Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1920-07-03
Arouse Enthusiasm by Repudiating
Grape Juice Bryan at Con-
ventiOn.
National Convention Policy a Blow
at the Candidacy of Senator
Beckham.
Near Mayor Possibly Unaware That
Police and Fireman are Being
Assessed.
LUCAS AND HARVEY BURNS.

The proceedings of the National
Democratic convention thus far have
greatly encouraged the boys at home,
and it is believed the independent
voters as well. A popular chord was
struck when slam after slam was
taken at old Grape Juice Bryan, and
this convention will mark his last APP
pearance as a well paid newspaper re-
porter or high salaried representative
of the Anti-Saloon League. For this
the American people can be grateful,
for if there was one of the political
prohibitionists and psalm singers
grating on the nerves of the public
1t was Bryan. In the cities and
towns or any district near a railroad
or telegraph office the community
has been on to this Chautauqua
squawker for years, and his only
strength has come from very much
backwoods voters, many of whom
have just bare inkling that the civil
war is over and have not been APP
praised iof the European war thus
far. To this unsophisticated class
Bryan owes his little strength, coup
led with the prohibition fanatics,
who are not Democrats but just Mug
wumps barking at the door of each
party. Summing it all up the great
est deed of the convention has been
the squelching of Bryan, and for that
let us all be thankful.
At this writing the balloting has
resulted in no nomination, but
with the party's open discussion and
stand on the liquor question, the
League of Nations and the Irish
question the nominees will go to the
public with a strong front. Bring
ing the question home, it is believed
that Kentucky can be brought safely
into the Democratic column again
despite the imported Doodle of lobe
Hert and the machine plans of
Ches and ''Howdy Ed" our figure
head Governor. There is only one
doubtful phase attached and that is
the candidacy of Senator Beckham,
who has aroused the bitter enmity
of the anti-prohibitionis Democrats,
the Irish and Irish-American Demo-
Gratis and those Democrats who want
to see an end to the Haly-Beckham
regime. This class of Democrats will
not vote for BecEham even as a
nominee, and many of them, to make
sure of voting against Beckham, will
vote against the whole Democratic
ticket. The feeling against prohibi-
ton politicians was shown at the
Frisco convention, as was also shown
the feeling of sympathy for Ireland.
Beckham must he withdrawn or the
entire Democratic ticket in Kentucky
is i'm danger of defeat. OF Beck
hams defeat there is not the slight
est doubt.
After each little tiff with the Hert-
Searcy machine our near Mayor
comes out with some idle dream that
is probably intended to draw public
attention away from his humiliation.
His espousal of Police Capt. Benefits
cause was answered by the machine
in refusing to allow Bennett to take
any job in the city or or county adj
ministration. When rebuffed the
near Mayor then comes forward with
the fantasy. Some time ago it was
the immense river terminals and the
monster bridge to Jeffersonville.
Preceding that il was the beautiful
civic center a la Davy Rose through
Center street. Now he proposes to
give us a big municipal public mar
ket conducted by the city. Some of
the taxpayers are unkind enough to
say that Smithy fell down badly on
his dream of lower taxes and
economy as was proposed at the out
set of his administration, LOuisville's
tax rate being the highest of any city
its size, while as for economy the city
treasury is "dOne busted" At the
outset of our near Mayors admins
tration the Hert-Searcy machine used
to give him a little rope, showing him
out in front as he was the real May
or. But lately he has been kicked
around in the Home phone ordinance,
the daylight saving law, the Bennett
case, etc., and you can look for them
throwing real bricks at Smithy be-
fore his administration is over.
Here's a shining example OF how
much attention the Hert-Searcy ma
chine pays to Smith and his election
promises. Following his election
our near Mayor made personal visits
TO the station and engine houses.
stating that political assessments
were a thing of the past and woe be
TO the politicians who attempted TO
collect from the police or firemeh.
Smith was accompanied by Chairman
Lewis Johnson, then Chairman and
still a member of the Board of Safe
ty. Now here's how much attention
the Hert-Searcy machine bosses pay
to Smithy and his promises. This
month they served notice of a $25
assessment on the Keystone police
and our "hick" firemen, the officers
a little more in proportion, and the
Hert-Searcy machine is collecting
this amount in four installments, at I
the rate of $6.25 per month. VIII
our near Mayor call the bosses hand
on this assessment? You can an
swer this one yourself. Ordinarily
one would think the busy busy re
formers" Of the Mems Federation
who used to guard our morals close
" I'm Democratic times would resent
this political assessment OF their
chosen administration.