The Hartford republican., 1911-09-15
PEOPLE DECLARE
Clean POLITICS
In Kentucky the Issues
This Fall.
Popular Primary, Prison Reform
and Abolition Of Convict
Labor Contract System
Holds Attention.
BY L. Vance Amentrout.

BY L. Vance Armentrout.
Reproduced from Louisville Herald)
Judge E. c. O'Rear, Republican can
dldate for Governor, has rounded out
another week on the stump, speaking
in the First, Second and Fourth Con-
gressional districts. His second trip,
taken into the west end of the State,
afforded an opportunity to study con-
ditions there as compared with those
in the south central counties, where
his former trip took him. Coming
also long enough after the Democrat
ic platform convention, TO allow the
people time to digest it's contents and
compare it with the Republican pla-
form,it afforded the additional oppor-
tunity of learning how the ISSUES wera
forming themselves in the popular
mind. If the same drift Of sentiment
is observable; if there is a similar dis
Affection among the voters of either
one of the parties in all the sections,
and the same reasons are advanced, 1t
Is safe to conjure that a Statewide
movement is assuming shape,and if
the drift in one direction is strong
enough it will carry the State and
elect the ticket benefittfng by it.
SENTIMENT is APPARENT.
The drift Is unmistakable. The sans
spirit and outspoken determination to
disregard party lines Is apparent in
the Republican Eleventh. the Fourth
and the strongly Democratic First and
Second districts. 1t Is conceded that
the Tenth and Eleventh Districts will
give unprecedented Republican major
tiles, owing to the personal popularity
of Judge O'Rear; but the Gibraltar
First, in which Democratic victories
have been won time after time, will
be a naglible quantity this year, re-
duclng its normal majority so near
to no majority at all, that it will not
affect the election. 1t is no eXaggera-
tion to say that the ppassnt drift to-
ward the ticket headed by Judge O'Rear
in the counties visited, averages ten
votes to the precinct.
Considering the race he ran for the
nomination this is not surprising to
students of political conditions!bu the
remarkable part about the discovery
resides in the reason why he is win
ming and breaking down party lines,
and adds further proof that conditions
not politicians, make up the issues OF
a campaign
POLITICAL REFORM THE ISSUE.
Evidences are multiplying, that even
We're the county unit issue out of the
way, Judge O'Rear would be elected
| overwhelmingly upon his specific
promises of political reform in Ken
lucky.
Astute politicians, who We're sponsor
for McCreary's candidacy before the
Democratic State primary, formed the
alliances now supporting him and wrote
the platform, on which he is nun
ming for Governor, were guilty of a
fatal error when they assumed the
county unit to be the only issue which
threatened the safety of their ticket
Machine rule, abuse of power by the
Prison Board and convict contract la
Dor are actually exciting more inberes
in Louisville and over the State than
any other question presented by
the campaign. Even the revival OF
the Becl1ham-Haly regime by their
success in the primary is dwanfed in
comparison with the Thind House ex-
posures and the political strength OF
the Prison Board, without whose aid
Beckham and Haly could not have
"come back" with McCreary as their
candidate.
DEMOCRATIC POSITION HOPELESS
1t is on this point Judge 0'Rear
, proves that the Democratic position
Is hopeless. Plank by plank the Rdpub
lican platform was initiated at theil
convention In language loose enough
to .be open to two constructions; and
the county unit proposition seemed u
DO paramount In the public mind
/ They handed this question. not defi
/ nitely. but in manner to. give th'
impression of accord with the Repub
hcan position. But when the Repub