The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-13
HE DECLINES To SIGN THE LOUISVILLE
AGREEMENT.
THE LAW TO TAKE ITS COURSE
He tissues a Proclamation Announcing
This as His Determination-Troops to
be Sent Home Ordered
te Convene In Frankfort rt-Democratfc
Legislature Declines to Leave Louis
Vile The Courts to Settle the Guber-
Material Contest.

Louisville. Ky, February 10.-Acting
on the recommendation of Governor
Bechhanl, contained in a message
o'clock the democratic legislature de
cided to continue its sessions in this
city. Governor Beckham declared that
because of the presence in the state
buildings at Frankfort of armed men
acting under unlawful authority, he
was unable to guarantee to them the
personal safety and peaceful surround
ings under which a session of the gen.
eral assembly should be held
Frankfort, KY, February 10-'I have
only this ito say: After mature delib-
GRAFTON and conference with my friends
from every section of the state I have
concluded to allow this controversy to
take its due course, vigorously contest
Ing every inch Of ground ard upholding
| the rights of the people to the utter
most. If those rights be destroyed the
responsibility for that destruction must
rest with those who sit in Judgment
1t is due to say that the eminent
gentlemen, my friends, who, TO secure
the propositions resulting from the
Louisville conference. acted in good
faith, from the highest motives of pa
trfotism and did the very best they
could
The above was signed by Governor
Taylor and issued as a proclamation
| The decision not to sign the Louisville
! agreement was reached by Governor
| Taylor this afternoon. For over two
| hours he had been in conference with
| fully $50 prominent republicans from
| all parts of the state. The meeting
| was secret in the extreme, all those
who came from the hall before Gov
ernor Taylor himself refusing to say
anything of the progress of the delib-
erationS.
The members of the conference, with
the exception Of Governor Taylor,
| gathered in the Legislative hall usually
| occupied by the house of representa-
| tives.
| Governor Taylor stated to the confer
| ence that there we're two courses to be
| pursued. First, to sign the Louisville
! agreement; THE second to quietly with
draw the troops, allow the legislature
| to reconvene in the capitol in Frank
| fort, to call off the session now being
| held in London and ITO ignore the Lou
| isville agreement entirely. Several
| speeches, were made and it was soon
| apparent that the sentiment of the
! gaithering was very strongly in favor
| of the second course and this was
| adopted. This action was decided upon
| aIt O'Clock and the first information
| of the decision was given to the outside
| world by Governor Taylor himself He
came rapidly through the doors unat-
tended and looking nervous and hag-
| gard. He walked hastily toward the
capitol stairway, repeating several
| times to the newspaper men who stood
| in the hall, Il don't sign,'' Il don't
sign," Il don't sign
From the capitol he passed to the
executive building where he at once
made up and signed THE following proc
lamation reconvening the legislature
At Frankfort:
Frankfort KY, February 10.
The Excitement recently prevailing
in this city having to some extent sub
| sided and there appearing now ito be
no necessity for the general assembly
TO remain in session in London, I do
hereby, by this proclamation, recon-
vene the same in Frankfort, KY, Feb
ruary u, 1900, at IL o'clock noon.
! 'W. S. TAYLOR,
| Governor Of Kentucky"
Orders were at once issued to Gen
eral Collier to prepare for the Depart
ure of the troops, and in a very short
time large number of them were
ready to leave. Six companies left to-
only a small detachment will remain
by Monday morning. These will be
retained only as a peace guard and
will in no way be obtruded upon the
presence Of the legislature
Word was at once sent to the mem
bers Of the republican legislature now
! in session at London that the next ses-
sion would be In Frankfort, and a
prompt reply was received to the effect
| that they would leave in q body on
Sunday and be in Frankfort Monday
morning in ample time for business
After Governor Taylor had left this
hall, resolution eTnbodying the sense
of the meeting was adopted:
4 Resolved, That 1t is the sense OF
this meeting that Governor Taylor
a.should not sign the agreement referred
to him by the Louisville conference
and that, reposing confidence in his
ability and sense Of duty. we are con-
tent to follow his leadership after thar
refusal
| After the adjournment on the meet.
ing it was THE opinion OF the republi.
cans that the gubernatorial contest
was practically over. They understood
the action Of today ITO mfan, and il
was intended to mean that me matter
shosfid now be fought out before ths
courts and the issue there decided tG
be accepted as final. There was nc
| intention Of asking that q new vote
should be taken On the GoebelTaylo1
contest but Governor Taylor stated
ito several people that he world ash
THAT any former action be ratified BY
vote OF both houses taken cooiy anc
l without passion
4 When Informed OF the action OF the
democratic legislature at Louisville in
refusing to return to Frankfort, Gov.
esnor Taylor said: 'It strikes me thai
their attitude is somewhat inconsist-
emit. They claim they cannot be pro-
tected ait Frankfort and there is nobody
here TO molest they. They objected to
the presence of troops at a time when
there was far greater excitement and
danger than now. After things have