Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-16
POLITICS
Appointment Clerk Langley Talks Iu-
terestingly on the Subject, ?
GoEBEL LAW DID NOT WORK
Election Machinery Could Not Be
Manipulated Rapidly.
AN ABSU RID CHI RG E

a N "A Is > u II u " II A II " T.
Mr.. John W. Langley, appointment clerk
OF the census office, and a lifelong resident
of the ''blue grass state. talked interest
insly to a reporter for The Star today on
the subject Of politics in Kentucky. Mr..
Langley comes from the mountains in Ken
lucky. and is familiar with the people and
their political affiliations. He said:
when all of this excitement shall have
subsided, when the elimination and recrim-
ination, now being indulged in by both par
ties. shall have ceased and the truth ascer-
tanned, the facts can be summarized as fol-
lows: The Kentucky elections of '95 and '98
indicated that democratic supremacy In the
state was permanently endangered. A tenl-
porary advantage in the legislature gave an
opportunity to fix the election law. so that
the minority might rule. Hence the pas
sage Of the Goebel law. Those who were
back of this movement were over-conhdent
Of their power under the law, and there
fore some Of the old and most popular lead
ers in the party were cast aside.
Machinery Could Not Be Manipulated.
This caused such a revolt in the party
that the election machinery, being new,
could not be manipulated rapidly enough to
overcome the large majority cast against
the democratic nominees. Hence the move
ment to override the will of the people by
legislative action. The contest was based
upon technical grounds. facts being alleged
that did not influence the result of the elec-
ton. Fer example, in the county Of John
son, which is near my home, the same re-
publican majority was cast for Gov. Taylor
that was cast in '96 for President McKin-
ley, and this majority is conceded to be the
normal vote of the county.
Notwithstanding this faot the vote OF
that county has been diSregarded, because.
IT is alleged, the ballots were not printed on
paper of sufficient thickness. The vote of
several of the republican counties was
challenged upon the same grounds, and the.
fact that in the democratic counties like
ballots were used was disregarded by the
legislature and by the contest board. The
republicans naturally felt outraged at this
proceeding, and many of them went TO
Frankfort to protest against ia During the
excitement that followed some one who
wanted Mr.. Goebels life took it, the con-
ditions then prevailing affording the muir
derer an opportunity to escape punish
ment."
An AbsurbCharge.
'What do you think of the charge that
prominent republican officials and other
leaders in the state were parties to a con-
spiracy to assassinate Mr.. Goebel?"
IT do not believe a word of 1t. The
charge Is absurd on the face of it. What
political advantage could sane party lead
erS hope to gain by 1t? That the asSaSSna-
ton would do harm to the republican
cause no man of common sense could have
questioned. If Mr.. Goebel, while living, had
a chance to win the contest for the govern
orship his death under such circumstances
would necessarily increase the chances for
the success of the rightful political sue
cessor to his claims. If there was conspi-
racy, why should it have involved only the
assassination of Mr.. Goebel? There stood
Mr.. Beckham ready to take his place. Yet
he walked the streets unmolested and I'M
guarded. A political conspiracy with any
brains at all to guide it would certainly in
volve at least the possibility of some politi-
cal advantage. The democratic contention
is an absurdity, unless it be assumed that
the alleged conspirators were idiots.'
Il believe your home Is In the mountains.
which section appears to be receiving a
large share Of the blame for the present
trouble in Kentucky"
Libel on the Mountain Region.
"It is, sir, and 1 am proud of 1t. want
to say right here that all of this stuff that
is being printed, rejecting on the mountain
people, Is a libel and an outrage. In john
son county, to which 1 have already re-
ferred, there has only been one or two
homicides within twenty years. The people
in that county have always been accus-
toned to an honest ballot and a fair count
and naturally incensed when 1t is pro-
posed to disfranchiSe them; but they are
not lawless savages, one would infer
from reading the public press. On the
contrary, they, like the balance of the
people in that section of the state are a
God-fearing, law-abiding, Industrious, in
telligent, educated, Christian people, who
are loyal to their state and jealous Of
their liberties. That country is dotted all
over with school houses and churches, and
every county is filed with progressive and
cultured young men and women, who
would be credit to even the capital city
of the nation. 1t is true that there is an
occasional crime committed in the noun
tain counties, but there are no more crimes
there than in the average city, and not half
much immortality. There have been
murders here in Washington since 1 have
been here which. if they had occurred in
the mountains of Kentucky, would have
afforded sensational headlines in the yell
low journals about the usual Kentucky
murders do not assume the attitude of
attempting to offer a defense for all that
has happened and is happening in Ken
lucky.
Deplorabie Condition.
''It is, indeed, in deplorable condition
and all true Kentuckians deeply regret the
situation. Neither do desire to cast any
reflection upon one section of the state in
order to defend my own, but 1 desire to
call attention to the fact that the cruel
and outrageous manner in which the dis
tinguished young secretary of state was
arrested the other day. did not occur in the
mountains but in the center of the blue
grass region. I sincerely hope that most
Of the trouble has already passed, and
that Kentucky will soon show that much
injustice has been done her in these criti-
cisms in the pubic press. I, perhaps,
should not have said anything to you for
publication upon the subject. but being
mountaineer myself, and knowing the gross
wrong that is being done the mountain
people, felt that could not, in justice to
myself and to them. remain silent while
these things are going on"
Men Charged With Completely In MUIR
der of william GOebeI.
LOUISVILLE, KY, March 16-Oficers