The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-05
'9|EBEL Of KENTUCKY.
Since Clay and Breckenridge,
His Admirers Say
NONE so MASTERY AS He
How He NapoIeonized the
Nomination for Governor

Lexington, July 3.-WillIam Goebel, tht
democratic nominee for governor of Ken
ttIcky, IS the most remarkable politician
Kentucky has had since the days of Henry
Clay and John c. Breckenridge. Unlike
Clay and Breckenridge he comes OF nc
proud family, and has no collegiate educa-
ton, and has no close personal friends
AS one OF his admirers and workers said
of him today: ''He is in a class by him
self. He Is totally unlike any Of the grHat
politicians Kentucky has produced in al
respects save one-he has brains"
Mr.. Goegel was born in Pennsylvania
Sullivan county, thirty eight years ago
and removed when a child Of years with
his parents to Covington, KY, where he
! has lived ever since. He received his
schooling in the public schools of Coving-
ton, and then read law with ex-governor
John G. Stevenson. He showed such
marked ability that Governor Stevenson
made him his law partner. and this part
nership was continued until the death of
the governor, who made Mr.. Goebel his
executor without bond. He left a large es-
tate, and the young attorney administered
it in the most satisfactory manner.
ExSecretary of the Treasury, John g.
Carlisle was so impressed with the ability
OF Mr.. Goebel that he formed a partner
| ship with him after the death of Governor
Stevenson, which lasted number Of years
and was only terminated when the gifted
Kentuckian was made Secretary of the
Treasury of the United States. With two
such associates as Stevenson and Carlisle
il was no wonder the young attorney rose
rapidly in the law. and 1t was not long un-
til he commanded a practise of $4,000 a
| year. He seemed to make a speciality of
cases against corporations, including rail-
roads, and he was so successful in them
that he soon found himself with more
work than he could we'll do.
As a lawyer, Mr.. Goebel has the reputa-
ton of being eminently fair, and in all the
personal relations of life his reputation is
of the very highest. He has always been a
friend of the people, and this Characters
tic caused him to be engaged IT. a contro-
versy which made it necessary for him to
take a human life. He thought the bridge
tolls across the Ohio river were too high
and he introduced and had passed a bill
the tolls to cent for a foot passenger.
Colonel John Sanford, an ex-confederate
soldier, was large stakeholder in one OF
the bridge companies, and he denounced
Goebel for fathering the bin. and wrote a
severe article, which was published in
Covington paper, abusing GOebel for the
part he took in reducing tolls. Goebel re-
piled in an unsigned article that fairly
took the cutfcle OF the Colonel, and those
who knew the old soldier said he would
demand satisfaction of the writer. GOebel
told the edtu0r Of the paper to tell him he
wrote 1t, IL the Colonel made inquiry, and
as the Colonel asked for the author before
the ink was dry on the last papers from
the press. Goebel was soon informed that
Colonel Sanford had threatened TO kill
him on sight. He procured pistol and ne
and the Colonel met a short time after
ward on the steps OF the bank in which
the Colonel was cashier. The Colonel ask
ed Mr.. Goebel IL he was the author Of the
article in which he was so numerically
attacked Goebel, without the least show
Of emotion. and with a calm voice, replied.
ices" The Colonel made a motion as If
to draw a weapon, but before he could get
his hand on his pistol Goebel had shot him
dead. He was acquitted on the examining
trial, as there was abundant proof that he
acted purely in self-defense. But many OF
the Old confederates have never forgiven
GOebes for staying the man who was about
to take his llfe and they declare that they
Will not support him at the regular cleo
ton this fall. Their anger has been re-
newed by the unhappy circumstance Of
Colonel SanfOrd's widow going crazy ana
being incarcerated in a private asylum in
this city. 1t is stated that the Masons,
Odd Fellows and Elks are also going to
work against Goebers election because
Colonel Sanford was a member of these
several orders.
About twelve years ago. Mr.. Goebel en-
tered politics Circuit Clerk Wilson of
kenton county induced him to make the
race for state senator from that county.
He was elected and has served continu-
ously ever since. He Is now a hold
over senator. One of the first bills he
made law was that which made gamble
ing felony. He has seen the evil effects
OF gaming. and he believed the young men
of the state ought to be protected from
gambling and the influence OF gamblers.
and he worked very hard to have the bill
become law. Several effoEs have been
made 70 repeal the felony clause, but the
senator always fought against it, and was
successful. Az
He has always stood for the people
against the classes and combines Of
wealth n, f,fS -
caused many bills looking to the ameliora-
tion Of the condition of the poor to become
laws. 1t was in this spirit that he sup
ported what IS known as the McChord
railroad bin and the Chinn schooibapk bill.
He believes the railroads ought to base
their rates on the amount Of work done
| and not on the competition that centers
around large shipping and river points.
He thinks the children of the state ought
not TO be made 10 pay more for their
schOolbooks than they are worth, nor more
than is charged in other states. When he
opened his campaign for governor this
year. he made a powerful speech at Lseba-
non in which he SAID he was opposed by all
the corporations In the state. by ali the
banks and by nearly ali the newspapers,
but he intended 20 win the contest despite
the efforts of these great powers against
him. How well he succeeded the news OF
the week shows. No man ever had a
harder fight. He went into the convention
on Wednesday OF last week with only a
small portion OF toe delegates pledged TO
him. but by his superior gcneralship he
won the nomination after q struggle last
ing eight days and seven nights.
His management Of this convention gives
an insight into his cool and calculating