Kentucky's Governors

In front of the million-dollar state capitol at Frankfort, Kentucky changed governors midstream. Out went Governor William J. Fields, Democrat. In came Governor Flem D. Sampson, Republican. So freakish had been Kentucky's political currents that Republican Governor Sampson entered office with a Democratic Lieutenant Governor (James Breathitt Jr.) and a departmental staff which is Democratic to a man. Soon a Democratic legislature will convene. Surrounded by Democratic Philistines, Governor Sampson was not, however, shorn by a Democratic Delilah. Hampered in obtaining legislation, he can still veto legislation. Governor Sampson was elected because Governor Fields wanted to smash the betting machines at Kentucky's race track. Many a Democrat voted against this threat to Kentucky tradition, remained party-faithful to the rest of the Democratic ticket. Before leaving office, Governor Fields did support two Kentucky traditions. In six weeks he pardoned 148 convicts, sitting up long past midnight to dictate his reasons as required by law.* Law does not compel Kentucky's Governor to prove his reasons but last week, Mr. Fields busied himself defending the innocence of convicted-&-pardoned murderers, manslaughterers, robbers forgers, embezzlers, housebreakers, barn burners.

Governor Fields' last official act observed the tradition by virtue of which so many Kentuckians can call themselves "Colonel." He appointed Thomas P. Middleton, his state commissioner of securities, to be a Colonel on his staff for the few hours remaining. Col. Middleton was thus rewarded for faithful services. A more interesting example of the Colonel custom was the case of John William Stoll Jr. of Lexington, Ky., whose father is a potent banker. John William Stoll Jr. became a Colonel on the staff of onetime (1915-19) Governor Augustus Owsley Stanley at the age of two weeks.

Governor Sampson held an inaugural ball at the executive mansion, where dancing had been forbidden all during the Fields administration.

* Governor Edwin P. Morrow, Mr. Fields' Republican predecessor, did not have time to record all his last-minute pardons in the executive journal. For days after Mr. Fields took office, convicts' relatives poured in bearing Morrow pardons. Some years ago, while Kentucky's Governor and Lieutenant Governor were out of the state for three days, acting Governor Thomas A. Combs issued scores of pardons, including one to a felon who had pleaded guilty.