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

so himself. II dislike self praise"
says he II should prefer that II ever
l have rendered any public services
worthy Of favorable mention others
should speak of them and not try TO
do so myself" ] nm such'a very, very
modest man that even II ! should be
come a senator the toga Of Crittenden
and Clay would never spoil me. He
assures MS that "lf nominated and
elected to this position shall. assume
It and discharge its duties in no spirit
Of valnglorious pride"
The most modest of men. he also
bashfully admits that he Is the most
honest. -"No one can truthfully say
that have ever been lacking In frank
ness I'm dealing with public questions
or that for political or other purposes
/ have ever betrayed principle" He
is not only conscious of extreme shy
ness and absolute incorruptability but
he Is also both brave and WISE II
SHALL" says he. never be found dodg-
ing that (the Webb bin or any other
question. | shall assist the president
and his administration in dealing with
this great and important measure. and
in doing so shall bring the same fair,
honest and intelligent spirit with
which have always tried to deal with
every public question"
6eekham Says He Is Governor.
OF course such rare ant radiant vir-
tues could not have failed to impress
the intelligent electorate of his native
state. and the features Of this picture
beam under his facile touch as he con-
templates his countrymen's apprecia-
ton of his worth and services az
come before the people of Kentucky in
the present race not unknown to them
having a public record with which
they are largely familiar" and this,
Mr.. Beckham assures us, is not ephem-
eral fame. His name is written large
and high among the immortal execu-
lives who have served the state. He
has no doubt about that, because he
inscribed it up there himself. 81 be-
lieve l may say without boast that
my record has stood the test. In the
nearly eight years of my service as
governor l had many difficult condi-
tons and trying problems to deal with,
but ! am perfectly willing to stand
upon a comparison of that administra-
ton with the affairs of my successors
in Office" The illustrious adminlstra-
tons of Shelby and Wickliffe, Owsley.
Crittenden and Helm, according to this
shy and retiring spirit, pale into in
significance when compared with the
conduct in office of John Grips Wick
life Beckham and his minister pleni-
potentiary and envoy extraordinary,
one p. Haley. Esq. Such is the i'm
posing figure which Mr.. Beckham has
kindly but reluctantly consented to
sketch of himself. If his friends will
draw a halo over the half tone cut APP
pearing in the daily papers they will
recognize the likeness instantly.
/ am not surprised that my blatant
vanity has shocked this reticent states
J man. My speeches he protests con
sist Of two parts-first, extravagant
praise of myself, and, second, abuse Of
me-" A comparison of my egotistic ut
ltIduCt Ut 0ldoSOW Will Ills
performance at Elizabethtown illus
trates this difference strikingly. The
pronoun an occurs in my Glasgow adj
dress twenty-seven times. Mr.. Beck
ham, in a speech Of little over half its
length, refers to himself only seventy
one times. l am finding no fault with
this multiplicity of rs" however, for
they are very weak 'Is" after all.
1t is surprising that any man should
indulge in this character of abuse of
an opponent for having made a series
of charges against him, no one of
which he has the temerlty to deny.
said that he voted against Bryan's
resolution at the Baltimore conven-
ton. He admits IT,. | said that i'm
mediately upon his retirement from
the office Of governor he became the
regularly retained attorney for the L.
and n. He admits it. l said that he
signed bills permitting certain abuses.
He admits signing the bills, but says
that | misconstrue their character and
meaning, and then he himself refuses
to discuss that very question, fails to
tell you one word about what they ac-
tually do say or do mean,
Does he claim that such laws were
necessary? No.
That there was a popular demand for
such legislation? No.
That they 'yere right or wise or
| just? No.
| quote his own words. mo man In
Kentucky ever found cause to or did
complain of them until Mr.. Stanley,
ten years after they were enacted, be-
came a candidate for the senate
against me, and, having nothing else
with which to assail my record, seizes
upon them as the means Of his sense
less and insincere attack" My attack
is "senseless and insincere," not be-
cause he did not do this abominable
thing. but because. as he claims, | am
the first man who ever condemned II.
] hoVa NOT charcoal him xryith Al,