The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1899-12-14
The Republican Nominees Ger
tificate Signed by Two Of the
Elections ComiSsiOnerS
POYNIz Did NOT sign The DOCUMENT
The Majority Report Claims the Face
Of the Returns Show Taylor's
Plurality TO be 2,y3J.
For the Time Being Il Ended 0ae
of the Most Bitterly Contested
Cubernatorial Campaigns
in the State.

Frankfort, ny. Dec. lO.-ht y:f3
Saturday morning the election certi-
cate Of William 5. -aylor was signed
by the election commissioners and he
was declared TO be the governor-elect
of Kentucky.
The official figures of the vote filed
with Secretary OF State Finley are:
Taylor, 193,7l4; Goebel, lol,33i; lay
lor's plurality, 2.3s3. The operation
which ended, for the time being at
least the bitterly fought gubernato'
rial contest, was conducted in the
simplest manner The majority opin'
| ion of Commissioners Pryor and Ellis
md the minority opinion OF Commits
sioner Poyntz, which were published
Saturday morning were not read, M
was the original intention. The three
commissioners walked first to the
Office of the clerk of the state su.
preme court. where they filed two
opinions. They then passed into tho
Office OF the secretary OF state. Clerk
Chennult of the board of commission
ers read the figures showing that the
republican candidates for Offices on
the state ticket had received the larg.
est number OF votes and then certi-
ficates OF election were signed at once,
that of Mr.. Taylor being first on the
list. There were only IA people In
the room at the time, and of this
number only two were there as idle
spectators.
There was no crowd around the
building and no interest manifested
in the work save by those engaged in
it and those who stood looking on.
The certificates rs soon as signed
were filed with the secretary OF state
and certificates will be issued TO the
elected men Mt once by Gov Bradley.
Late Friday night. when the deci-
sion had gone forth to the public
Commissioner Ellis, upon whose
shoulders the greatest part OF the
work of preparing the opinion had
fallen. discussed the matter freely
This has been n hard thing for me,
he said his eyes infiamed by loss OF
sleep and the heavy lines in his face
bearing eloquent witness to the truth
of his statement. 1T has been n
hard thing for all OF us. wish. how
ever, that all the people OF the coun-
try knew how nobly Judge Pryor
has acted in this matter. and how
conscientiously he has done what he
considered his duty. lie is n great
man, one of the greatest, in my opin'
ion. that kentucky has ever produced
and | am sure his conduct in this case
has been another piece Of his long and
honorable career as public oihcer
Speaking for myself" continued Mr..
Ellis, II say frankly | did not like to
do this thing, but under the law and
the evidence there is nothing else
can do. and be an honest man. Why
| was an original Goebel man. | was
a Goebel man long before he received
the nomination, and | am a Goebe
man now. | can go beyond that ant
say l am Goebel partisan. l have
always been a partisan in politics,
rank partisan, and il would give mi
greater pleasure than ] can express
TO be able to declare for the demo
Gratis in this thing, but can't do II
The proceedings before the boart
were so overwhelmingly in favor o.
the republicans and they had so mucl
me best of the arguments that II Il
almost idle TO discuss the affair
There was, to the minds of Judg'
Pryor and myself. only one thing Il
do. and that we have done. l know
there are plenty of men who thinl
| that. strong democratic partisan n
1 have always been, | should hav'
remained democratic partisan ant
voted otherwise. How can | do that
How can / commit such a rape on m.
reputation and conscience as that
viewed from the legal standpoint
which in things like this is the onl
standpoint, have done what my con
, science and my long career as law
/ YER tell me is right, and 1 will do 9th
, erwise for no man nor upon any con
si0eration."
The statements made by Mr.. Eli
have been upheld by his conduct fror
. first to last throughout the canvass
He did all of the questioning of tn
attorneys and seemed ct every stage t
be most anxious to obtain the trut
! impartial to both sides. Mr.. Goeb'
was apparently in the best OF hume
} a.ter being told that Mr.. Taylor
certificate had been signed.
Commissioner Poyntz declined {
sign the republican certificates
4 election, saying that he stood by th
$ opinion he had rendered. and coul
! not consistently do so. He consen
ed to sign the certificates OF the raj
road commissioners. however.
Z .-onrsnffou for NicaraRua Ca IN