The representative., 1899-11-16

Onlce OF 10. A. Parker, Recordins
Secretary-Treasurer National Reform
Press Association, Louisville. Ky.. Nov
=, 1SS9.-To the Reform Press of the
United States: The bitter political cam.
palgn which has made Kentucky a bat.
tle-ground this year is drawing to ,
close, and, to use the expression of on.
OF the candidates for governor, is al
ready "all over but the shouting" This
has not only been the bitterest campaig,
ever waged in the state, but the result
is fraught with more importance thar
any previous campaign. Its effects will
be national, and, therefore, I conside,
1t my duty, as an officer OF the Reform
Press association, to give our press the
facts concerning the situation here and
the issues involved.
In the fall elections of 1897 the Demo
cratic party carried the state legislature
by large majority. and in turn the leg
1slature passed an election law known
as the "Goebel bill," because introduced
and championed by State Senator Will
liam Goebel. There was bitter oppo-
sition In the legislature to the act, the
Republican governor yetoing the bill,
and every Republican and Populist leg
islator and senator. besides several
Democratic members. voting to sustain
the veto. The bill. however, became a
law. The passage Of this act caused q
breach In the Democratic party OF the
state. which eliminated in an open
rupture at the state convention held in
June. where Goebel, the author of the
bill, was q candidate for the guberna-
torial nomination, and by ways that
are dark and tricks that are vain,"
succeeded in getting It.
The convention In question contained
nearly 1.1oo delegates. There were three
candidates for the nomination-Goebel,
Stone and Hardin. Stone was an ex-
confederate soldier. an ex-congressman,
and stood high In the councils of the
party, while Hardin made the race in
1895. as the Democratic nominee, and
pushed the silver question into the
fight, espousing the cause Of free silver,
though the platform upon which he
stood was for gold, and an Endorsement
of the Cleveland administration. This
act caused his defeat. and this year the
silver men in the party thought a re-
nomination due the man who had so
sacrificed his political
prospects for silver But this was not
to be. Hardin went into the convention
with nearly 500 votes, Stone with about
400 and Goebel had less than 200: but
in this convention Goebel applied the
tactics embodied in his election law,
and by fraud and treachery secured the
nomination. He made a corrupt bar
gain with Stone, to the effect that Stone
was to help him organize the conven-
tion and that he, In turn, was to give
Stone the necessary votes to nominate
him. Stone bit at the tempting bait
and gave Goebel the organization Of the
But when Goebel had his
henchmen on the credentials committee,
in the chair and other posts of trust in
the convention, he unseated over 300
delegates elected by the people, who
we're for Hardin, and seated as many of
his own friends, thus giving him con-
troll of the convention. He then re-
Dudiated his agreement with Stone and
broke his obligation and took the nomi-
nation for himself,
The convention not only nominated |
The author of the Goebel election law,
but 1t adopted without division a plat
'orm specifically indorsing it.
Those Democrats who could not SUBJ
nit to such acts of treachery in their
party, and who rebelled against Goebel-
SIN and bossism on general principles,
,alled an opposition convention and
nominated Ex-Gov. John Young Brown.
,ne of the best governors the state had
,ver had, and denounced Goebel meth
IDS, and especially the election law by
hat name.
The Populists also nominated John G.
Blair, and also made a prominent issue
VI opposition to the Goebel law. The
Prohibitionists and So
ialists also denounced the election sys-
EN- made by Goebel and indorsed by
his platform.
Because of this peculiar situation, the
ampaign in Kentucky has been pitched
m local issues. National questions
AVE not been heard of, so intense has
'een the struggle over internal affairs.
When 1t became evident that the re-
oit In the Democratic party approach
q revolution, and that the people