The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1922-11-21
THE SHELLEY NEWS ON
OUR NEXT GOVERNOR

The time is at hand in my opinion
when the Democratic publishers OF
Kentucky can render splendid SER
vice to their party as well as their
state by following the lead of the
Courier-Journal, Times and Post,
which have embarked upon Ia cam
paign to nominate business man
for governor of Kentucky. and fill the
other state offices with the men best
fitted to fill these responsible posi-
tions of public trust. AS country
newspaper publisher who has for over
twenty-five years past been allied
with the rural editors of Kentucky, I
feel at liberty to present to you some
matters in this connection.
The outcome of an election in Ken
lucky depends largely upon the
course taken on election day by the
more than one hundred thousand in
dependent Democratic voters. With
no independent vote of its own the
Republican party in Kentucky has
elected as many governors in the past
quarter of a century as has the Dem
ocratic party. But they can elect only
when the Democratic leadership of
the state puts forth men who do not
draw the support of the independent
Democratic vote. For probably the
first time during the long life of the
independent Democratic newspapers
of Louisville their publishers have
entered into a fight within the Demo
cratic party, in which all three stand
not for any certain individual, but
for a man who will measure up to
what they deem very necessary quail
ifications, knowledge of his state and
proven business capacity /, and one
who DOES NOT DESIRE to use the
great office as a stepping stone to
further political preferment
Surely we are as vitality interested
as the metropolitan press in the 'fu-
ture of our state and can stand with
them in such fight. We have gotten
nowhere in the past in furthering the
interest of office-seekinp politicians
in our own congressional and judicial
districts. We have done more than
any other agency to place them, in
high positions only to see them fail
utterly to carry out their promises
and pledges to the people Their one
objective after being elected to office
seems to be to get better Office. NO
one could have followed the press dis
patches from the state capital the
last few months, when the past sew
eraT administrations were impartially
reviewed, without being brought to
realization that it is imperative that
something be done for our state, and
that something cannot be done by fill
ing the governors office with the
brand of politicians lately occupying
it, We. hear much complaint of ad-
ministration of the tax laws. What
can we expect when governor fills
these highly important places for po-
litical purposes rather than with a
sense of the obligation he owes to
the taxpayers2
The independent Democratic press
of Louisville has within the past week
been very specific editorially as TO
the character of man Kentucky needs
at this time in the governors chair.
and they have not hesitated to point
out men who are supposed to be aspir-
ing as not up to the standard set.
They evidently do not believe that
men who have been outside of Ken
tucky, filling national offices for the
past twelve or fifteen years, and who
are without any special business quail
ifications to pull the state of Ken
lucky, out of. debt and out Of the nut
into which political occupants OF the
gubernatorial chair have run it,
should be considered favorably and
they have not hesitated to mention
them by name. I thoroughly agree
with them and intend to squarely
oppose any and everya officeseeking
politician who attempts to use the
governors office as stepping stone
to the senate or other higher position.
In my humble opinion. after wit
Messing many political campaigns in
Kentucky in years past. | do not be-
lieve the Democratic party can hope
to lie successful next year II the men
and women who compose II permit