr. Hager. Both Hays and McCreary
lost In that fight in the party because
Of the overmastering power of the
political machine. The issue was car
ned on into the general election. The
verdict of the people was guilty"
Attorney General Hays then left the
State. Mr. McCreary stayed. Whether
ne thought 1t was better to run away
from the fight, to stay and keep up the
ng1t, or to surrender. is a matter you
may feel called upon to decide now.
Certain 1t is, he neither left nor kept
mp the fight Did the machine go out
Of existence7 Mr.. Ben Johnson started
out to run for Governor. He found
the old machine at work. He said 80.
He found It too strong For him. SO he
quit. Mr.. Stanley, undaunted by the
formidable power of the gigantic steel
trust, looked in on the machine. He
found II too strong for even his cour-
age and popularity. Judge Reed looked
n also. At close quarters 1t showed
linn the hcpelessness Of night against