The record., 1911-05-25

pulsory primary election law for both
parties, at the expense of the State
so that every citizen, win or lose,
should have equal opportunity i'm seek
ing nominations for public office; a
corrupt practices act thai viii insure
clean elections. do away with enor.
nous campaign funds and secure pub.
licity for all campaign contributions
and expenditures before and after elec-
tions.
The speaker also gave his unquali-
fled cOmmendation to the good roads
movement, proposed reforms in the
tax laws and the inspection OF State
banks.
Continuing. Judge O'Rear said:
Do Policies Appeal to People1
So much in brief for the policies
which ! propose as affecting the well
fare of this State. They are submit
ted for your reflection and Judgment.
IL has been said they are Democratic
policies. Strange, then, that no Demo
cratic candidate Tor Governor either
now on the track or Withdrawn, men,
ment, or in any speech made by him.
Also, strange that that party, having
full power to do SO, has not during the
last ten years. enacted them, or at
least some Of ther'. into statutes in
kentucky. Also strange that in no
platform adopted by that party i'm this
state has any OF these planks, unless
It be that OF electfns United States
by popular vote, been incor-
FOratCd
On the other hand, such dstin-
Su.shed Republicans as Roosevelt,
Bevoridgc. Dolliver, Cummins, La Fol.
lette, Bourne and others scarcely less
known have persistcntly for years
been advocating them, and the great
Republican States OF Minnesota, Iowa,
Washington. Oregon and Cali
iOrnia have adopted them in the main
n their constitutions or statutes.
But II matters not so much where
hcy came from. The question is
Are they safe poliCi-s TO be adopted
n this STATE. and do they promise the
est guaranty Of good government for
he people? ! think they do. ! pro-
lCse them 10 my party as sound Re
publican doctrine IL IS not intended,
+ course. 10 dictate TO II it's platform.
am telling the putlic what I stand
II. II It suits then they will be safe
n nominating me. If il does not suit
hem they viii be spared the ordeal
4 having TO Cho-se between a candi.
,ate OF unknown views on their ticket
I'D candidate cf known views, per-
1rs, on come other ticket lf what
stand for does nt suit my party
hey can aud sho Id deny me the
cnir2t tcn While il Is yrt ia their con
~, ard place it On one more in az
ord Win their views.
nYtes Inspection # Puslle Career.
IN Submitting my candidacy 10 the
Republicans Ct the state frr the nomi-
iat;cn for The Office OF Governor, ]
ave chosen this place aDa time for as
rl 2 public statemezt .ae Sc med nee
Htt Co itiU.y ---Itv q
'tard for ard what J propose. reai
q however, that in addition ones
ublic career, as w1ll as private, VIII
Q and ought 10 be Cl-sely scrutiuized
tho voters before giving him such
, Homi nation.
My public career has been almost
ntirely on the bench, and for about
leven years on the Court of Appeals
your State. The published opinions
II that court land all of them are pub
ished) are accessible and available
o everybody. I have cndeavored to
Interpret the law in its spirit, ard ac-
oTd.ng TO the accepted precedents. |
all claim no personal credit for any
h.rS good that has been written for
he Court, whether or not | wrote il.
t was necessarily the action of the
ourt. and IN every instance repre-
cnts the judgment of at least a ma
ority of the body Furthermore, opin-
Ons of that court ere not written for
olitiCal purposes. aid are, | am proud
0 say, written without regard to poll
les.
nut IL in any opinion which | wrote
,ou frd anything Indicating that
would he unsound as Governor of the
State. YOU are AZ liberty 10 charge il
o ne personally. fer all that | have
here said | believed was the law of
ne lad. II correctly represents my
.iews a the time, and ! do not now
recall that have changed them.
cough I always reserve the right to
earn. and do not il any sense claim
hat ! an free from error
Speech at Tobacco Conference.
II cen not have escaped you that
Rave been subjected to rather caustic
riliC!sm IN certain quarters because
n my attitude on the tobacco situa-
icn in kentucky. Some people have
.one 50 far as to say. and some few
Republicans have said that one held
irg such opinion as | expressed on a
N cmoTable occasion during the storm.
lest period OF those troubles. was un-
it to be Governor OF the State. and
hat it would be a calamity to nomi-
nate or elect me.
do not intend here TO explain or
defend what was 81 by me on that
occasion. merely interd 10 state
what was said, and how il was led up
to. If my position was then unsound.
! am unsound. for I have net changed
my opinion one whit. On the contrary.
its correctness in confirmed in my
judgment.
Situation at That lime.
To recall the situation briefly to
your recollection: AS you know. Ken
lucky is an agricultural state, ard
since the war has been ncthing else
in the main. Whatever affects the
agricultural class Of our population
affects the welfare IF the ,UbOIo Gfata
All writer's on political economy agree
that the basis of wealth Of any State
IS agriculture. II is peculiarly true of
Kentucky. But in growing corn, wheat
and oats we do so IN competition with
the new leFtile lands, acaV;rca AZ a
cheap price Ia thc new States west
and northwest, where they raise more
TO the acre. al less cost. Hence. they
SCI he prices Ol those commodities
and We Musi meet their prices, and