The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-02-03
Circuit Court Convenes.
Judge Benton Presiding.

on nanQ.
Judge Benton delivered remarkably |
strong charge to the grand jury, from |
which we quote as follows:
my sermon on clean elections this |
morning will be brief one. This ques-
tion has been urged upon the conscien-
ces of all the grand juries of this dis
trict for the last two years and l have
found them eager to act. This grand |
jury may find nothing to do along this
line, but it is question which must not
be permitted to grow cold.
Last week l heard in a religious re-
vival at Winchester most impressive
sermon on the subject of the Great
American Sin, which the preacher said
was the sin of neglect. AS listened to
that remarkable sermon, could not
avoid the conviction that we people here
in Kentucky, in this district and in this
county, have too long neglected the great
sin of American politics, this evil, this
corrupt, this criminal practice of per-
hitting our elections to be controlled by
the use of money and other corrupt
means, a practice that grew up and
prospered back in the old days when it
was not condemned by the law, and
when the public conscience had not been
aroused TO the enormity of it and to the
untold evils that would result from such
an unrestrained practice. When we can
look to Pike county, KY, and find more
than HOO Kentuckians under indictment
for election offenses; when we can look
across to Adams county, Ohio, and find
more than 1000 men deprived of their
right to vote because they have been
convicted of selling their votes; when we
can 60 to Terre Haute, Indiana, and find
126 members of the city administration,
ranging from the mayor to the janitor Of
the City Hall, indicted for election
frauds, and more than 80 of them plead
ing guilty to the charge, it is high time
for US to come to ourselves" and put &
} stop to such criminal practices in oul
own counties. -
have been doing and intend to con
tinue to do my part towards putting ar
end to these practices, and in this Ihavt
had, and am sure that shall continue
TO have, the loyal support of the grand
: juries. hope and believe we have seer
the end. Such practices must be stop
ped, and we must not be content to SCI
them simply checked.
There will be good deal of politics il
Kentucky this year. At the primar,
election to be held on the first Saturda,
in August, all political parties that in
tend to have candidates for any of tn,
State offices--for Circuit Judge, Com
monwealth's Attorney, Circuit Clerk
State Senator or the Legislature-mus
make their nominations, and this pri
: mary election will be followed by tn
election in November. These election
must be clean. The sentiment of tn
| people on that question is sound ant
right, and it must be kept that way, ant
: that sentiment must not be violated.
f The last Legislature enacted fey
] good laws. One of the best of these i
: the provision in the primary election
law, which requires each candidate, be
fore he can have his name printed o.
D the ballot, or be voted for, to sign an,
swear to this statement: 81 will no
knowingly violate any election law, o
a any law defining, or relating to corrup
and fraudulent practices in campaign
or elections in this State
II any candidate violates that oath, h
can be indicted for perjury, and if it oc
| iY1o of of Il mil
demand that he be indicted; and be
n lieve> that the grand jury will be prong
8 to do it. Every candidate who is cleo
ed to any Office this fall must, before or
tering upon the duties of the Office
swear that he will support the constitr
! ton and laws of the State. If he vic
| lates the constitution, and breaks tn
n law and becomes criminal in order I
o get the Office, he can hardly be expecte
a to observe the law, and require others I
l. do it, after he becomes an official.
say now, what have said to 9th,
! grand juries in this county, that u
s. grand jury that is impanled after IL
rs August primary will be urged. with a
s. the power possess, to make such an il
r. vestigation of that election as will eli
!. able it to indict every man who may ha'
m dared to violate the election law in ar
Y particular. The same thing will
. done in the other counties of the di
9 trict, and from my knowledge of Il
IA sentiment on this question, of the m,
ID who serve on the juries, they will pc
as NIT no guilty man to escape, aud thu
10 should not do SO.
s. The following excellent gentlem,
IS compose the grand jury:
Or John johnson, Elihu Biggerstaff,
b. 8. Terrill, J. w. Herndon, Harvey Oh
nault, Sam'l Lackey, Wilson Tate, Y
IS 81. Douglas. w. Fl. West, w. A. A
buckle, E. @. Million. T. ]. Curtis, for
man.
The following fine fellows will seti
the trouble of the people as petit juror
!, hi Azbill, Gordon Burgin. ID. NJ. Phelr
n John Tribble, Rufus Spurlin. s. P. Tod
: James Evans. o. w. Cosby, s. Boyt
ha Geo. w. Moody, Dave Cobb, B. F. Hurl
Jno. Treadway. Elmer Parrish. Geo.
! Gentry, Louis Soper, @. w. Raybur
ysee Geo. DeJarnette. e. E. Taylor. CHAR
e. Benton, @. @. Coy. J. W. Martin.
q Single comb Black Orpsngtons-sto
= and eggs for sale. First and Fourth pr
Is Pullets at State Fair, Louisville