The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1900-10-10

sooner or later learn that they must
submit to and obey the law.
The City Of Louisville.
But the Republican platform charg.
es that the city Of Louisville was dis,
franchised and deprived of the right
to participate in the conduct of the
state government. Goebel received
the highest number of legal votes and
was elected without the change of a
single vote in the city of Louisville.
Glaringly outrageous as was the con.
duct of the Republican officials, with
respect to the election there, it was
not necessary for the board or for the
| general assembly to consider the OBJ
iections made as to this vote. But in
asmuch as Misrepresentation and con.
cealment have been resorted to for the
purpose of deceiving the public, pro-
pose to show that the grounds of con.
test relating to jefferson county were
well taken, and required its vote to be
disregarded, in arriving at the correct
result
1t is declared by the constitution of
the commonwealth (Section 81 that
"all elections shall be free and equal"
This provision had its origin in the
venerable statute of Edward l., where
in it was declared that because cleo
tons ought to be free, the king COM
mandeth, upon great forfeiture, that
no man, by force of arms, nor by mall
ice nor menacing, shall disturb any
to make free elections"
| Another fundamental principle de-
clared In our constitution (Section 22)
| Ia n ha mi hal In, oil
and at all times, be in strict subordi-
nation to the civil power" This pro.
vision is derived from the Declaration
I OF Independence, wherein It was stat
ed, as one of our grievances, that the
king had effected to render the mill
tary Independent of ana superior 10
the civil power"
These principles, so vitality impQr-
tant for the protection or the liberty
o. the citizen, were disregarded and
violated by the Republican executive
and nearly 5000 voters thereby dis
franchised in the city of Louisville.
The militia of the state, in anticipa-
ton OF the event, was reorganized on
a partisan basis. Democratic compa-
niles were either mustered out or dis
! armed, under the pretext of furnish
ing them with better arms. But these
equipments never came.
Gov. 6radIey's Acts.
Gov. Bradley reached the city of
Louisville few days before the cleo
ton. A few days prior to his coming
equipment, arms and ammunition for
the Louisville regiment were shipped
| from Frankfort, and on the day be-
fore the election two Calling guns,
| with thirty thousand rounds of am
munition, arrived. On the morning of
the election, before the polls were op-
ened. he called the regiment to the ar
mory In the heart of the city and put
it under arms. All these events were
chronicled in the most sensational
manner by the daily press. During
the interval between hasty orders for
Calling guns and ammunition the Re-
publican governor was making Repub-
lican speeches and comforting with
that highly respectable, but exceeding
ly nervous nd suspicious aggregation
Of political pharisees known in cur
rent history as honest election leag-
uers." The Louisville Dispatch and
Evening Post were filled with bloody
threats and startling insinuations as
what was to be done with the militia,
with the governor in personal COM
mand, on election day. The result up
on the public mind may be expressed
in the terse language of the witnesses
themselves: "The alarm was extern
sive," people were in fear and dread"
the talk about the preparation for
the militia being called ont and the
introduction OF cannon, guns and ann
munition into the city was current on
the Streets" "a great many men we're
unquestionably kept from the polls"
people were afraid there would be a
clash at the polls" Much more to the
same effect was proven.
Effect on the Vote.
1t required no prophet to foretell
the result. There was a total loss Of
$500 registered votes at the election.
The entire registered vote of the
city, in round numbers, was 42,042.
The entire vote cast was 1926. The
Democratic registered vote was $4,000;
the vote cast 13,400-a loss OF 5000
Democratic votes. The registered Re-
publican vote was 1900; the vote cast
was 16,550-a Republican gain of 1850
over the registration.
There was loss of about rs per cent.
of the vote of the city. The record
shows that the usual falling OF is not
more than 10 per cent, and this is gen.
orally distributed between the parties
about in proportion to their strength.
1t is perfectly clear that this extraordi-
nary result was produced by military
intimidation. The spectacle was indeed
extraordinary. No such event had
ever transpired IN Kentucky. Peace
full and law-abiding citizens asked
with wonder and amazement where
this unprecedented display OF military
would end. They had read In the con-
stitution Of the state that the govern
or should not personally take COM
mand of the militia unless advised so
to do by resolution Of the general as
sembly; they had read in the law that
the militia when called out should be
directed to report to the mayor of a
city. sheriff. TALLER or marshall they
had read that the militia should only
be employed in aid Of the civil power
Of the commonwealth for the enforce
ment OF the law.
The citizens beheld all these re-
qulrements and safeguards of the law
set aside. A partisan press daily her
aided the fact, in infammatory arti-