The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-18
GOV. JAMES B. M'CREARY
ny JAMES CALLAHAN.

Our reunion VIII be Confederate
occasion. What manner OF men were
Confcderates is worthy OF cunsidcra-
ton.
One OF the most illustrious examples
| Is Governor J. ID. McCreary, of Ken
lucky. lie has just been recently
| elected Governor the second time. This
! has been bestowed on but two men
! In The history o. the state. Governor
McCrenry WAS. elected in 1875 ana
! again in 1911 after an interim OF
| thirtysiA years.
In that campaign McCreary, the Con-
fedcrato soldier. had TO meet the great
lawyer and orator, John VI. Harlan
his Republican competitor. The two
champions met Mt Munfordvile. or
this debate "Savoyard," In his article
in the Telegraph on AlcCreary, said:
The writer of this was there. Har-
Ian spoke first and asserted that tho
Democratic party OF Kentucky lived
eff the niger When McCrenry came
to answer him he was magnificent
The crowd was on his sidc. and you
ought to have heard him as he turned
TO Harlan. and. pointing tho accusing
finger, exclaimed: Your party was
born crying "nigger." Had there been
no Niger there would not have been
Republican party. Thomas jefferson
was tho father OF our party, the most
consummate political sage our race has
produced In all the tide OF time. Your
party has for daddy the niger. as you
call hum. Have you pride OF ances-
try, have you glory IN race The
crowd went Wild. | never saw such
triumph and Ill bet Joan Harlan
never said tho word niger in IN
other debate that campaign
What about this man? Thirty-si1
years after this debate. he is elected
again TO overthrow rcpublicapism.
McCreary was major of the Eleventh
Kentucky Cavalry. Z. 3 y. He was
one of ''Morgon's men. On Morgans
Ohio raid. tho colonel being killed,
McCreary became lieutenant colonel.
General Bennett II. Young espoused
the cause OF McCrcary in tho recent
Kentucky campaign. Among other
things In speech for McCr.ary he
said: THE Eleventh Kentucky bore the
brunt of conflict on the 4th Of July,
1864, at the battle OF Green River.
McCr.ary cama in command of the
regiment On that day no man ever
acted with calmer courage or handled
a regiment with moro skill OF bravery.
He won the admiration OF all his com
mand by his splendid bearing"
But or Morgan's Ohio raid. along
with other officers, he was captured and
confined in the Ohio penitentlary. From
this prison General Morgan and some
of his companions escaped by tunn cling.
Colonel acCreary had some gold, and
with this he induced a Federal officer
to sell him n long knife. Tho fact
that McCreary had a knife was in
some way betrayed to the warden of
the penitcntiary. He demanded Its pro-
duction and the prisoner refused It's sur
render. The knife was discovered hid
don In his mattress. Tho Thermometer
was then below zero. Colonel Nc
Creary was hurried into a dark, dismal
dungeon, with no furniture. no bed,
without food or water; ne was left In
this horrible place for thirty-six hours.
and then the name of the person who
gave him the knife was again de-
manded. He refused to reveal the
name.
You may Kill me or freeze me or
starve me. but / VIII not betrny thu
man who gave me the knife" was the
courageous response of the young
Kentuckian. He was returned to the
dungeon. He had to walk the floor of
the dungeon for days TO prevent death
from cold In this awful isolation, in
this terrifying darkness, tortured with
hunger and burning with thirst, the
only reli.f was a cup OF water and a
alice of bread handed In. Then another
demand was made to give the name OF
the man Ho even thon refused. The