Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1914-12-18

of the majority was kept intact by the
young governor to keep the record straight
and clear. The full record of the settle
ment of the gubernatorial contest was
preserved. Through it all he held his side
III perfect obedience to the laws and set
an example to his followers that did much
to bring order out of chaos. When he
could do so he reassembled the legisla-
ture at the seat Of government and pro-
ceeded intelligently with the business of
the state. So well did he handle the reins
of government during these stormy times
that the Democrats of the state made
him their nominee to fill out the uneXpir-
ed term of GOebel in the executive chair.
The Republicans put forth most formid-
able candidate in the person of John w.
Yerkes, man Of national reputation. who
had held himself aloof from the recent
political trouble. 1t was a national year,
Bryan Id Mckinley being the candidates,
and the race was one of the most holly
contested held in the state in years.
Beckham won by $500 majority.
Two weeks after the election, at the
age of thirty-one years. the young COVER
nor was united in marriage to Miss Jean
Fuqua of Greensboro They occupied the
state executive mansion for the seven
years following, he being reelected in
1908 for full term of four years. AS gov
ernor he did much to allay feeling which
had been stirred up during the 1900 polit
ical troubles, winning the strong friend
ship of Republicans who had bitterly op-
posed him. He was governor of the
whole people, and no trace of political
feeling ever was displayed in the COVER
nOr's office during the years that followed
the political strife. During his incumben-
cy he cleared the state of debts totaling
nearly $2000,0OO without increasing the
tax rate and passed the office to his sue
cessor with million in the public treas
ury. He collected for the state from the
national government over $1.30O,0OO war
debt. The new capitol was begun and
practically completed under his direction,
and a home was established in the state
for Confederate soldiers.
One of the most notable features of the
Beckham administration of affairs in
Kentucky was the enforcement of the
Sunday laws and the promotion of tenn
perance and regulation of the liquor traf-
fic. Until he had an opportunity to APP
point a mayor of Louisville, in 1907, sa-
looms ran wide open on the Sabbath.
With the appointment of Robert Worth
Bingham as mayor they closed and have
SO continued ever since. Through further
extensions of the county unit local option
laws he incurred the enmity of the liquor
people and through taxation laws the i'll
will of the whisky rectifiers. Before his
term as governor had closed he was NOM
mated by the Democrats of the state in
a primary election for the office of United
States senator, defeating James B. Nc
Creary for that honor. In those days the
state legislature had the finar say, and,
although there was a clear Democratic
majority in that body, he was defeated
through the Vaccinations of the whisky
and brewery interests, who drew away
from him four men who had been elected
as Democrats and pledged to his support
as the party nominee.
Senator Elect Beckham is not unknown
in the national councils of the Demo-
cratic party. In the national conventions
of 1904, 1903 and 1912 he was delegate at
large from the state of Kentucky. and in
each convention represented his state on
the committee on resolutions of the con-
vention, helping to draft the national plat
form OF the party. He has thus been
closely associated with Mr.. Bryan, with
whom he has stumped Kentucky in all
of the campaigns since 1896 He was
Wilson adherent when it was unpopular
to be on that side in Kentucky, owing to
the candidacy of former Kentuckian,
Champ Clark, and rendered valuable serv-
ice to the New Jersey man at the Balti-
more convention. At Washington he VIII
not be found in the scramble for political
pie, but i'm the committee rooms and con-
ferences where affairs OF big Importance
are being discussed.