The bee. (Earlington, Ky.) 1889-19??, 1899-11-02

bold In his villainy as to have actually
wrought up the best citizens of the
commonwealth to such mental and
nervous condition that 1t requires only
step more TO cause the shotgun state
of mind TO prevail In all OF kentucky
that does net justify the employment OF
fraud and violence in elections.
The Goebei Law.
The Goebel law is intended to in
trench Goebel in the law OF the state.
II is on the canvassing and county ma
chinery constructed by this famous
statute that Goebel depends for cleo
ton In the absence OF votes. This law
is an interesting incident in the prog
ress OF Misunderstanding which is
going on throughout the country. The
machine violates the law or evades II
when IL wants to cheat. II In New
York. for example. dishonest election
officers are appointed for the purpose
of doing dlshonorable work, they are
chosen In violation of the intent OF the
law, II not OF its letter. II is true also
that under the Goebel law the result
expected, II fraud is essential, will also
be produced in violation OF the Grim
inal law, and the offenders may be
prosecuted before the criminal courts.
and on conviction punished. But in
no state in the Union other than Ken
lucky is the machinery Of elections
turned over TO the control of the men
who want to cheat II cheating be nee
essary. The people elsewhere have
the choosing OF the election officers,
but in Kentucky the people have moth
ing whatever to say on the subject, ex-
cept through their votes for future leg
islatures. In other states dishonest
officers are put into place. as other dis
honest men are put into other Offices,
by the votes of the people, who there
fore have an opportunity to eject them
when theiI true characters shall be re-
vealed. In Kentucky Goebel has made
his machine part OF the administrative
government Of the state. He has put
his creatures into Office by an act Of
the legislature, so that his machine is
not n private corporation even in
name, like Croker's, but an avowedly
public corporation receiving pay from
the state for doing Goebel's work. This
may resemble Cookers machine, In
fact. and at least 1t is a frank express
sion OF the creed OF the criminal in
politics-that the Offices and revenues
OF the government belong to those who
can get them by hook or crook. Goe-
bel has taken the plain. blunt course.
Croker uses judges and other office
holders, who are paid to do the work
OF the state In the city, as his vassals
and servants; Goebel has a board OF
commissioners frankly chosen to count
In the Democratic candidates.
Home rule and Democratic princi-
Piles are frankly abandoned, and the
officers who receive and count the
votes. with the exception of the in
spectors who represent the different
parties. are appointed by the powers
at Frankfort The law provides for
the election by the legislature OF three
state commissioners. who hold Office
for four years. These commissioners
appoint the county board OF election
commissioners. who in turn. appoint the
election officers of the different pre-
cincts. The Republican party is sup
posed to be represented on the precinct
boards, but this has long been the law
or the custom In Kentucky, and the
methods OF evading IL are we'll known.
Republicans are appointed, for exam
pie, who are travelling in Europe, or
who are physically or mentally unit
for service, or who live at a great dis
lance from the polls. Then the others
select some one to I'LL the anticipated
vacancy, and this year that some one
will be a Goebel Democrat or a COM
plaisant Republican. AT any moment,
and with or without cause. the state
board may remove any member Of
county board, or the whole OF the
board. appointing successors, and the
county board may do the same with
the precinct officers. This gives the
state board absolute control OF the ma
chinery. and even after the votes are
cast the state board may remove cleo
tion officers who threaten to be recall
citrant, and may turn over the ballot
boxes to men who will count in accord
ance with the necessities Of the party.
1t is quite possible that all the local
election officers OF the state may be
changed on the eve Of election day.
The decision of the board OF can
vassers is final; no appeal lies to any
authority, no review can be ordered
II a contest is made, 1t is to be tried
before the men who counted the vote
and whose decision is questioned. An
other great power given to the ma
chine consists in the provision that II
rne canvassinS board does not make
its returns within 10 days. the vote
Of the precinct or the county may be
thrown out. Suppose. for example,
that Taylor, the Republican candidate
for governor. should carry the city of
Louisville by majority OF 10000, and
that the rest of the state should go
for Goebel by a majority OF 5000; 1t
lies in the power Of the Goebel election
officers to defeat the will Of the state
by simply failing to return the Louis
Vile vote.
The election officers are expected to
be willing and ready to commit any
fraud that may be necessary to satisfy
the exigencies Of the Goebel ticket.
The head of the state board is Judge
Pryor, once chief justice OF the state.
He was held in high esteem. 1t is
curious trait OF some bad men that
they dislike to see good man fall.
When Judge Pryor was named for the
first place on the commission, man
OF ability, but thoroughly corrupt,
went to him and told him that the law
was intended to give the Democrats an
opportunity to steal the state, and that
man of his (Pryor's) character
should not take place on the board.
"It's different with me. Judge" said
the frank and cynical friend. Il believe
in stealing the state IL we can't get It
any other way. but you ought not to
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