Evening star., 1936-07-19
KENTUCKY SENATORSHIP TURNS INTO TWO-HORSE RACE
BECKHAM, LOGAN
RUNNING ABREAST
Brown Is Good Third, While
Remainder of Field of Six
Is Nowhere.
e1 ecial Dispatch to The Star.


LOUISVILLE, KY, July 19.-With
the primary election only two weeks
from Tuesday, the race for the Demo-
cratic nomination for United States
Senator this week began to take form
from the tangle into which it was
cast by the late entrance of former
Gov. and Senator ]. c. w. Beckham.
1t seems o two-horse race between
Beckham and Senator M. M. Logan,
with John Young Brown a good third,
the remainder of the field Of six no
where.
Senator Logan has Federal patron
age behind him. Beckham has the
backing of Gov. Chandler and the
State administration, while Brown
must rely on his personal strength,
which admittedly outstanding. Is prob
ably not able to cope with organiza-
ton strength in SO brief a campaign.
In addition, Senator Logan has what
is left of the Rhea-Laffoon leadership
within the party, generally considered
hostile to the Chandler-State adminis-
tration group. An important eXcep-
tion is Earl Clements, who Is manag-
ing Browns campaign in Union
County. Clements was Rhea's cam
paign manager last year.
Courier-Journal Aids Beckham.
An advantage for Beckham also is
that he has news column. if not edi-
torial aid, from the Courier-Journal
and Times, published by Judge Robert
w. Bingham. Ambassador to Great
Britain. Last Sundays Courier con-
tanned full-page feature article on
Beckham. 1t is one of the curious
twists of the campaign, illustrating its
-turviness. that Brown this week
began to center fire on Judge Blng-
ham and j. Dan Talbot, State COM
missioner of finance. Last year he
was enthusiastically working with
these men to elect Chandler Governor,
and for two years before that the two
newspapers had been more than kind
to Brown in his races for Congress,
one of which he won. This week
Brown accused the Governor, Damon
to his Pythias in the 1882 Legislature,
of betraying promise to help elect
him Senator if he helped elect Chan
dler Governor.
Another rift in the Governors FAM
fly, the closely-knit inner circle that
labored so doughtily last year to aid
him overthrow the Rhea -Laffoon ma
chine, came with the elimination from
the political picture of Ben johnson,
until July l chairman of the State
Highway Commission. On that date.
when the State reorganization bill be-
came effective, Gov. Chandler elevated
his campaign chairman, Robert Hum
rhreys, to the new and powerful post
of Commissioner of Highways. He Of
fered Johnson an advisory appoint
ment, but it was rejected. Neverthe-
less, Talbot. who is Jollnson's son-in-
law, remains the Governors most intl-
mate personal and political adviser.
Where johnson will throw his lnt1u-
ence no one knows.
Factions Swap Sides.
Another vagary of the campaign is
that the E. Leland Taylor faction in
Louisville and Jefferson County, the
original Chandler group, this week
came out in support of Senator Logan,
while the Brennan-Miller faction,
which opposed Chandler in last years
primaries, lost no time in jumping
onto the Governors bandwagon for
Beckham. The Taylor group appar-
emily had intended to keep out OF the
primary fight, but must have felt
forced into taking a stand by the
alacrity with which its rival faction
espoused the Beckham banner. The
Brennan Miller Democrats are in pos
session of the Louisville City Hall; the
Taylorites in control of the county
government.
The primary is coincident with the
first state wide registration of voters.
In the cities voters have been enrolled
for many years, but never before in
the rural sections. Only those regis
tered in the primaries and subsequent
" will be able to vote in November, a
restriction that may reduce the total
vote in the State.