Editing Alben W. Barkley (section)

== Early career ==
In Paducah, Barkley worked as a law clerk for [[Charles K. Wheeler]], an attorney and congressman, accepting access to Wheeler's law library as payment for his services.<ref name=paducah255>Libbey in "The Making of the 'Paducah Politician'", p. 255</ref> Despite their political differences – Wheeler supported [[William Jennings Bryan]] and [[Free Silver]], while Barkley identified with the [[Gold Democrats]] – he hoped that being acquainted with and taught by Wheeler would aid him in his future endeavors, but congressional duties frequently kept Wheeler away from the office.<ref>Libbey in "The Making of the 'Paducah Politician'", pp. 251–252</ref> After two months, Barkley accepted an offer to clerk for Judge William Sutton Bishop and former congressman [[John Kerr Hendrick]], who paid him $15 per month.<ref name=paducah255 /> He [[reading law|read law]] while completing his duties and [[Admission to the bar in the United States|was admitted to the bar]] in 1901.<ref name="kye522"/> Barkley practiced in Paducah where a friend of Hendrick's appointed him reporter of the [[Kentucky Circuit Courts|circuit court]].<ref name="kye522"/> He continued studying law in the summer of 1902 at the [[University of Virginia School of Law]].<ref name=dab>"Alben William Barkley". ''Dictionary of American Biography''</ref>

On December 19, 1904, Barkley declared his candidacy for [[county attorney]] of McCracken County well before the March 1905 Democratic [[Partisan primary|primary]].<ref name=paducah266>Libbey in "The Making of the 'Paducah Politician'", p. 266</ref> The Republicans did not nominate a candidate, so the Democratic primary was the ''de facto'' general election.<ref name=grinde37>Grinde in "Politics and Scandal", p. 37</ref> Barkley faced two opponents in the primary – two-term incumbent Eugene A. Graves and Paducah Police Court Judge David Cross.<ref name=paducah268>Libbey in "The Making of the 'Paducah Politician'", p. 268</ref> He organized his own campaign and made speeches across the county, showcasing his eloquence and likeability.<ref name="kye522"/> Graves received more votes than Barkley in Paducah, but McCracken County's rural farmers gave Barkley the victory, 1,525 votes to 1,096; Cross came in third with 602 votes.<ref name=paducah268 /> This was the only time Barkley ever challenged an incumbent Democrat.<ref name=partisan249>Grinde in "Gentle Partisan", p. 249</ref>

Taking office in January 1906, Barkley saved taxpayers over $35,000 by challenging improper charges to the county.<ref name=grinde37 /> He prosecuted two magistrates for approving contracts in which they had a [[conflict of interest]].<ref name=courthouse264>Libbey in "Alben Barkley's Rise", p. 264</ref> Even Republicans admitted that he performed well, and he was chosen president of the State Association of County Attorneys.<ref name="kye522"/><ref name=grinde37 /> During the [[1907 Kentucky gubernatorial election|1907 gubernatorial campaign]], he was the Democratic county spokesman, and despite his previous support for the Gold Democrats, he backed William Jennings Bryan in the [[1908 United States presidential election|1908 presidential election]].<ref>Libbey in "Alben Barkley's Rise", pp. 261, 266</ref> Friends encouraged him to run for county judge, a powerful position which controlled county funds and patronage, and he announced his candidacy on August 22, 1908.<ref name=finch286 /><ref name=grinde39>Grinde in "Politics and Scandal", p. 39</ref> After the chairman of the county's Democratic Club Executive Committee endorsed him, the incumbent judge, Richard T. Lightfoot, retired rather than challenge him.<ref name=grinde39 /><ref name=courthouse266>Libbey in "Alben Barkley's Rise", p. 266</ref>

On January 16, 1909, Democrat Hiram Smedley, county clerk since 1897, was indicted for embezzlement.<ref name=grinde37 /> Smedley resigned, and Barkley was appointed to a three-man commission to investigate the losses.<ref name=grinde37 /> The commission found $1,582.50 missing, and the county's [[Fiscal Court]] authorized Barkley to settle with the company that held Smedley's [[surety bond]].<ref name=grinde37 /> In May 1909, Smedley was arrested and charged with 20 counts of forgery, prompting an audit of the county's finances that showed a shortage of $16,000, only $6,000 of which was accountable to Smedley.<ref>Grinde in "Politics and Scandal", pp. 37–38</ref> The scandal gave Republicans an issue for the upcoming campaign.<ref name=grinde38>Grinde in "Politics and Scandal", p. 38</ref> In a series of debates, Barkley's opponent, Thomas N. Hazelip, claimed that the county's entire Democratic organization was corrupt, and made charges against past Democratic administrations.<ref name=grinde38 /><ref name=grinde42>Grinde in "Politics and Scandal", p. 42</ref> Barkley responded that he had no more responsibility for those wrongdoings than Hazelip had for the murder of [[William Goebel]], a Democratic governor who had allegedly been assassinated by Republican conspirators in 1900.<ref name=courthouse270>Libbey in "Alben Barkley's Rise", p. 270</ref> He pointed to his improvement of the county's finances through inspection of charges presented to his office and showed evidence that he had fulfilled his obligations as county attorney, a fact Hazelip conceded.<ref name=grinde45>Grinde in "Politics and Scandal", p. 45</ref> In spite of the scandal, Democrats won every county-wide office, although by reduced margins, but Republicans captured a 5-to-3 majority on the Fiscal Court.<ref>Grinde in "Politics and Scandal", pp. 49, 51</ref> Barkley's victory margin—3,184 to 2,662—was the smallest of any county officer.<ref name=grinde50>Grinde in "Politics and Scandal", p. 50</ref>

At the Fiscal Court's January 1910 meeting, Barkley laid out an agenda to reduce the county's debt, improve its roads, and audit its books annually.<ref name=courthouse271>Libbey in "Alben Barkley's Rise", p. 271</ref> Despite the Republican majority on the Court, most of the measures he proposed during his term were adopted.<ref name=courthouse271 /> He appointed a purchasing agent and an inspector of weights and measures for the county, and allocated a salary for the county's [[almshouse]] keeper instead of relying on fees to fund the position.<ref name=courthouse271 /> He replaced the [[corvée]] system – wherein residents either paid a tax or donated labor to build and repair county roads – with private contracts.<ref name=courthouse272>Libbey in "Alben Barkley's Rise", p. 272</ref> The widening and graveling of county roads provided rural residents access to Paducah's amenities but reduced funds for programs such as free textbooks for indigents, and prevented Barkley from reducing the county's debt as planned.<ref name=libbey13>Libbey in ''Dear Alben'', p. 13</ref> When he named his father as the county's juvenile court probation officer, opponents charged him with nepotism.<ref name=courthouse272 />