Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-04-14

me. therefore. about them are even a
greater Injustice and insult to almost
the entire membership OF these two
sessions of the general assembly"
This is the same governor who. In the
next breath. admits Notwithstanding
his great modesty. that when 1873 mem
beers came 10 the capitol once I'm two
years for only sixty days from all
walks Of life II is not TO be expected
that they should learn correctly In so
short time the exact condition Of the
revenue affairs Of the state"
The tables are suddenly turned, and
the teacher becomes the taught. He
says he approved because both houses
passed the bills. The law of the land
would not have permitted him to have
| approved them at an earlier date. He
tells you be asked no questions, made
no Inquiries. just sat up there in that
big gubernatorial chair like a hungry
squad pigeon and swallowed any old
thing that an unwise legislature chose
to regurgitate into his gaping mouth
1t did not matter whether 1t was
peaches and cream or asafetida. Now,
unable to find a better excuse for his
abominable act, he would thrust the
general assembly between himself and
his adversary. His excuse is worse
than the offense.
To lay our faults Mt another's door,
to place our burden upon another's
! shoulders, TO dodge or squirm In the
face of danger and Of shame, that is
the primeval sin. Mark Twain is the
only mortal who ever felt inclined to
weep at the grave of Adam An un.
speakably pitiful and pathetic figure,
he must rest under the weight OF the
contempt of all his sons from the dawn
of creation to the crack Of doom.
When called to answer an accusing
God for his folly and his sin more de
spicably than the serpent which be-
trayed him, he skunk into the shadow
of the frail and covering figure, which
he was created to love. comfort, honor
and keep in sickness and in health,
with a towards whimper-"The wo-
man tempted me, and did eat" Mr..
Beckham feebly protests. "The legis-
lature passed, and | did approve"
Before this campaign is over Mr.
Beckham will have changed his mind
about my having only three measures
to condemn after a long and ex-
haustive search of his record. He
should cheer up. The worst is yet to
come. 1t is not necessary that should
make a search of his record in order
to find acts worthy of condemnation.
A Railroad Message.
In his address of March 10 he boast
fully Incorporates a message in his
opening speech. With all my malev-
olence had assumed that he would
seek to conceal it and was almost
ashamed to mention 1t. l wish to call
your attention to a few sentences call
ed at random from that remarkable
utterance. 1--WE are pleased" says he,
"that there has been an increase In
mileage, in the value Of railroad prop
erty and in their earnings. 1t is a
good indication of the prosperity Of
our people There is no intelligent
citizen who does not want TO see the
railroads prosper and earn a fair div
idend for their owners, and any legis-
lation which cripples them or hampers
their successful management is I'M
wise and inexcusable. The DEM
agogue who would seek to blackmail a
railroad company or other corporation
with the threat of hostile legislation
or with the unjust application Of the
law is a felon deserving of the sever.
est punishment. . The law pass
ed by the general assembly Of 1900
on this subject gives to our board of
railroad commissioners ample power.
| so far as intrastate commerce Is con-
cerned. to remedy any wrongs that
may exist with due regard to TIE
rights of the people and of the rail-
roads" OF course he mildly raps the
railroads as he goes along to give this
cunning utterance judicial air.
At first reading 1t sounds like the
we'll poised statement OF a man who
did not love the people less, but the
dear railroads a little more. A close
inspection will show that while 1.-THE
voice Is the voice Of Jacob, the hand ia
the hand of Esau." The plain purpose
of this message was to prevent the
legislature of 1905 passing additional
railroad legislation. 1t will be remem-
bered that at this very time the ques-
ton of paramount Importance before
all legislative bodies national and
state, was the enactment of additional
laws for the adequate regulation of
railroads. He, in so many words tells
the legislature that the McChord bill
Of 1900 is "ample and sufficient for all
purposes" and that any additional leg.
lslation is unnecessary and unjust and
to use his own words, "the man who
would frighten railroad with unjust
legislation is felon deserving OF the
severest punishment" 1t had been six
years since the passage of the McChord
bill. The McChord bill was a great
stem. the step of q genius. but II was