The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-11-11

al the temporary excitements
" n and exaggerations of the
Kentucky campaign, and
discounting with care the tempera-
mental qualities of the average inhap-
liant of the Blue Grass state, as Illus
trated in innumerable feuds, duels ana
riots under the stress of abnormal SEN
sitiveness. we nevertheless regard as
worthy of account the assertion OF the
anti-Cioebel faction that blood Will flow
before the theft of the state, contem-
plated If not already executed ny
Gubernatorial Candidate Goebel and
his supporters, shall be ratified in Goe-
bells inauguration. We believe that
under similar conditions as to the law
bloodshed would follow, in Pennsylva-
mia, a course like that pursued by
Goebel, regardless of the political party
or faction to which the Pennsylvania
Goebel might belong.
Charges Of fraud at election are COM
mon in the United States and excite
little comment as ordinarily put forth
Sometimes they are merely the vents
of a minority's chagrin; sometimes they
have a substantial basis of fact But
in either case, rather than resort to
violence those who conscientiously be-
lieve that they have been wronged at
the polls either pursue an investiga-
ton in the ordinary channels or await
the future opportunity for revenge or
reparation. The prevalence of this or
derly spirit in the presidential elections
of 1876 and 1884 demonstrated the SUBJ
stantial conservatism of the great
body of the American people and their
willingness to sustain the institutions
of peace and good order.
But in Kentucky today a situation is
presented unique in American political
history. It is the phenomenon Of a
wholesale defrauding of the voters
| under the operation of an election law
expressly designed for that purpose and
Offering to law-abiding people abso-
| lutely no hope Of peaceful remedy. If
| Goebel is fraudulently inaugurated this
| year nothing short of literal revolu-
| tion of the people in arms can prevent
| in future the same systematic prosti-
! tuition of the ballot which has been re-
| lied upon to effect the present Demo-
cratic end. For it must be remembered
| that under the Goebel election law Goe-
bel has direct control with power OF
appointment and removal over every
election officer in Kentucky; that the
counting of ballots and the decision OF
contests is wholly in Goebeps hands,
! with appeal only to the legislature
which, under this system, Goebel and
the Goebel machine permits to be re-
turned as elected. The gambler who
inveigles the sucker into a game with
marked cards or loaded dice could not
be more certain of his stake than Goe-
bel and Goebelism would be certain Of
absolute political control of Kentucky
for an unlimited time to come in the
event of Goebels Inauguration this
| winter.
We are now considering simply the
indisputable facts of an intensely dra-
matte situation, regardless of the par.
tisan aspects Whether the governor
of Kentucky shall be a Democrat or a
Republican is not of enough interest
outside Of Kentucky to warrant any
body to misrepresent or to try to color
the facts. But it is of the utmost i'm
portance to know whether in a COM
monwealth of the American Union {
republican form of government obtains
with the fairly derived consent of the
governed; or whether fraud under the
guise OF a law which had no sanction
from the people shall be entrenched il
ally self-sustaining.