Evening star., 1926-10-05

Congress that Barkley and other
Democrats generally are shooting
their deadliest projeotiles. The biggest
shells are being hurled against
Ernsts "Newberry record"
Barkley is ramming home to the
voters that Ernst was "Newberry
Senator The Democrat, bringing
Ernst's "Newberry record" up to dates
charges him with callous indifference
to the Pennsylvania and Illinois prl-
mary slush fund scandals. Barkley is
digging up the Congressional Record
to show that Senator Ernst opposed
Senate investigation of the Pennsyl-
vania and Illinois affairs and. by ms
vote against the resolution calling for
the inquiry, "condoned" excessive ex-
penditure Of primary funds.
Although Barkley is blazing away
at the iniquity of the slush fund busl-
ness, there is no sign that he has set
the bluegrass afire over it. The only
visible effect of Nareism in Kentucky
is that this is the Cheapest sena-
torial campaign in the States annals
The economy program to which can
didateS are adhering puts the Coolldge
thrift policy to the blush. The Demo-
cratic senatorial committee has sent
81 900 odd to help Barkley, whose
friends are confident it is a f1ea-bite
compared to the resources which the
Republicans command. But in any
event it is the most closed season for
campaign barrels Kentucky colonies
have ever known. They say it isn't
campaign at all.
Dry Issue NOn.Existent.
70 an outsider it seems strange
in, Iynnt,1olyr nf n II
States the prohibition issue is virtually
non-existent in the 1926 campaign.
Representative Barkley is bone-dry
and long has been one of the pillars
of Wayne +. Wheeler'S church. In
deed. it was developed at the Senate
prohibition inquiry last Spring that
he is, or has been, one of the paid
pillars, a revelation that is hurting
Barkley to a certain extent. But as
Ernst is a dry, too, there is no liquor
issue between the senatorial rivals.
If there are KentuckianS who vote
their thirst rather than their political
principles. those inclined to be wet
will probably support Ernst. because
he is a moderate dry and not an eX-
tremist like Barkley.
SO far the drink question has nor
figured in the campaign. 1t is not
likely that it will
Senator Ernst's undoubted support
by big business, or the classes that
the Democrats pillory as "the in
terests' Gncluding the Kentucky
Jockey Club. a powerful influence In
the State) is offset to d certain extent
by Barkley's strong hold with or
ganized labor.
Rail Men for Barkley.
AS the author of the Barkley- Howell
railroad labor bill, which forms the
basis of the rail labor act now In
force, the Paducah Representative en-
lows high favor with transportation
workers. The brotherhoods are back
ing him tooth and nail. The Order OF
Locomotive Firemen and Engineers
has sent field men into Kentucky tC
organize the State on Barkley's be
half, and so has the Order of Railroad
Telegraphers. These are potent ag
gressive factors in a Kentucky polit
ical contest. They will roll up tens
of thousand of Independent votes 1oi
the Democratic senatorial nominee.
The absence charge is being used
against Senator Ernst with some eff
fectiveness. He lives at Covington
lust across the Ohio River from
Cincinnati, but has long had a law
office and principal business interests
in the southern Buckeye metropolis
Ernst is so conspicuously identified
with Cincinnati that he sometimes Is
called "Ohio's third Senator. The
fact that his colleague, Senator Sack
ett, is Rhode Islander by birth, up
bringing and longtime residence, anc
an Immigrant in Kentucky has
occasioned the quip that Kentucky
has one Senator from Rhode IslanC
and one from Ohio. The Ernst man
ayers are driving hard against the
"absentee' accusation, and plasterine
the commonwealth with Autographs
showing the "old Ernst homestead in
Covington'' and undermining the Sen
ator's Kentucky birth, Center College
graduation, blue grass ancestry, en-
vironment and unflagging State pride
Reference hereinbefore was made
to the Kentucky Jockey Club. Its gen
eral counsel is lawyer named