The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1915-11-11

The election was so close between
the contending parties that the public
was kept in state of suspense for a
week waiting the final determination.
A. o. Stanley has been legally and
honestly elected governor, will be
awarded the certificate and will be the
next Governor of Kentucky. While his
majority is much smaller than was ex-
pected, yet it is an unquestionable one,
so conceded by all fairminded persons.
The suggestion in some news papers
that contest before the legislature may
result, will not materialize. There are
no grounds for contest. Public senti-
ment will not tolerate a groundless
partisan contest, gotten up with no
hope of success. for the sole purpose
of arousing partisan prejudice.
Whether it is best that the margin in
party contest be close is not always
easy to determine. There was, how
ever, no reason why democrats should
have been so deceived as many were as
to the out come of the recent election.
Kentucky does not always go demo-
cratic IN gubernatorial elections.
Whether we have been successful in
even a majority of such elections for
the past twenty four years will admit
of argument. Several weeks ago the
Progressive party collapsed in this
state and we met a united. well or
ganized Republican foe on November
End. with popular leader in Edwin P.
Morrow.
In the tenth and eleventh districts
the Republican majorities were sur
prisingly large. The coal industry in
those districts, as well as in some other
parts of the state, has been dull for
more than year. until recently. Many
miners have been out of employment
and Republican leaders have led the
miners to blame the national Demo-
cratic administration for their lack of
work. No other issue materially af-
fected these districts. The ultra tenn
perance democrats were not satisfied
with the county unit platform and the
pledges of Mr.. Stanley to carry out the
pledge to enforce the temperance laws
of the state. This element of the party
are demanding state wide prohibition
and that the party take steps toward
that end and nothing else would satisfy
them. That this is growing sentiment
in our party, there is no question.
Many of these democrats refused to
support the nominee of our party, and
forgetting their party pledge incidental
to participating in the primary voted
for the republican candidate. Many
democrats were Indifferent as to the
outcome of the election. Just criticism,
indefensible attacks made against some
of the departments of the present state
administration. Disguised democratic
voters and they ignored the opportun-
ity to vote. The large state debt that
should never have been permitted to
accrue with other shortcomings of the
the state administration in our judg-
ment caused more democrats to stay
at home and winter their votes than
any other cause we have heard sug-
gested. Mr.. Stanley had this weight
to carry, though unjustly so. The un-
just and untrue criticisms made against
the democratic nominee during the
contest for the nomination identifying
him with the liquor interests Of the
state still remained in the minds of
people. which also cost him some votes.
The fact that Mr.. Stanley was re-
garded as political opponent of SEN
ator Beckham deprived the ticket of
the sincere and active support Of many
of the junior Senators friends all over
the state. These various causes OPP
perating in the different sections of the
state came near giving TO the united
enemy the control Of the state for the
next four years.
Democrats should know these troubles
in their ranks. many of which can be
healed, and get together for 1916.