The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1922-12-22

When nearly year ago The COur-
ier.Journal called upon the people OF
Kentucky to cut loose from the poll
ticians and draft business man for
Governor it also appealed to them to
complete their good work by drafting
a business Legislature. That appeal is
repeated now, with added emphasis
and with added hope of a favorable
reception hope born of the re
Spouse throughout the State to the
movement for a business Governor.
The right sort of Governor can do
something without the right sort OF
Legislature to redeem Kentucky from
the disastrous plight into which the
politicians have got il, but if he Is tC
rescue the affairs of the State from
the control of the politicians and the
lobby he must have the cooperation
of Legislature which is uncontrolled
by the politicians and the lobby. q.
The politicians and the lobby work
together. The lobby is the lobby OF
those interests which make it part
of their business to see that the Gov
eminent of the State is in the hands
of their friends. Their friends are the
politicians whom they can convince
that the welfare OF the politicians and
the welfare of the interests are insep
arabic. They operate together for mu,
tual good. and they have no more fer
tile field of operations than the Leg
islature.
They usually control the Legisla
tufe, Ii makes no difference which
political party nominally controls it.
That should be borne in mind by tn,
90
about a new order by the election OF
a Governor who viii serve the inter
ests of the Commonwealth instead 0.
the lobby and his own political ambi
tons. There are always good men in
every Legislature, but they consti
tute a minority, at the mercy of a
majority. who serve lobby that does
not regard any member a good man
who does not serve it. -
The lobby does not intend that the
next Legislature shall differ in this
respect from previous Legislatures. II
is already at work in both parties in
cubating candidates on whom it be
lieves, or knows, it could depend at
Frankfort. And it will show up with
its customary majority of the next
Legislature unless the people to
whom falls the election of a LAgisla
ture choose their own Legislature in
stead OF allowing the interests tC
choose it for them.
The way to do that is to bring out
their own candidates To wait for
candidates to bring out themselves l..
often to wait for candidates whose
motives won't bear scrutiny. The un
solicited candidate is not always an
undesirable candidate but he should
never be accepted if there is any
doubt of his desirability 1t is not too
early to warn the masses Of Kentucky
Democrats and Republicans to BE-
alert and vigilant; to satisfy them
selves that the motives of any candi
date for the Legislature will stand
thorough Inspection that he means to
represent his district and no factor OF
invisible" government; that he wish.
es TO go TO Frankfort for the public
service he hopes to do, and not for
the betterment of his personal for.
tunes and the fortunes OF his friends
and hackers in such devious ways as
are known to be effective in the short
Legislative session
Where self-announced candidates
cannot satisfy this inspection the cleo
torates of both parties should look
carefully over the field and draft can
didates who are known to measure IN
to all requirements. UnwiIlingness OF
any man to be drafted should not pre-
vent the draft Unwillingness to be-
come candidate Is often good eyi
denee that he is tile right man TO be
candidate, and unwillingness to be
come candidate can usually be over.
come when strong popular pressure
Is brought to bear on him.
Politicians who are resisting the
movement for business Government
oil the State allege that it is inspired
by SOME coterie OF somebodies who
intend to dictate the candidates.
What The Courier.Journal is trying to
do is to get the people TO dictate the
candidates. That is what is resent.
ed by the politicians who have been
In the habit OF debating the eandi-
dates themselves, If the people of
the State will pay no more attention
to the politicians than The Courier
Journal is paying dnd dictate their
owns candidates for the Legislature
and the Governorship as well, we
shall have the new Kentucky which
we have been talking about and
dreaming about but doing nothing to
secure. -Courier-Journal