The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-26
KENTUCKY DEMOCRATS.
AN ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE BY THE
STATE COMMITTEES.
CONTEST OF THE ELECTION.
Address Signed by the Members OF
the state Committees Setting Forth
the Grounds of the Contest They
Charge Frauds I'm Republican Strong
holds-Mflitary Intimidation by the
Governo and Unlawful Interference
by state and Federal Judges.

Frankfort, KY, December 21.-The
address of the democracy Of the tate.
indorsing the contest instituted by Goe-
bel and other candidates Of the de-
feated democratic ticket. and giving
the reasons therefor. was issued to-
night. It is signed by former Senator
Blackburn, chairman of the state cam
paign committee; Chairman Young. OF
the state central and executive COM
mittees, and all of the members of
those committees. Ii says. in part:
The democratic party of Kentucky
through it's several state committees,
has unanimously declared that the best
interests Of the party, as we'll as jus
tice, demands that contests shall be
made by all candidates on the demo-
cratic ticket for the respective offices
for which they were nominated. The
committees feel that it is proper that
they should, in q concise form. state
the grounds pom which they base
their action.
The state board of election commits
sioners, at its recent session, issued
VI ClCSllOI " ali VI llIC &
publican candidates for the state of
fees, but the board expressly declared
in the opinion that it rendered, that it
acted simply as a canvaSsing board
without power or authority, as it con-
strued the law, to inquire into the le-
gality or validity of any contested
votes. The board expressed the opinion
that if clothed with the authority to
go behind the returns and determine
the matter in contention, the %certifi-
Gates of election would not have been
issued to the parties who received
them.
I'VE feel that in the light of the ac-
ton of this board, the democratic par
ty can not do less than to carry its con-
tention to the tribunals created by law
fol- it's determination. The grounds
upon which this contest is based con-
sist of the protest against the use of
tissue ballots in many of the over
whelningly republican counties of the
state. The use of these ballots is not
only in violation of the letter of the
law, but is in utter and open defiance
of the spirit of the law, and the use
of these ballots furnishes not only
| prima facie, but also conclusive evil
dence of %purposed fraud.
Another ground of contest is be-
cause of the plain violation and def
ance of law by the late republican
governor of the state, who whilst ac-
| lively engaged in the making OF stump
| speeches and the prosecution of a par
| tisan political canvass, ordered out the
military and, in violation of both law
and precedent, assumed personal COM
mand of troops in the metropolis Of the
state, parading the streets of Louis
vile on the day of the election with his
soldiers and Calling 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 decid-
ed, mad no lawful right to be present.
1.-The issuance of the certificates OF
election to the republican candidates
is contested upon the further round
that a federal and also a state judge,
without warrant CT law and in defiance
of every prompting OF fair dealing ano
decency, interfered with the holders OF
the state election, the n by menacing
employment of deputy United States
marshals, and the other by issuing
every mandamus and injunction asked
for by the republican party, which lat
ter judicial acts have been declared by
the supreme judicial tribunal of the
state to have been unlawful.
Another ground is the use in the in
terest of the republican party of an
immense corruption fund, contributed
by the most powerful railroad corpor-
alton of the commonwealth, whereby
many thousands of votes were bought
against the democratic party n Its
candidates, because hat party, in tbs
platform adopted in it's state conven-
ton, dared to advocate measures of re-
lief demanded by the people of the
commonwealth"