The interior journal., 1914-03-17


Kentucky had no more reason to fear
any harmful political results to him
self in attacking such faraway trust, 1
than the trust seemed to have TO fear
any evil consequences TO itself from
the widely advertised attacks upon II
from that same Congressman.
lie boasts, too, of his long warfare
upon the Tobacco Trust, and yet
neither he nor his most ardent friend
can point to a single act Of his that
has ever brought the slightest sub
stantial relief to the tobacco grower,
or to the people, from the wrongs
perpetrated by that trust. Inflam-
matory and incendiary speeches are
the only remedies he has ever given
for those evils, and it is fact, that
the only weapon the tobacco growers
of Kentucky have been able TO use
successfully in contest with that
trust, was the act of the General AS
sembly Of 1906. legalizing the pooling
of their crops, and that measure was
passed with my active assistance, and
was signed by me while ! was Gov
ernor. Neither had that trust any pO-
litical strength in Kentucky, and II
was certainly not to be feared by
candidate for Congress in the second
district of the state.
But there is a trust I'm Kentucky
whose political power extends like
pail over the entire state, and holds
in its strong grasp many politicians.
who dare not provoke its enmity or
wrath. It's pernicious activity has
appeared in nearly every primary,
convention and legislative assembly
held in Kentucky for many years. II
has sought to dominate the politics of
the state in every particular, and IL
has fought to prevent any limitation
upon its market or any restriction
upon it's business. It has sought to
establish saloons in every county,
city and hamlet in the Commonwealth.
Ii has put its bright upon more homes
il has wrecked more human lives, and
filled more untimely graves, than
have all the other trusts combined.
II rewards those who serve it, and
Furnishes those who oppose 1t. II never
ceases in its efforts to control the leg
islatures, the courts, and the executive
officers of the state. 1t demands that
it shall have the senators, and as
many as possible of the congressman,
from this state, in the Federal Con-
gress. The Steel Trust has never ex-
ercised more power in Pennsylvania
than has the Liquor Trust in Ken
tucky; and no man ever wore the col
lar of the Steel Trust moro slavishly
in that state. or followed its com
mands more obediently, than Stanley
has done for the Liquor Trust III
this state.
A few of the many well-known in
stances of his services to that trust
will show that | am not misrepre-
senting him or his record. In August,
ls11, a Democratic State Convention
was held In Louisvli,e, 20 prepare
platform upon which the Democratic
nominees for State O..-cers should go
before the people in the campaign of
that year The chief issue in that
convention was whether or not a
county-unit plank should be placed in
the platform. The liquor forces mus
tered their full strength against the
plank; and among the most active
leaders on their side was Mr. Stanley.
working for them to the full extent of
his influence in the effort to keep that
plank out. When the question came
call, he boastfully cast the votes of
Henderson County against the county
unit plank.
His service to the trust was more
devoted than his service to the party
or to the state; for intelligent OBJ
servers know that, without that plank
in the platform our state ticket would
have had little chance to succeed In
the November election. He, of course,
defended his position upon the ground
that the law would be "unconstitu-
tional." That is always the last argu-
ment made by a trust advocate in
| fight against a reform measure. The
Court Of Appeals has said that the
law was constitutional, notwithstand-
ing his opinion.
| As the chairman of the Committee
on Resolutions in that convention !
led the fight for the adoption of that
plank, and stood before the conyen-
tion earnestly advocating it, altho ]
was confronted with the Kisses and
jeers of the galleries, packed with the
followers OF the saloon interests and
of Mr.. Stanley. But majority of the
delegates stood with me in the vote,
the plank was adopted, the state ticket
was elected by over thirty thousand
majority, and the county unit bill, re-
moving all exemption of cities from
its operation, was passed by the Gen
eral Assembly the following winter.
1t is a well known fact that the
political agents and lobbyists of the
liquor trust are actively fighting me
in this race, and that they are backing
Mr.. Stanley, and will continue to do
so, unless they should conclude that
they would have a better chance to
| defeat me with some other candidate.
The temperance people have for
many years been seeking to secure
| Legislation from Congress, to enable
state to prevent interstate shipment
of liquor into dry territory OF the state.
A bill, embodying that idea. known
as the Webb bill, was introduced in
Congress more than year ago. IL
was one of the most important meas
ures before that session. Its chief
purpose was TO enable a state TO break
up blind tigers, boot-leggers and other
forms of Illicit traffic in liquor. II
was set for a vote in the House on
February 8, of last year. But on the
evening OF February 7. the day before
the vote was 10 be taken, Mr.. Stanley,
a candidate for the United States Sen
ate, and hoping to escape going on
IL