The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1912-02-21
EXTRA SESSION
TALK IS HEARD
Based Upon Prison Commission
~. Uncertainty.
Mr.. BROWN STILL HOLDING ON

Displaying the Bouncing Abilities Of a
Tennis Ball, Prison Commissioner
Has Been Able to Come Back Each
Time the Governor Has Thought He
Had Him Laid, and the End Is Not
Yet in Sight.
Frankfort, KY, Feb. 20.-With the
1912 session of the legislature almost
nearing the end, Eli H. Brown still is
a member of the prison commission
and is by no means certain that his
crown will be knocked off at all. II
the session should end without the pas
sage of any bill removing the present
prison commission, it Is believed to be
certain that the governor would call
an extra session, to pass new prison
commission act but this possibly will
not be necessary. The governor, to
use slang phrase, went after the
scalp of Mr.. Brown. He thought he
showed the bouncing abilities of ten
mis- ball and has come back each time.
AS predicted in this column last
week, Mr.. Brown made his last play
on a possible disagreement between
the house and the senate over the
prison bills. The surprise was when
the house not only rejected the senate
amendment which would allow all
those holding Office in the prisons on
Jan. 1, 1912 to hold onto their jobs for
four years, but went everybody few
better and turned down the bi-par-
tisan idea altogether. The bill that
the house passed does not pretend to
take the prison out of politics. 1t
leaves them in, decidedly and the only
thing it does Is to turn the patronage
over from one set Of Democrats to
another set. The Republicans do not
get smell. In fact they did not stand
much chance either way, for under the
senate bill they would have gotten
two commissioners and then no jobs
until four years had passed except
such places as might happen to be va
Gated. The house bill would throw
out OF their jobs every guard, deputy
and warden now employed in the
prisons, IL the new commission wanted
their places. OF course, some would
have pull" enough to have themselves
retained.
The present prison commission, Of
which Mr. Brown is the real fighting
representative, has great deal Of
strength in the senate and it has al
ways been a close vote there. They
will now rally their strength to have
the senate reject the house bill entire
ly. A conference committee will pc
appointed and the two houses will try
to get together on a bill that can be
passed by both houses, with Mr.. Browr
hoping that there can be no agree
ment during the present session. II
the session ends with no bill passed
he will hold on and Finley Fogg will
hold also for two years.
Democratic members of the legisla-
ture have been having much excite
ment during the present session play
ing presidential politics. For instance,
somebody offered resolution inviting
Mr.. Hearst to come to Frankfort and
make an address to the legislature.
Nearly everybody votel for 1t, being
perfectly willing to have Mr.. Hearst
or anybody else address the legisla-
ture. Then the Wilson men had res
olution offered inviting Gov. Woodrow
Wilson of New Jersey to come to
Frankfort. That went through. Then
the Harmon men Joined in and had
Gov. Harmon asked. The Republicans
of course, had their own list, which
started off with the colonel, and In
Guided the prospective candidates. The
Republicans SHE'D of and not one OF
them accepted. probably regarding II
Is settled that Mr.. Taft will carry
Kentucky, the machine being lined up
for him.
The Democrats accepted. however
Mr.. Hearst was to have been here last
week, but had to cancel his date on &C
count of illness in his family. Gov
Wilson came and was given such cor
dial reception and so much enthusiasm
for him was shown that even the VIII
son men were surprised. The New
Jersey governor made two speeches
here and each was a literary master
piece. The politician writer for the
Newark News, who has spent great
deal of time with Gov. Wilson during
his campaign and since he has been
governor. said. at the Wilson dollar
banquet, that the two speeches the
governor had made in Frankfort were
the best speeches he had ever heard
the governor make. 'and have heard
him make more than 200 speeches. moi
anly In his home state. but In Other