The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1900-02-09
Columbia, Tennessee, Feb. 9 1900.
rMnDlmx 40 nLrnOY GROUND,

outrages the republicans, the GOLD |
democrats, the l.. d. n railroad and |
other corporations have been piline
up on the people since the beginning
Of the campaign.
At the very inception Of their con-
spiracy 40 steal the state, they rai''d
the cry of'"stop thief" and in order
TO distract attention from their own
nefarious practices began "A syste-
matte abuse and Islander of everyb' dy
who would not be bought or con
trolled by them. A combination be-
tween the corporations, the gold
bugs and the republicans; headed by
Basil Duke, who is to the l.. q n. in
Kentucky what Stahlman once was
to them in Tennessee and Bill
Breck enridge, disgrrntled and lis
graced, hoary headed libertine; and
Bill Bradley, the governor, as I'M
scrupulous political tvrant and as
very scum of misc ance as was
ever thrown to the service by the
turbulent waves Of political strife.
A sweet triUmvirate this! And
Taylor, the present delectable gov
ernOr, was one of their tools. He
was the candidate of the combine;
and in order to further his cause.
Ex-Governor Brown was sednced ov
the bad example of Gen. Buckner
in 1896, and consented to become IA
decOy duck for the weak and timid.
Then came the reorganization of the
state militia, by Governor Bradley,
on strictly political grounds, who
used them not to preserve the peace
but to tantalize the people ana pro
woke disorder. On election day these
armed men, under orders from the
Governor, guarded the polls and in
Inundated the voters in the city of
Louisville, and where the democrats
were thought to be strong.
Believing this to be done for the
purpose of producing a riot and TO
give the militia an excuse for their
presence, Mr.. Goebel and his friends
endured there insults rather than
resent them,
Not satisfied with that, at the very
time when all peace loving people in
the state were most cautious in their
acts and speech, these patriots Of the
republican stripe and their allies the
railroad, brought thousand armed
and drunken hoodiums from the
mountains, to guard and protect
their precious pets. They did not
call on the police, the regularly con-
stituted officers to perform this
function; they did not even call on
the militia, though they were parti-
san soldiers. subject to their beck
and call. These had been tried, and
it was found that they could not in
cite the democrats to acts of violence
and blood. Sothey must send to the
mountains and jnfe5t the capitol
city and the capitol with an ermed,
ignorant, drunken set.
Is it strange that an assassin
should be among their number?
Was anybody surprised when the
gun was fred and Goebel fell? Least
of all, doubtless, the leaders who en-.
csmped them there.
And what has Taylor done since
Did he surround the building with 8
Gordon of soldiers TO stop the escape
of the assassin? Did he not, rather
use these armed mountainous
armed not as militia, or police, OIL
according to law. but armed as in
dividuals contrary to law-did he
not use them in the minute to barri
cade the doors and stop the APP
proaches to all civilians or officers
who wanted to search and find the
murderer? Did he not use them
and to this good hour is he not using
them to shield and hide and protect
the assassin?
What right had these men Their,
at all? What right had they to b,
armed? What right had they tC
make the state house their armoryi
None, under the law. 1t was the
fragrant abuse of power by mel
desperate enough to take all tn,
chances, and yet too cowardly t.
contemplate alone the consequence
of their acts.
To follow these conspirators a lit
tie further, we find them adjourne,
to London. Why London? VIII.
to the home of the vendetta? VIII,
not to Louisville, where civilization
and law aud police abound?
I; is "a plain case of conspirac
and revolution, IA it is Of assaesina
ton. Whipped at every turn
beaten under the law, these pulitt
cal reuegudes aud soulles- corpora
tiuutsts determined to use the La
To resist the law; to use the militi
to ,errorizs the people; to create il
surrection that they might shoot