Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1918-02-01
BedIam In Kentucky.

As soon as the higher court passed up
on the question bedlam broke loose in
Kentucky. The adherents of the relief
party were thrown into violent rage
and with the tongue of Islander they de-
nounced the Judges rs tyrants, who had
wickedly substituted their own will for
the will Of the people, and denied the
majority the right to rule. The Judges
were publicly denounced from the stump
and through the press, and while this
was being done, Judge Bibb, who repre-
scented the relief side of the Blair VS.
williams, filed petition for rehear1ng.
But the fact that 70 rehearing was grant
ed and the Judgment allowed to stand is
silent memorial to the courage. the
honesty and the high purposes of the
men who graced that great tribuna al in
this important period of our judicial
and political history.
But before the petition for rehearing
was passed upon and while it was yet
pending, the legislative session of the
fall of 1923 convened and this question
was taken up. Inhamatory resolutions
were introduced in the Legislature, in
W hich after twenty-six pages of caustic
pre- BILE, the Legislature most solemnly
protested against the principles set forth
in the opinion of the court. But it is
refreshing to know that the great court,
in spite of the fact that the sword of Da
mocles was suspended a threatening
menace over its head in the form of DO
litical speeches and printed resolutions
of the Legislature, on the 4th dav of
December, 1928, overruled the petition
for rehearing.
There followed the Introduction of this
foolish and highly inappropriate reso-
luton a spirited and earnest discussion,
participated in by the Hen. George
Robertson, the Speaker of the House,
who delivered a wonderful speech. which
covered twenty-four closely printed
pages of matter from which he discarded
all unnecessary ornament, restrained
with careful guard all tendency to flights
| Of rhetoric, in clear and pellucid Ian
guage, plain and unado formed, he laid bare
the very nerve of his thought, appealing
to his fellow member to return to reason
and preserve the good name of the
State. In spite of this earnest and pa
triotic appeal, on the 10th day Of Deem
Der the House of Representatives passed
the resolution.
| The next in order was the campaign
for the Gsvernorship and the control of
the Legislature. This was fought out
in the year of 1924. Of course, the
| fight between the Relief and the Anti
Relief parties, and the issue was the re-
moval OF the judges Of the Court of APP
peals by address. The people were eI-
ceedingly angry over the decision of the
Court of Appeals, and they had been led
to believe that the courts had acted COR
ruptly in passing On the question, so
they Indignantly rejected every appeal
that was made to them by the leaders of
the Ant1-Relief party. q.
The Relief party named for Governor
Joseph Desha, and for Lieutenant Gov
ernor Robert McAfee, while the Anti
Relief, party put forward for Governor
Christopher Tompkins and for Lisuten-
ant Governor w. B. Blackburn. The
contest was a memorable one, the Relief
party winning by a large ma jority and
the control of both houses of the Legis-
latare passed to them, thus assuring the
Relief party absolute and undisputed
mastery of the S ate Government with
the exception Of the Court of Appeals.
Before Bar of Senate.
When the new lawmakers met thew
summoned the judges of the Court OF
Appeals before the bar of the Legisla.
ture to show cause why they should moi
be removed from Office. OF course, these
distinguished jurists declined to re-
spond in person, but submitted court
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