The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-02-06
WHO KILLED GoEBELe

Who is the real assassin of Goebel
Not who is the man that fired the bull
let that caused the death of this great
and noble man, but who inspired the
cowardly deed? That is the question
in answer to which Mr.. James Creel-
man, the well known newspaper cor
respondent, says:
THE real author of the reign of
terror in Kentucky is the Louisville &
Nashville railroad company. This giant
| corporation has controlled the councils
of the Democratic party I'M that state
has dictated the nomination and elec-
tion of every governor since the civil
war. 1t is the champion and defender
of lawless corporate power.
Goebel led the fight in the Kentucky
senate and in the law courts against
the criminal and tyrannous power of
the Louisville & Nashville railroad and
its corporate allies. At times the sena-
tor had to fight almost single handed.
He was a stern, ruthless, uncomfortable
man, the first to bring the railroad
oligarchy to it's knees. Mr.. Goebels
enemies may abuse him, but the fact
remains that during his long service in
the Kentucky senate no corporation
was able to buy him. He was incorrupti-
bility itself in his official life. He forced
the railroad to pay its share of the
taxes, he introduced and passed laws
protecting railroad employees, and he
brought scores of actions for damages
in the courts. He fought against the
corrupt and law-defying rule of the
Louisville & Nashville railroad COM
pany as Tilden and O'Conor fought
against enthroned crime in the days Of
Boss Tweed.
Not only did Senator Goebel attack
the dread Louisville & Nashville, but
he boldly grappled with the unspeaka BILE
Southern Pacific railroad company. He
discovered by reading the charter which
Coils p. Huntington and his lobby
succeeded in getting from the Kentucky
legislature that the state had dishon-
ored it's name. The extraordinary
charter permitted the Southern Pacific
to engage in practically any kind of
business except in the state of Ken
lucky. In other words, Mr.. Hunting
ton and his accomplices could plunder
the people Of all the other states,
provided that they did not plumber the
people of Kentucky. Mr.. Goebel sought
to revoke this almost increditable
charter. It was a desperate struggle,
and Huntington won the fight In the
last Kentucky campaign the Hunting
ton forces Joined with the Louisville &
Nashville and the trusts to defeat Mr..
Goebel.
II made the tour of Kentucky with
Mr.. Goebel and Mr.. Bryan in the last
political fight had a good opportunity
of studying this remarkable man, the
most masterful personality, perhaps,
in the whole south. 1t is true that in
the convention which nominated him
for governor he resorted to political
methods that one can hardly, con-
denim too strongly, but it must be re-
membered that he was engaged In a life
and death struggle with what had
hitherto been an irresistible force in the
Democratic party. He was fighting fire
with fire.
ut was the Louisville e. Nashville
railroad company and it's confederates
that inspired the spirit of murder in
Kentucky. Again and again was told
during my trip with Mr.. Bryan that Mr..
Goebel would not survive to take his
seat, even if he were elected. The
combined corporations could not afford
to let him live.
How soon will this condition of things
spread to other states? / have certainly
seen the faint STRINGS of this spirit of
the vengeance of overgrown corporate |
power much nearer home than Ken !
lucky"