The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-22
POINTS AT ISSUE
KENTUCKY DEMOCRATIC MAN
Ayers ISSUE AN ADDRESS TO
PEOPLE OF STATE
EXPLAIN GROUNDS OF CONTESTS
INTIMIDATION AND VIRTUAL DIS
FRANCHISEMENT OF VOTERS
Is CITED
MISUSE OF THE MILITIA

Troops Parnded Through the Streets
GntIing Guns to Deter Voters
From Going to the POlIs-'Tissue
Ballots Also Made am Issue-Ac-
ton of CanvasSinH Board Defined
FRANKFORT, Ky, Dec 2-The ad-
dress Of the Democracy of the state, in
dorsing the contest instituted by Goebel
and other candidates OF the defeated
Democratic ticket, and giving the rea-
sons therefor, was issued tonight 1t is
signed by former Senator Blackburn,
chairman Of the state campaign commit
tee; Chairman Young, of the state and
executive committees and all of the mem-
bers Of these commit es. 1t says In part:
The Democratic party OF Kentucky
through lis several state committees, has
unanimously declared that the best in
terests of TIE party, as well as justice,
demands that contests shall be made by
all candidates on the Democratic ticket
for the respective offices for which they
We're nominated. The committees feel
that 1t is proper that they should, in con-
they base their action
The state board of election commits
sioners, az its recent session, issued Ger
tif1cates Of election to all of the Repub-
lican candidates for the state offices. but
The board expressly declared in the opin-
ion that 1t rendered that it acted simply
as canyassng board, without power
OF authority. as it construed the law,
to inquire into the legality or validity of
any contested votes. The board exp!es-
ed the opinion that If clothed with the
authority to go behind the returns and
determine the matters in contention, the
certificates of election could not have
been issued 10 the parties who received
them
We feel that In the light Of the action
of this board the Democratic party en-
not do less than to carry its contention
to the tribunals created by law for its
determination
BASIS OF CONTEST.
The grounds upon which this contest
ts based consist CT the protest against the
use OF tissue ballots In many of the
overwhelmingly Republican counties of
/ the state. The use of these ballots is rot
only violation of the letter of the law.
put is in utter and open defiance of the
spirit of the law, and the use of these
ballots furnishes not. only prima
tacie but also conclusive evidence of
purpose of fraud
Another ground Of contest is because
I or the plain violation and defiance of
law by the late Republican governor O..
the state, who whilst actively engaged
In The making of stump speeches and the
prosecution of a partisan political can
Vass, ordered out the military and in vi
olation of both law end precedent. as
sumed personal command of iroops in The
| metropolis of the state, parading the
streets of Louisville on the day of the
election with his soldiers and GafIing
guns. invading the voting booths and
FORCING into them against the protest Of
the lawfully appointed election officials
pretended inspectors and challengers who
the highest court of the state has decid-
! ed, had no lawful right to be present.
! he issuance of the cert flea es of cleo
tion to the Republican candidates is con
tested upon the further ground that a
| federal and also a state judge. without
warrant of law and in defiance of every
! prompting Of fair dealing and decencv
}
! election, the ono by menacing charges
| to grand jury and by the employment.
| of deputy United States marshaIs and
! the other by issuing every nandalnus
and Injunction asked for by the Repub-
! llcan party, which latter judicial acts
| have been declared by he supreme iudic-
! lal tribunal of the state to have been un-
! lawful
Another ground is the use in the inter
RPnnhlipon
mense corruption fund, contributed by
4 the most powerful abroad corporation Of
the. commonwealth. whereby many thou
I sands of voters were bought against th .
4 Democratic party and it's candidates be-
| cause that party, in the platform adopt- .
! In It's state convention, dsred to advocate e.
measures of relief demanded by the neo
/ PIE of the commonwealth.
VOTERS DIsFRANCInsED.
Attention is called to the fact that
! although the most heated political cam
! palgh that ever occurred in the com
IhohweaIth preceded the recent election
vet over 10000 legally registered Demo,
cratic voters failed to vote in tho cIt,,
| of Louisville alone This fact co., 1
be accounted for by the unlaWf,1I 1,so ~
the nlhtary power of the commonweaItI,
| py the Republican governor. and nv ~
| uhlaWful use Of the judicial power bv .
partisan judiciary, whereby wholesale in
ttnlidation was effected III
Ihese are the principal grounds uno,,
| which the Democracy of Kentuclxv raste
the contests that it has declared shall he
instituted If the law requiring all elec-
/ uons In this state to be held nv secret
oallot IS to be openly and f1agrantlv de.
ned In Republican counties and Renub-
! hcan districts, and If elections are to he
determined by the counting Of votes Sc
| given, then we have reached the end Of
free and fair elections In Kentucky n
/ the future of our people is to be deter.
! mined with the military arm of the state
dominating the citizen in the deposit OF
his ballot, then elections have become
worse than farce and made simply the
! prelude to tragedy in which the last
i semblance of Individual liberty and pop-
ular government is to be sacrificed There
can be no greater menace to public rights
and the freedom of the citizen than the
employment of the military arm of the
| government for the furtherance of parti-
san purposes, unless 1t be the more in
! sldlous and cowardly practices employed
IN the recent election by both federal and
| state judges at the dictation of one OF
! the parties to the contest
Upon no conceivable ground can q fed
eral judge either justify excuse or palIi-
ate his interference in an election for
state officers only, whilst, the action OF
| Toney, by decision of the court of an
| peals is stripped of every semblance of
to be condemned and rebuked and de-
| tins.
n ov,4