462 



KENTUCKY. 



There was also a Union Labor ticket in the 

 field, headed by P. P. Elder. 



At the November election the Eepnblican 

 State and National tickets were successful, re- 

 ceiving a large majority of the vote cast. For 

 Governor, Humphrey received 180,841 votes; 

 Martin, 107,480; Botkin, 6,439; and Elder, 

 35,837. The State Legislature, chosen at the 

 same time, is overwhelmingly Republican, only 

 four Democrats being elected to the House and 

 one to the Senate. Seven Republican Con- 

 gressmen, the entire State delegation, were 

 chosen. 



Two amendments to the State Constitution 

 were voted upon at the same election one 

 permitting colored citizens to join the State 

 militia, the other giving the Legislature power 

 to regulate the rights of aliens to the owner- 

 ship of land in the State. Both .amendments 

 were adopted, the former by a vote of 223,474 

 in favor and 22,251 against ; the latter by a 

 vote of 220,419 in favor and 16,611 against. 



KENTUCKY. State Government. The follow- 

 ing were the State officers during the year: 

 Governor, Simon B. Buckner, Democrat; Lieu- 

 tenant-Governor, James "W. Bryan ; Secretary 

 of State, George M. Adams; Auditor, Fayette 

 Hewitt; Treasurer, James W. Tate, succeeded 

 by Stephen G. Sharp; Attorney-General, P. 

 W. Hardin; Superintendent of Public Instruc- 

 tion, Joseph D. Pickett; Register of the Land 

 Office, Thomas II. Corbett; Railroad Commis- 

 sioners, J. P. Thompson, A. R. Boone, John D. 

 Young ; Chief-Justice of the Court of Appeals, 

 William S. Pryor; Associate Justices, AVilliarn 

 II. Holt, Joseph II. Lewis, Caswell Bennett. 



Legislative Session. The General Assembly, 

 which met at Frankfort on the last day of 

 1887, remained in session over four months, 

 adjourning on May 4. Early in January James 

 B. Beck was nominated by the Democratic 

 caucus and re-elected United States Senator 

 for a third term, beginning in March, 1889. 

 No fewer than 1,571 acts and 86 resolutions, 

 covering nearly 3,400 printed pages, were 

 passed during the session, of which only 168 

 acts, covering 216 pages, are of a general na- 

 ture. Aside from legislation growing out of 

 the defalcation of Treasurer Tate, an impor- 

 tant act of tlie session provides for a second 

 election by the people in August, 1889, on the 

 question of calling a convention to revise the 

 Constitution, the first election, in August of 

 last year, having been favorable to such a con- 

 vention. Another act amends, revises, and 

 codifies the common-school laws. It was also 

 enacted that no juror should be challenged for 

 having read newspaper accounts of a crime, or 

 for having formed an opinion or impression 

 therefrom, provided he shall declare upon oath 

 that he believes he can render an impartial ver- 

 dict according to the law and the evidence. 

 An appropriation of $150,000 was made for the 

 completion of the Eddyville Penitentiary to 

 the extent of accommodating at least 418 con- 

 victs ; and, in order to forward the work so 



that convicts now leased outside the prison- 

 walls may be employed within the prison, in 

 labor not competing with free labor, a further 

 sum of $50,000 was placed at the disposal of 

 the Governor, if lie should find it necessary. 

 Improvements at the Institute for Deaf Mutes 

 and at the Eastern Lunatic Asylum were pro- 

 vided for. Other acts of the session were as 

 follow : 



Requiring all buildings of three or more stories, in 

 cities of more than 10,000 inhabitants, in which over 

 20 persons are employed, to be provided with fire-es- 

 capes. 



Accepting the provisions of the act of Congress pro- 

 viding for the establishment of agricultural experi- 

 ment stations iu connection with the agricultural col- 

 leges. 



Making actual possession unnecessary in order that 

 an owner may maintain an action of trespass. 



Establishing a State Board of rharmacy, defining 

 its duties and powers, and regulating the practice of 

 pharmacy in the State. 



Making May 30 a legal holiday. 



Providing for the continuation of the geological sur- 

 vev of the State. 



Requiring all teachers in the State to obtain certifi- 

 cates of qualification from the county board of exam- 

 iners. 



Creating a lien on canals, railroads, and other pub- 

 lic improvements, in favor of persons furnishing 

 labor or materials therefor. 



Providing for the parole of prisoners confined in 

 the State Penitentiary under the direction of the com- 

 missioners of the sinking fund. 



Establishing a State Board of Equalization of As- 

 sessments. 



Providing for the care and custody of vagrant and 

 destitute children in the city of Louisville. 



Regulating the conduct of municipal elections in 

 the city of Louisville. 



Treasurer Tate's Defalcation. On March 20 a 

 message was sent to the Legislature by Gov. 

 Buckner announcing that he had suspended 

 the State Treasurer from office, and conveying 

 the information that a large deficit had been 

 found in his accounts. As no intimation had 

 before been received by the Legislature or the 

 public of any irregularities, none in fact being 

 known to exist until the day preceding, this 

 announcement created great surprise. Tate, 

 generally called " Honest Dick Tate," had been 

 universally trusted and popular, having been 

 renominated without opposition by his party 

 at each biennial convention for twenty years, 

 his term of service dating from 1868. At the 

 same time it was discovered that he had been 

 missing from the capital for several days and 

 had escaped from the country. The Legislat- 

 ure at once adopted a resolution offering a re- 

 ward of $5,000 for his capture, and by another 

 resolution confirmed the act of the Governor 

 in suspending the defaulting official and au- 

 thorized him to appoint a successor until Tate 

 should be restored to his office or a successor 

 should be regularly elected. Under this act 

 the Governor appointed Stephen G. Sharp on 

 March 27. The Senate then resolved itself in- 

 to a court of impeachment, summoned the vari- 

 ous State officers as witnesses, and on March 

 3*0, after a formal trial, found the missing 

 Treasurer guilty of misappropriating the public 



