The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1914-07-24

sweeping over the South Yet it was
not in any spirit of crusading that
Beckham locked horns with the liquor
interests of Kentucky. 1t was rather
the thing that fell in his way as a
public duty.
The constitution of Kentucky, adopt
ed some twenty-five years ago, con-
tanned provision that required the
legislature to enact a law giving each
county of the state the right to vote
itself wet or dry" This constitu-
tional provision, like the one that pro-
hibits railroad passes, was hOnored in
the breach Indeed, Kentucky legis-
lators have been prone, in matters of
reform, to adopt the policy of the Yer
mont Fathers, who resolved that the
laws of God and Connecticut be adopt
| ed until We have time to frame bet
! ter"
| Beckham obeyed the Constitution
and recommended the enactment Of
law in conformity with it; but the
| liquor interests succeeded in having
| exempted the larger cities.
| Then there was a Sunday closing
( law on the statute books, which was
openly violated in the cities, notably
in Louisville. Beckham was appealed
to, but he had no power to remove
derelict city officials, and could make
only a moral appeal to the mayor of
Louisville to enforce the law, which
was unsuccessful.
CO q hot CHI Oft n1.
this the Kentucky Court of Appeals
decided that the election of all of Lou
isvilleS officials had been procured by
fraud. The Offices were by the court
declared vacant, and the governor was
empowered to fill them by appoint
ment Beckham went over the heads
of the party machine and appointed
mayor with the understanding that
the Sunday closing law would be en-
forced. 1t was enforced and is en-.
forced to-day.
The ''rectifers" Of Kentucky make
a product that is sold as whiskey, but
which is made up of various occult in
gradients. They were doing an i'm
mense business in Kentucky, and pay
ing very little in taxes. Beckham Sc
cured q law that taxed these "recti-
fers' a cent and quarter gallon on
their product. Also, he secured the
passage Of a law prohibiting the ship
ping OF liquor into dry territory; but
the Supreme Court of the United
States held that this was unconstitu-
tional, so far as it affected interstate
shipments. The Louisville. man, there
fore, could take his whiskey across
the river to Jeffersonville, Ind, and
from there ship it to any point in Ken
lucky, wet or dry. The Webb law, la
ter passed by Congress, is intended to
remove these illicit accommodations
and stop the traffic.
Beckham hardly had time to formu.
late his policies, after GoebePs death,
when he was obliged to stand for an
other election. The politicians were
against him, but the people were with
him, and he received the votes of 700
out of the 800 delegates.
1t was in the palmy days Of Mark
Hanna, and that astute leader, under
!. whose auspices Kentucky had gone
Republican in 1896, believed Beckham
could be beaten. The Republicans,
therefore, put up their best man and
their stoutest purse, but Beckham won
by nearly 1000 votes. Three years
later there was no opposition to his
!. nomination, and he carried the State
by $1,000 plurality.
/, Towards the end of his second term
as governor, Beckham, in 1906, became
: candidate for the United States SEN
ate. His candidacy aroused intense
: feeling in the camp of the liquor in
terests. In the primary election for
? the senatorship, in 1907, with the COM
| bined opposition of the party machine
and the daily newspapers in Louis
: vile, Lexington, Covington and New
, port, the four largest cities in the
State, Beckham carried 81 counties
, out of 119 in the State, with the liq-
!. uor interests furnishing plethoric
! purse toward his defeat. Beaten at