The times., 1899-08-17
democratic Decentralization.

The anti-Goebel Democratic boilers OF
Kentucky have progressed in their ener-
getic work of party disintegration far
enough to hold mass convention at Lex
ington, and to nominate John Young
Brown as an independent candidate for
Governor, with a full State ticket. The
object of the movement is frankly ac-
knowledged, by those who are participat-
ing in it, to be the surrender of the State
to the Republicans. 1t could have no other
purpose or effect.
Il is not denied by anybody in Kentucky
that Goebel's nomination by the Louisville
convention was regular. He certainly con-
trolied a sufficient number of delegates to
form a majority, or he would not now be
the party candidate. His apparent right
TO that distinction would seem TO be en-
hanced by the fact that, whereas he went
into the convention with less than one
third of its members pledged to him, he
came out of it with the votes of more than
one-haIf. In view of the reported pro-
portions and personnel of the bolt. it is
impossible to escape the conclusion that
the anti-Goebel factions went TO the
Louisville convention conseientiously re-
solved to stand by its candidate, if that
man should happen to be their man. and
to bolt the ticket if by chance Goebel
should be nominated.
A split in State organization is Sc
rious and destructive at any time. 1t
is fatally so in Kentucky this year, be-
cause a successful diversion in favor of the
enemy viii involve their possession Of the
machinery of the Goebel election law: and
that VIII give them the electoral vote in
1900. no matter how harmonious the local
party may be by that time, or how many
Democratic ballots may be cast. With the
boiling ticket in the field in November.
Kentucky viii be a free gift to Hanna and
Mckinley
But The Times is not inclined to shed
any tears over the prospect The Blue
Grass State is not the only one in which
Democratic disorganization is complete.
and nearly hopeless. few days ago it
occurred to us TO look up the party record
OF the past forty years; and we discovered
that not since the Civil War has the Dem
ocratic party been as generally demoral-
lied and disrupted as now. There is
scarcely a Commonwealth in the Union in
which it is not broken up, paralyzed, and
ali but useless on account of factional
fights, threatened or accomplished bolts,
or disrePutable leadership.
This is not an encouraging condition Of
affairs to obtain in the year before Pre5i-
Dental election. 1t is particularly discour-
aging when We reflect that family differ
ences within the Republican camp and the
evil history of the Administration during
and since the Spanish war have distinctly
invited and placed a premium upon united
Democratic action in 1899 and 1900. But
instead OF an organization TO which the
country could coniide its interests in pun
ishing Algerism, Eaganissn, Sampsonism
Carterism, and the subyersion of the pub
lie good for the benefit OF spoilsmen, trusts,
and political corruptionists and maiefaetors
generally, the party of Jefferson, Jackson,
and Tilden today is a bowling, quarreling
mob. whether we contemplate il from the
hills OF New Hampshire, from the roof of
Tammany Hall, from the cupola of the CO.
Iunlbus Capitol, or the barroom of the
Phoenix Hotel in Lexington. It is needless
10 say that in such condition II is more
dangerous TO itself than TO any opponent