The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1899-12-15
TAYLOR GETS IT.
His Certificate Of Election Signed by
Two Election commissioners.
For the Time being Is Ended one
of the Most. utterly Contested
Gubernntorinl Campaigns
In the state.

| Frankfort, Ky. Dec. 10.-At 9:45
Saturday morning the election ceru-
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. l93.71i; Goebel. 1881; Tay-
lor's plurality, casa. 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
and the minority opinion of Commits
sioner Poyntz. which were published
| Saturday morning were not read, rs
was the original intention. The three
commissioners walked first TO the
| office of the clerk of the state SUI
preme court. where they filed two
| opinions. They then passed into the
Office of the secretary of state. Clerk
! Chcnau!. 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-
ticates of election were signed at once,
that of Mr.. Taylor being first on the
| list. There were only IA people in
| the room ut 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
il and those who stood looking on.
The certificates as soon as signed
were filed with the secretary of state
and certificates will be issued to the
elected men at 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 hard thing for me-"
he said, his eyes inflamed by loss of
sleep and the heavy lines in his face
bearing eloquent witness TO the truth
of his statement. 1t has been a
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. He is a great
man, one of the greatest, in my opin-
ion, that Kentucky has ever produced,
| and am sure his conduct i'm this case
has boen another piece of his long and
honorable career as public sbf6cer.,
Speaking for myself" continued Mr..
Ellis, Il 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
| Goebel man long before he received
| the nomination, and l am n Goebel
man now. / can go beyond that and
say l am a Goebel partisan. | have
always been a partisan in politics, a
| rank partisan, and il would give me
greater pleasure than l can express
| TO be able TO declare for the demo
Gratis in this thing, but l can't do it.
| The proceedings before the board
were SO Overwhelmingly in favor OF
| the republicans and they had so much
me best of the arguments that it is
almost idle TO discuss the affair.
| There was. to the minds of Judge
| Pryor and myself. only one thing to
| do. and that we have done. I know
| there are plenty of men who think
that, strong democratic partisan as
| 4 have always been, / should have
remained a democratic partisan and
voted otherwise. How can / do that?
| How can / commit such a rape on my
reputation and conscience as that.
Viewed from the legal standpoint,
which in things like this is the only
standpoin,, / have done what my con-
science and my long career as a law
yer tell me is right. and will do 9TH
erwise for no man nor upon any con-
siueration."
| The statements made by Mr.. Hlis
have been upheld by his conduct from
first TO last throughout the canvass.
He did all OF the questioning of the
attorneys and seemed at every stage to
be most anxious TO obtain the truth
| impartial 10 both sides. Mr.. Goebel
was apparently in the best of humor
a,Ier being told that Mr.. Taylor's
certificate had been signed.
Commissioner PoyntZ declined to
sign the republican certificates Of
election, saying that he stood by the
opinion he had rendered, and could
not consistently do so. lie consent.
ed 10 sign the certificates of the rail.
road commissioners, however.
| Wants Niceroy Deuraded.