Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1900-02-09
GoEBEL.
An Estimate of his Worth by Henri
Watterson.

An Estimate of his Worth by Henri
w%atterson.
Governor Goebel Of KENTUCKY died
Enthusiastically evening. Falling as he
did by the assassin's bullet as he was
about to become the ChietMagistrate
OF his State, his memory will live long
after the desperate partisans who
comprised his death are forgotten.
Following is Henri Watterson's
tribute to the memory Of the dead
Governor:
In this hour, in the very presence
OF he dead rs II were, and in the
hush Of the solemn and tragic man.
ner, considerations OF even the i'm.
mediate future public consequences
pause,a and thoughts Of the personality
OF him who was go lately among us,
and "A leader Of his fellows, ill the
mind and dim the eye. In such i'm
hour even an enemy-aud the dead
man had his share OF enemies, rs all
manly and brave men must have-is,
indeed. the poorest day il his hostil-
ity Is not, for the time at least, sub.
merged under the wave OF a common
humanity which finds its flood in the
infinite mystery toward which ones
current is setting.
William Goebel WAS distinctly and
pre-eminently Il man who nodded his
own destiny. He sprang from the
national assimilation OF the the trans
Atlantic elements which is such IN
Important factor in the constituent
OF the common people OF America.
He was essentially Il product OF the
common people-the bedrock Of the
whole massive and towering struct.
ure OF Il material, moral hud politi-
cal fabric. From Il lowly boyhood,
he made his way single handed and
sure footed ~ The crown of his nmbi-
tion-the Governorshnp Of his State.
And he achieved this and WIS cut
down at an age when most men are
hardly yet fully equipped for the
struggle OF life. Moreover, he did
this without once forgetting that he
was one OF the people from whom he
rose. without once forgetting that il
was for their interest that he must
battle il he would win his fight for
ward. He was ever u~nflinch;ngly
faithful tn his conception OF duty to
them, "A fidelity which faltered not ut
the seduction Of the opulent nor the
menaces Of the powerful, hut which
stood the more steadfRst the more in
sIduously it was beseiged, the more
s~trennously it was assailed. And il
was this fidelity, it is hardly necessary
To say, TINT gained for him the uncr-
amplcd opposition which at every
step wa thrown across his path and
which 1t WIS his delight and way To
defy and beat down. as a mau Of such
strength Hnd will is ever ready to do:
and there is no one,cven among those
who fought him, who will not admit
that. but for the bullet Of the assassin
he would have been completely vic.
torious over all this opposition.
AS it WAS, he died the leader of his
party in Kentucky. with a following
whose loyalty and zeal were com.
manded by no other partisan captain
or recent years. 1t was the same
qualities i'll him winch made him en-.
emies that made him a leader. His
self reliance. his equipose, his clear
ness OF brain and steadiness OF nerve.
hls never fai'ing courage and indom-
table perseverance,, even in apparent
~ the most hopeless OF situations.
were she characteristics which forged
for him his " way and inspired in
his p%artisnns that confidence and adj.
miration Indispensable to true leader.
ship.
In his private life he WIS distin.
guished by the same traits that sbap.
ed his public career. AS in his pub
lie service no suspicion OF corruption
was ever breAthed against him, SO in
his personal intercourse he was open
and straightforward. Tho man who
served his State so long and so con.
spicuously without a stuiu on his rec.
ord, always had tho respect Of his
associates in business i~ntcrcoarse, M
he Ind the love of his friends and the
devotion OF his family.