The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-10-04
REMOVING THE
COUNTY UNIT
From Discussions of Po-
IiticaI Matters.
O'REAR WANTS IT ABOLISHED
Both Parties Have Declared
for 1.-THE Democrats
the Strongest.
ANSWER JUDGES QUESTIONS

ANSW Ell JJDOES QOEoliONO
When Judge O'Rear began his
campaign he was going to confine
his discussion to the County Unit"
That was to be the leading issue,
with himself in the role of chief
ligerator of the people who were
being destroyed by the whiskey
trust. He assured his hearers that
the Democratic party did not dare
to take a stand on this question;
that it was controlled by the saloon
element, and that he alone could
give the temperance relief they ask
ed for. He wrote the decision eX-
tending the Cammack Law, and if
he were elected Governor, he would
enforce that section of the Consti-
tuition which gives to every pre-
cinct, town and county of the State
the right to say whether intoxicat-
ing liquors should be sold within
/ its borders.
As far as it went, this was an at
tractlve program, and Judge o'Rear
gained some strength from his adj
vocacy of the County Unit" AS
the Democrats had not yet adopted
platform, he was in position to
misrepresent the attitude of the
party on the County Unit" and
did not hesitate to do so. But when
the Convention met 10, and behold,
they adopted a County Unit"
plank, stronger and more specific
than the one contained in the Re-
publican platform. 1t was put
there at the personal request of
Governor McCreary, who showed
his courage and sincerity by taking
all of the responsibility upon his
own shoulders.
For a little while Judge O'Rear
was dazed over the action of the
Convention because it disarranged
bis plans. Then he found a new
tack in the charge that Governor
McCreary did not mean what he
said and that he would not openly
declare himself for the County
Unit" Governor McCreary answer
ed this challenge in the very first
speech of his campaign at Bowling
Green, and said unequivocally that
he was for the County Unit" that
he Endorsed the plank in the DEM
ocratic platform declaring for 1t
and that If elected Governor, would
use every means in his power to
secure a passage through the Leg
islature of bill extending the
County Unit"
Judge O'Rear then wanted to
know what Ed J.. McDermott, can
didate for Lieutenant Governor,
would do about the County Unit"
bill. and Mr.. McDermott promptly
answered that as presiding officer
of the Senate. he would be absolute
ly fair to all interests in the APP
pointment of his committees, and
would give the advocates of the
County Unit" a chance to vote on
any measure offered by them, and
when it came to tie vote, he
would obey the command of his
party as expressed in the platform
and cast his vote for the County
Unit"
The result of this frank utter
ance on the part of the Democratic
nominee has removed the County
Unit" question from the campaign.
It is no longer an issue to divide the
parties. Both the Republicans and
the Democrats have given sacred
pledges that they will pass a bill
extending the County Unit" and
the voters of the State are conf
dent that this will be done. no mat
ter who wins.
Judge O'Rear is quite disconso-
late because he had fully hoped to
ride into Office on the County
Unit" wave by dividing the Democ-
racy. His accusations that the DEM
ocrats were not sincere did not have
any effect, because Governor Nc
Creary's long and honorable career
testifies that he will keep his word.
A good remedy for a bad cough