The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1911-05-31


could not change their ideas from
those Of mob members to those OF
peaceful citizens? They we're killing
people. they we're burning homes. they
were destroying depots. they we're
laying cities in ashes. they were ter.
rorizing whole communities. they we're
driving men from the State. These
men were being threatened and no
one else was threatened-and yet the
| Judge says that you could not push
an idea through their heads with a
bayonet. And again he says:
| "ff. however, any opponent, Demo
crat or Republican, cares TO take up
the other side. ] am prepared to meet
him on the subject"
I will take the other side and make
my appeal to the law.abiding people
Of Kentucky. ! am willing to abide
by their decision. even on his state.
ment made at Hopl,insville. and liz.
more his statement at Frankfort. that
he waited three years to explain, and
which he did not then explain until
he became a candidate for Governor
OF course the Democrats are not
going to fight Judge O'Rear now.
They want him nominated. and Will
hold their fire until after the nomina'
lions are made But I here and now
enter my solemn protest against the
nomination hv the Republican marty
| Of candidate for Governor holding
the views on law and order that have
been expressed publicly by Judge
| ORear Whenever the Republican
rarity. the party Of Lincoln. of Grant.
J Garfield. Harrison. Mckinley, Roose.
Welt and Taft, forsakes the principleG
Of Law end Order and winks at mobs
and mob violences. II should go int
exile and never again boast OF more
than half a century Of the creates
achievements known to political his
tory.
JUDGE O'Pear r'ay have thought he
was right when be made that state
ment and n rho people think he said
the rieht thing or the thing that
ought m have been said p, that time.
everything else being equal he should
he nominated. hut when YOU do NOM
'nate him. ~ YOU do. yCu have struck
= blow At the very cornerstone ~
civil rhertv. You should think well
hefore mailing your decision.
The conference TO which Judge
O'Rear alludes was called nv the Gov
ernor Just after the NIGHT riders had
MT the torch r. Princeton. Hopkirs.
Vile and FreselvilIe end about the
time that Hiram Hedges was muir.
dered in cold blood by the night rid
ers in the presence Of his wife and
babies and In his own home. II was
at this time that lovers cf law and
order should have he'd their wits
about them They should hove said
and dore the right thing Of tho right
time. The eyes Of the world we're on
Kentucky. and she cried: ais there
no BALM in Ci'oad? l. there no Physi-
clan there? Then why Is not the
health of the daughter Of my people
| recovered?"
We all agree that the trust was do
ing wrong and for that wrong they
ought TO have been punished. but
| there was way end a place. They
| should have been taken TO the proper
forum, where the weak and the strong
rect uron q common level. Charter
101. Kentucky Statutes. beginning
With Section 1918 provides a way.
and no one was better prepared than
Judge O'Rear to evulain the line OF
procedure. That statute fixes a fine
Of from $500 to $4,000 or six months
70 twelve months in the county jail.
or the court may so fine and imprison
at the discretion of the jury. Pro-
ceedings could have been brought by
any one Of 119 County Attorneys or
by any one Of thirtv-four Common
wealth Attorneys. The courts are
open always. and Judge O'Rear. sit
Al - la1 ~ Ar.td
Rave seen to II that Justice was given
them II the cases ever got to his court
Why did he not advise what line to
pursue instead Of saying:
"You can not push an idea through
an Anglo-Saxon's head with a bayo-
metz?
There is no place in this land Of
the free and home Of the brave for
mobs and the mob spirit. ] think
that every man at that peace confer
ence should have said that law and
order must reign and that peace must
he established and those In that con-
ference should have met mob violence
with that stern determination that
would have convinced all that law
breakers could find no announcement
at the State Capitol. and especially
none from a member of the Court of
Appeals of the State. But. instead,
Judge ORear threw a bombshell into
the camp of Law and Order that
kindled more fire in the breasts OF the
night riders and mob sympathizers
than all the speeches and all the ed
itorials that had gone before. Why?
Because at that time he was mem
Der Of the Court of Appeals OF the
State, the court of last resort. II !
am not mistaken. he was Chief JUS
tice Of that court, the man Of all men
who should have counseled obedience
to the law.
The law-breakers had a right to
think that II the Chief Justice Of the
Court of Appeals should feel that way
about their acts. they had not to fear
any trouble from the inferior courts
or from officers clothed with less
power. That very speech gave Judge
O'Rear the sympathy Of every night
rider in Kentucky II was carried
from neighborhood to neighborhood,
from county TO county wherever