The morning news., 1899-12-22
DEMOCRATS TO CONTEST 1T.
ADDRESS ISSUED TO THE PEOPLE
OF KENTUCKY.

Justice, 1t Says, Demands That Con-
tests shall Be AHade-State Boards
ODiniOn Was That GOebeI Was En-
titled to the Certifcate-Tissue
RaIIots One of the Grounds of the
Contest-Other Grounds for 1t
stated.
frankfort, KY, Dec. 21.-The address
NJ the Democracy of the state, indorsing
tbe contest instituted by Goebel and other
candidates of the defeated Democratic
ticket, and giving the reasons therefor,
was issued tonight.
1t is signed by Former Senator Black
burn. chairman of the State Campaign
committee; Chairman Young, of the
state Central and Executive Committees.
and all the members of the Central and
Executive Committees. 1t says in part:
The Democratic party of Kentucky,
through its several state committees. has
unanimously declared that the best inter
ests of the party, as well as justice de-
mands that contests shall be made by all
candidates on the Democratic ticket for
the respective offices for which they were
proper they should. in a concise FORM
state the grounds upon which they base
their action.
The State Board of Election Commits
sioners, at its recent session, issued GER
uhcates of election to all of the Repubi-
can candidates for the state offices, but
the board expressly declared in the opn-
ion that it rendered, that il acted simply
as a canvassing board without power or
authority S it construed the law, to inquire
into the legality or validity of contested
votes. The board expressed the opinion
that if clothed with the authority to go
behind the returns and determine the mat
ters in contention, the certificates of cleo
ton would not have been issued to the
parties who received them.
We feel that in the light of the action
of this board, the Democratic party can
not do less than to carry its contention to
the tribunals created by law for it's deter
mination. The grounds upon which this
contest is based consist of the protest
against the use of tissue ballots in many
Of the Overwhelmingly Republican coUn-
ties of the state. The use of these ballots
is not only in violation of the letter of law,
but is in utter and open defiance of the
spirit of the law, and the use of these bal
lots furnished not only prima facie. but
also conclusive evidence of purposed
fraud.
Another ground of contest is because
of the plain violation and defiance of law
by the late Republican Governor of the
state, who, whilst actively engaged in the
making of stump speeches and the prose-
cutting of a partisan political canvass or
dered out the military, aud in violation of
both law and precedent, assumed per-
sonal command of troops in the metropolis
of the state, parading The streets of Louis
vile on the day of The election with his
soldiers and Gatling guns invading the
voting booths and forcing into them,
against the protest of the lawfully ap-
pointed election officials, pretended in
spectors and challengers, who, the highest
court of the state has decided, had no law
ful right to be present
The issuance of the certificates of cleo
ton to the Republican candidates is con-
tested upon the further ground that a fed
eral and also state judge, without war
rant of law and in defiance of every
prompting of fair dealing and decency, in
terfered with the holding of the state cleo
ton. the one by menacing charges to a
grand jury, and by the employment of
deputy United States marshals, and the
other by issuing every mandamus and in
junction asked for by the Republican par
ty, which latter judicial acts have been de-
clared by the supreme judicial tribunal of
the state to have been unlawful.
Another ground is the use in the inter
est of the Republican party of an immense
corruption fund, contributed by the most
powerful railroad corporate of the COM
monwealth, whereby many thousands of
votes were brought against the Demo-
cratic party and its candidates, because
that party, in the platform adopted in its
state convention, dared 10 advocate meas
ures of relief demanded by the people of
the commonwealth