The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-27
A SPECTACLE AND A WARNING.

The so-called Kentucky Democratic con-
yention is furnishing the country an in
structive spectacle. Four years ago. follow
ing its real leaders. the party declared for
sound money in its platform. and then,
with strange perversity, the small men who
were delegates nominated wat" Hardin for
Governor. Upon the stump he ~repudiatcd
his platform and turned his back upon such
leaders as Carlisle, Buckner. Lindsay. Nc
Creery and watterson. Hardin was de-
feated. The year following. the organization
OF the party, being in control Of men who
reviled its able leaders. sent a 16-to-1 dele
cation to the Chicago convention. Carlisle.
Buckner, Watterson and others who had
given the Kentucky Democracy prominence
In Democratic national councils. were
howled down and denounced as traitors and
scoundrels by every little demagogue. while
the crossroads organs We'd with each other
in the coarseness of their abuse and Carl
catures of these once-honored names. The
Louisville Courier-Journal, in many respects
the ablest exponent of Democracy in the
South, was assailed and every effort was
made by these new leaders TO destroy it's
circulation.
For four years these small leaders of fac
tons have had their own way. The Goebels
and the Jack Chinns are leaders. The
former crowded a bill through the Legisla-
ture which puts the control Of the elections
In the hands of a state board. In vain did
the decent element protest. On Wednesday
the state convention, manipulated by these
new factional leaders. assembled. One
third of the seats were contested Two
candidates for Governor combined and
thereby captured the organization and put
out over one hundred Hardin delegates to
make room for their own. Then the two
conspirators quarreled, each accusing the
other of treachery. We are warranted In
the opinion that one or both of these con-
spirators told the truth, because the ac-
knowledged Democratic organ. the Dis
patch, declared several days ago that the
convention was in 1.-THE grasp of cutthroats
and assassins." On Friday the chairman
called for the protection of the police. Nc
objection was made to the presence of a
large number of policemen until yesterday
morning, when one of the Hardin delegates
asked by what authority the Louisville po-
lice filled the aisles and stood about the
presiding officer. The latter answered that
he had the, police there to preserve the
peace and to protect himself. Thereupon
the Hardin delegate made a motion to the
effect that the chairman dismiss the police
because their presence menaced the rights
of the delegates. The chairman ruled the
motion out Of order and refused to enter
tain a motion to appeal from the decision
OF the chair. Thereupon bedlam broke
loose and all efforts to take a ballot for
a candidate for Governor were Intellectual
until late in the afternoon. when the dele
gates were worn out with shouting and
noise making. With but a third of the votes
Goebel has absolute control of the chair
man. the state committee and the party or
ganization. He has secured. moreover, the
adoption Of a platform indorsing his elec-
ton law. which many of the more promi-
nent men have denounced, thus making II
most embarrassing for them to accept the
nomination.
And all this disgrace of a weeks conven-
ton and all the political infamy which each
faction charges upon the other have come
to the Democracy of Kentucky because il
thrust aside its able and honored leaders
to become the followers of the silver mine
owners trust.