The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-26
The Kentucky Situation.

IT Is NOT likely that any unbia Sc d
person will place much credence
l. in the partisan prosecution of
the Republican secretary of state
of Kentucky on the charge of being
accessory to the murder of William
Goebel. The case against Secretary
Powers. SO far as it has been made
public. consists of Il confession" by
one Wharton Golden. notorious char
acter. TO the effect that Powers had
secured the presence in Frankfort of
a number of armed mountaineers for
e the premeditated purpose of killing
Goebel and enough Democratic legis-
lators to give the Republicans control
of the general assembly. Golden says
that Powers openly avowed this pur-
pose and intimates that Governor Tay-
1or was privy to ii. The improba bill =
ity does not occur to him nor to his
prompters that if the Republican offic-
ials had plotted a series of assassina :
tions. as he alleges. they would hardly
have gone about proclaiming their in
tentions to men of the Golden stripe.
This prosecution Is very evidently
manufactured for the purpose of keep
ing up party feeling. 1t is to be used,
we suspect, as a preteXt to excuse the
Democratic contestants for declining to
abide by their written agreement to
take no forciblc steps in their pursuit
of office but to remit the whole contro- :
rersy to the courts. The chief para .
graph Of this agreement reads as fol-
lows: should any party, after the
final determination of the causes by
the court of appeals. desire a writ of
error to the Supreme court OF the
United States to review such deter
mination, it Is agreed that such writ
shall he Immediately applied for and
diligently prosecuted, if secured, and
that all parties to said causes will
unite in AN application to said federal
supreme court to docket and advance
said causes and give them the earliest
hearing and determination possible"
In spite OF this agreement, threats
arc being made in the Democratic
newspapers and among the Democratic
leaders to take forcible possession of
the state house and archives as soon
as the packed state courts have handed
down their predetermined decisio
against the Republicans; armed men
are now in Frankfort. it is believed for
the express purpose of executing these
threats; and the trumped-up prosecu-
tion of Secretary Powers is being used
as a rcasohswhy the Democratic fol.
lowing should 'fwaste no more time in
rarlcying with murderers," etc., bu,
should proceed tovindicate their claims
to Office by force. The Republican
leaders have notified the contestants
sanf 'have1 also Informed the federal
Isapthorifies at Washington that until
,sthe' matter has been decided by the
Supreme court of the United States ad.
versefy to their claim they will not
-yrfd-up the state house: and il trouble
shall arise because of their refusal ia
Yield the responsibility for it must res,
with those who precipitate 1t.
: Nav that the leg isiature of Kentucky
I. has adjourned. call by Governor Tay.
ief on the president for federal troops
10 quell domestic violence is a possible
sequence of any attempt by the Demo
Gratis to enforce mob law; and it is
. difficult. to see how. should such a cal
he made, the president could consist
entity, refuse to honor 1t.