The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-05
wArrERsoN's VERSION.
Says l. & n. Railroad at Bottom of
All the Trouble.

Louisville, KY, Feb 5.-Mr Henry
Watterson today gave out the following
statement:
The head and front of our present
troubles in Kentucky, at once the source
and the resource of the revolutionary
proceeding by which Republican gov
eminent has been for the time being
struck down and a military dictator
ship set up in its place is the Louisville
and Nashville Railway company In
the recent state campaign it supplied
material resources in such abundance
as to draw out all the dangerous ele-
ments of society and to put into ac-
tiVity all the forces of political adVen-
ture. The two leading parties to the
contest were as nothing by comparison
with it's gigantic machinery for cor
ruptfng the elections. The hordes of
desperate mountain men who We're pre-
cipitated upon the state capital could
never have got there except through it's
agency. 1t is at this moment the back
bone Of the movement to transfer the
state capital from the city of Frank
fort, its lawful abode, to the little vii
lage of London in Laurel county, situa-
ted upon one of its branches, in the
heart of the vendetta region whose tur-
bulency has for years disgraced the
state. It is believed that the Withdraw
al of its support from the de facto gov
eminent would stop these dangerous
and lawless proceedings.
Some seven months ago, foreSeeing
something of its situation I wrote earn
estly to Mr.. August Belmont, the finan-
cial head of the Louisville and Nash
vile Railway company, to protest
against it's interference in party af-
fairs. having in vain sought to dissuade
Mr. Milton H. Smith, its local president.
[ was then, as I am now, and have
been, for 80 years the friend of that
great corporation. Mr.. Belmont showed
my letter the courtesy of submitting it
to his executive board and did me the
honor to send me a copy of its deibera-
tons embracing the reasons of it's re-
fusal to consider my appeal in the af-
hrmatiVe- The sole purpose of the Lou
isville and Nashville was at every cost
and hazard to defeat the election of Mr..
William GOebel to the goVernOrship of
Kentucky Mr.. Goebel was a man of
unimpeached purity of private life and
of conceded professional ability. During
ten years service as a senator in the
state legislature no act Of his, excepting
what is known as the Goebel election
law, had brought the least reproach up
on him. nor any unclean dollar had ever
been charged against him, although
money to corrupt legislation had often
flowed as free as water at Frankfort.
But, in some way he had given deadly
offense TO the management of the Lou
lsV1lle and Nashville and this manage
ment felt that it must destroy him
1T has certainly done this. But in
doing it, it has brought upon the peo-
pie of Kentucky the incalculable wrong
and the dire disgrace of transactions
unexanpled in the history of Republi-
can government. There is not at this
moment nor has there been any mo-
ment the least disorder, or menace of
disorder, except such as has emanated
from the hand of the de facto governor,
Taylor. The mountain men were
brought to Frankfort if not by his ex-
press command. yet by and with his