The interior journal., 1914-03-17

compelled to go back to Washington.
like truant boy from school. not only
10 vote, but To make a speech, against
IL, and declare that II was "unconsti-
tutiOnal." What a spectacle to see
this doughty and terrible warrior
against the Trusts, first stealthiIy
slipping away from Washington TO
avoid a vote, and then in hopeless
bondage to the great Ken ucky Trust,
and after receiving its orders, igno-
miniously returning to Washington to
obey those orders and take his medi.
cine. OF course II Is constitutional
and no court OF competent or final
Jurisdiction will ever decide II other
wise. II is absurd to maintain that
Does his conduct in reference to
that bill justify his boast of being
'he dauntless champion Of the people
against the trusts? Does he, In his
vaunted crusades against them. make
distinction between Kentucky
trust. which has great political influ-
ence mere, and Pennsylvania or
New Jersey trust, which have none?
isn't It evident to the people Of Ken
lucky that he is undertaking to mis-
lead them, and Is trying to raise a
false issue. to divert their attention
from his own record, which shows
that he Is the servant of the greatest
and cruelest trust of all?
My position on this subject is well
known. believe it is conceded that
| have had some important part in
the enactment of the temperance leg
islation In this state, in the better
enforcement of the laws regulating
the liquor traffic and in the increase
of taxation on that busiess Under
laws which | actively helped to pass,
the greatest part of Kentucky has
become dry territory. | helped to
pass, and, as Governor, signed the
County Unit Law Of 1906; and in the
Democratic convention of 1911, | sup
ported the County Unit plank in the
platform, which demanded an amend.
ment to the law by extending the
County Unit to all cities. and the
General Assembly of 1912 passed
that amendment. | have fought for
the principle of giving to each county
the right to decide by vote of the
people whether or not alcoholic liq-
uors should be sold in the county. I
favored THE increasa of the saloon
license in the revenue bill of 1906,
which brought additional revenue into
the treasury.
also favored the gallon tax upon
rectified whisky proposed in the same
bill; and when the lobby of the recti-
| fers succeeded in defeating that tax,
! | called a special session of the Cen
elai Assembly TO pass It, and Il vas
passed, putting one cent and quarter
on each gallon. That tax has been
yielding each year to the state treas
ury about fifty thousand dollars.
favor the Webb law passed by
Congress, and If ! had been a men,
Der of that body. either in the House
or the Senate, when the bill was up
for consideration, | would have re-
mained in Washington at my post of
duty and voted for it, and If | am
elected to the Senate, and 1t should
become necessary to pass an amend.
| ment TO that law, or additional legis-
lation, in furtherance of the princi-
pie of allowing each state to protect
it's dry territory from the invasion
of the liquor traffic, shall favor such
a measure, and | shall never be found
dodging that or any other question.
| cordially approve the two meas
ures just recently passed by our Gen
eral Assembly, one known as the
Hampton bill, and the other as the
Frost bill. The first is intended to
make more effective the remedy
given by the Webb law; and the Sec
ond, to complete the operation of the
County Unit Law, so that an cleo
tion under that law can be called by
twenty-five per cent of the voters OF
/ the entire county. instead of requir-
ing twenty-five per cent in each pre-
cinct of the county.
While | was Governor my attention
was called to the fact that the law,
which required all saloons to close
on Sundays, was regularly and lla-
grantly violated in tse city of Louis
vile. There was no ordinary power
in the hands of the Governor to COM
| pei its enforcement, and the most ]
could do was to request officials there
to enforce it. My requests were not
regarded; but in the course of time
the Court of Appeals decided that
the election of 1905 was void by rea-
son of fraud, and that the mayor and
other officers who held under that
election should vacate their offices,
and that the Governor should fill the
vacancies by appointments.
II was most unpleasant duty
thrust upon me: but it placed in my
hands the power to enforce the Sun
day closing law. and | was determin-
ed not to lose the opportunity, even
though all the political powers of
that city were opposed to it. | made
sure of ii in the appointment of Mr..
Bingham as mayor. From a political
standpoint il was a most unpopular
| position to take at that time. | was
| then Democratic nominee for the Sen
ate, and the election was to be held
ia the General Assembly OF the fol-
| lowing winter; and | knew that my
action meant to me the loss of nearly
| every member of the Louisville dele
cation to the Legislature. and every
member from elsewhere in the state
that could be controlled by the en-
ragged liquor interests. They succeed
ed in punihing me that winter, hut
| IL left me with no bitterness towards
anyone; and | have reioiced 10 see
that the position | then took in these
matters has been fully vindicated,
and that no party nor politician In
that city would now even think Of
advocating publicly the open Sunday
| saloon.
| am not influenced by any feel
H. - 4 10