Evening star., 1926-05-17
RACING OPPONENT
RUNS IN KENTUCKY
Representative Barley, Ar
dent Dry; Is Candidate
for Senate.
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.

LOUISVILLE, May 17.-Kentucky
home of the American thoroughbred
is thinking of sending an anti-racing
Senator to Washington. The man
whom the Democrats are going to
name--and hope to elects also a
confirmed dry. So it may be stated
| that this is Kentucky's answer to the
recent wet and dry debate at Wash
ington. And this the same Kentucky
which once was as famous for it's fine
whisky as it still is for it's fast horses
and fair women.
1t is virtually assured that Repre-
sentative Alban Barkley of Paduca h
is to have the Democratic nomination
and his friends and supporters tell
YOU that he is going to give Senator
Dick Ernst, the Republican in
cumbent, a horse race" The Demo.
Gratis are going out this year to
redeem" the State and with no ma
tional issue pending they are confident
they can win.
1t may seem strange that the Ken.
lucky which for two days has been
celebrating the victory of a Kentucky
colt in the fifty-second renewal of the
Kentucky Derby, and which has been
racing mad for two weeks or more
would think of sending an anti-racing
Senator to the National Capital But
little scratching beneath the surface
shows there is method in the madness
for if Mr.. Barkley goes to the Senate
he will have other things to think
about than horse racing in Kentucky
While the Senate itself will he in no
way concerned with the situation.
Has Eye on GOvernorship.
On the other hand. if Mr.. Barkley
doesn't go to the Senate 1t is said he
has eyes upon the governorship and
in that executive capacity his well
known and often expressed anti-race-
track gambling views might have a
deep and lasting effect upon the racing
game. which for so long has fiourished
here in the Blue Grass country.
But more important than the racing
sentiments of Mr.. Barkley are his
rabid views on prohibition. He is the
driest of the drEs. The entire country
has been watching for some reaction
from the wet and dry hearings at
Washington The vets freely pre-
dictad at the close of the debate that
they had turned the tide But there
has been no such turn" here in Ken
tucky. where ordinarily it might be
SAID that sentiment could be switched
in view of the large bourbon LIQUOR
interests which have centered here
since the days of Daniel Boone.
The Democrats are going to hand
the dry Mr.. Barkley the senatorial
nomination on a silver platter For
time there was talk that Urey
Woodson of Owensboro. long a promi-
nent figure in the affairs of the Demo-
cratic national committee. would seek
the nomination, but Mr. Woodson
when he came here for the running
of the Kentucky Derby told his friends
he would not make the race. This
practically clears the field for Mr..
Barkley.
National Interest in Race.
OF course. the Republicans claim
they are going to hold the election
safe for Senator Ernst. National in
terest centers In the situation. for this
is ono of the States the Democrats
hope to carry in their effort to gain
control of the Senate. or rather to
gain joint control with some OF the
more radical progressive Republican ms.
who would be willing to reorganize
the upper body of Congress against
President Coolidge and his administra.
ton.
Senator Ernst was elected six wears
oeC udA AA6 itlC uiuS e.
Senator Sackett. also a Republican.
was elected two years ago in the Cool.
idge landslide. Now Senator Ernst
faces the fight of an offyear election,
a time when Kentucky usually swings
back to the Democratic column. The
Senator is very popular here in Louis
vile and will have the support of the
business interests almost everywhere
in the State.
Mr.. Barkley appeals to the rural
and small town voters and as Ken.
lucky is an agricultural State the
rural population far outnumbers the
city count. Senator ernest is ex-
pected to have support from Presi-
dent Coolidge. There is to be no Re
publican primary fight, so the hands
off, policy of the administration need
not hold good here, where the fight
is strictly confined to battle with
the Democrats. The Republicans
plan an intensive and well-org1nized
campaign, with plenty of national
support of a moral and financial ma
ture. for Kentucky has become q
pivotal state in the political future
49, rolr