The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-09-20
In His Attempt to Answer
the Herald
IN REGARD TO FLOATER VOTE
In Kentucky-Instead, De.
votes Himself to An At
tack Upon McCreary.
IT'S QUITE A LENGTHY TRADE

RICHMOND, N.Y., Stpl. ., l'AA'
Editors Hartford Herald ap'
preciate not only the professional
tender of space you make that
may reply to your remarks upon
my course in "bolting" Mr.. McCre-
airy, but the mild tenor of your
criticisms upon me warrant the be-
lief that you are not too blindly
partisan to accord a sincere Demo
crat the right to differ and to vote
as his conscience dictates.
Nor do | believe you are afraid
to let your readers, before whom
you held me up as a lover of pub
licity, know why think so little of
my own political welfare as to re-
nounce allegiance to the Democrat
ic leader, despite the sings and
arrows of ridicule or abuse that may
follow my course.
Before defend myself, let me ex-
press my surprise anew that you
should continue to condemn Judge
O'Rear for pressing upon the hearts
and conscience of Kentucky that
we have 10000 vote-sellers in our
State! You ask me to verify the
allegation with definite proof"
Well, I'll begin at home. in my
county of Madison, the home of
Candidate McCreary. EX-Sheriff,
ex-Postmaster and a supporter of
Mr.. McCreary to-day, in the person
of Hon. Josia B. Willis, declares
that in the Democratic party alone
in Madison there are l 500 float
ers!" Surely there are as many in
the Republican party, as it is equal
in size there, 1900 voters each,
and you have the astounding total
of 5000 'vote-sellers" in the good
Bluegrass county of Madison alone.
AS there are 119 counties, multiply
them by 5000 and you have $751;
600 "foaters," in Old Kentucky.
AS Madison is an unusually large
county. let us cut the average right
in half, and you still have 17S,5O0
or over double the number charged
by Judge O'Rear. You are aware
that a Circuit Judge in Eastern
Kentucky some months ago, follow
ing the course of the Judge in Ad-
ans county, Ohio, where SO per
cent, of ALL VOTERS WERE CON-
VICTED of selling their suffrage.
found almost equally astounding
conditions. So, Mr.. Editor, don't
shut your eyes to the lamentable
truth, that Judge O'Rear was un-
covering a disease in our body-poli-
tic which Is worse than leprosy, the
debauchery of the Manhood Suf-
frage of Old Kentucky. He thus
the need of a Corrupt
Practice Act. to which both parties
stand committed. Surely it Is no
greater crime for him to tell half
a truth about our floating" voters,
than for McCreary to say that
Kentucky ranks 45th in the scale
of illiteracy in the whole United
States" May not this ignorance be
the cause of much OF that vice? Be
fair. If you do not, just say that
told your readers that your candi-
date for Governor, McCreary, is be-
lieved to have spent to secure Office
in the past, the larger part of his
fortune of a quarter of a million |
dollars. His money and his whis-
key have corrupted every county in !
the Eighth District. Strong words? |
have from his own lips that he |
once gave $1,000 to a county COM
mittee near you'll!
Don't be afraid to publish that |
am responsible for
all utter or print. And when my
editorial friends get after me even
20 gently as you do, | am able to
defend the faith that is in me. Be-
sides, this is what you get for chal-
enging me to give specifications!
leave to your readers to judge be-
ween yourself, O'Rear and my de-
'ense of the latter on this point
If the Republican Committee is
Using any of my communications,
uch as this, as Campaign litera-
ure." as you aver, have no other
of 1t than your state
nent. But l am willing to say that
ew men in Kentucky have had
UGH exceptional opportunity to
NOW the political meanderings and
vasions, lodgings and straddles,
nd high-class deception Of the pub
Ic by my fellow-townsman, Hon.
ames B. McCreary, as has the un-
ersigned. Therefore, when I hear
good Democrat like yourself con-
emn O'Rear for "insincerity" and
raise McCreary for ''straightfor-
'ardness, etc." say in my heart
{ hearts Forgive him. Lord. he