Evening star., 1936-08-16
KENTUCKY VOTING
OFFERS LESSONS
Independence Revealed in
Revolt on Chambers
Senate Choice.
BY HARRY BLOOM.
Special Correspondent of The Star.

LOUISVILLE, KY, August 15.-The
main lesson to be drawn from the race
for the Democratic senatorial nomina-
tion in Kentucky, won by the incum-
bent, Senator M. M. Logan, is that
Kentucky voters just won't be told''
for whom to vote. For the second sue
cessive year they rebelled against and
defeated the choice of the State ad-
miniStration.
This year it was former United
States Senator j. c. W. Beckham who
had the Endorsement of those in power
Gov. A. B. Happy" Chandler; his
political chieftain, j. Dan Talbot,
commissioner of finance, and the Bren-
nan organization in Jefferson, the
most populous county in the State,
containing Louisville. For the first
carried the Louisville district, but even
this reversal of past form was not
enough to pull him through. Senator
Logan won by 1850 votes in a neck
and-neck battle that wasn't a Ger
tainty until the Louisville vote was
counted. He received 181, ,502 votes;
Beckham 1882, and John Young
Brown. whose opposition probably cost
Beckham the nomination, IS, ,s65.
Chandler Benefited Last Year.
Last year it was Gov. Chandler him
self who benefited from the peoples
rebellion. The voters declined to ac-
cept the State organizations choice,
Thomas S. Rhea, selecting Chandler
instead in a surprising upset. That
independence Of the electorate should
now be impressed on those who so
quickly forgot it. The result cannot
but be regarded as an impairment of
the prestige of the Chandler admins
tration, but lately in its honeymoon
stage. The damage. however, is not ir-
reparable. The public, as whole, is
convinced that an era of good gov
ernment has begun in the State and
the administrations financial record
thus far exceeds expectations.
Another lesson to be drawn from the
primary election is that the Republican
cause is all but hopeless in the Novem-
Der election. The primary marked the
introduction of Statewide registration
Of voters. About 100000 Democrats
were enrolled, compared to about
100000 Republicans. The remaining
registration period runs from August
Is to October 10, and it is obvious that
the G. o. P. has more ground to make
up than is humanity possible to put
Landon or its Senatorial nominee,
Robert H Lucas, former executive di-
rector of the Republican National
Committee, in the running.
That a considerable body of vote
remains to be registered, however, is
seen from the fact that four years ago
Roosevelt polled 5GO.574 votes in Ken
lucky compared to Hoover's 394,716.
The G. o. P. would have to capture
virtually all of this as yet unregistered
vote to carry the State by narrow
margin.
Primary Marks Advance.
While Gov. Chandler was disap-
pointed in the outcome, the primary
nevertheless marked forward step in
Kentucky government. While he and
his ieutenants supported Senator
Beckham in every legitimate way there
was no coercion employed on minor
State jobholders nor were assessments
made Solicitation Of State employees
by overzealous underlings was twice
noted and stopped The workers were
permitted to vote for the man of their
choice.
Last year State troops were twice
ordered out to invade the polls, list
voters and seize ballot boxes This
year the voters were unmolested.