The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1900-06-19
REFUSED
To Honor Gov. Beckham's requi
siti0n For Criminals.

QUESTION was presented on last Wed.
nesday At Ind annapolis by Sheriff Su-
ter, of Frankfort. Col. Campbell
made q strong argument before G v.
Mount, aud, to correct Gov. NJ uut'.
impression that the testimony against
Taylor had been unduly secured, he
sho wed that all the evidence sgsin.t
Taylor had come from his own off .isl
tam ly. Justus Goebel also made a
statement to show that q fair trial aud
safety OF life could be yuaraDt ed, cit
ing the C ses OF the seven men already
In Gu ,dy. But Gov. Mounts mind
was already made up. In his t :
ment he went purely on paltissn
basis, cortauding that the indictReLt
was only fu tier persecution and that
a fair trial was impossible. He SEEM
ed unable t sepsrst, political condi-
tion- from ie crime. His It ment
which is addressed Gov. Beckham
calls the rogue for the honoring of
the rec nisition a"monstrous" demand.
The following is brief outline OF
GOV. Mounts refusal:
Sir: In refusing to honor the Ie-
quis ton for the return G. v. Ta,-
lor, / desire to state tn t have care
fully examined the constitutional pro-
visions for the extradition OF persons
charged with crime. The spirit of
the Constitution does not deprive the
| Executive OF the inherent, sovereign
right to exercise his discretionary
powers, and in lieu of that power
make of this coordinate branch of
government a mere clerkship, with
power to sign requisition papers, re-
gsrdless of whether, in SO doing, he
is imperiling the life and liberty of
the man sought to be extradited, or
whether he is furthering the ends of
justice or dethroning justice and en-
thIoning persecution.
The Governors of the several States
have adopted rules regulating the ex-
tradition of persons charged with
crime. In the adoption of these rules
the purpose has not been to violate
the Constitution, but rather to carry
out in uniform manner, its spirit.
Requisition papers often charge in
the complaint the commission of all
extraditsblc ofense, the Interior pur-
pose Of which is not to try the so call
ed fugitive from justice upon the COM
plant alleged, but to get service upon
a civil suit which is not extraditsble.
One of the duties of Executive prac-
tice is 10 deny all such applications
for acquisitions, thus establishing the
right to exercise discretionary power
in such cases. The courts have re-
peatedly held that the exercise of this |
power is right that legally belongs
to this office, and that it is the duty of
the Executive to exercise this prerog-
alive.
deplore the assassination OF the
late William Goebel, and would not
for moment refuse to return Mr..
Taylor or any other man charged
with completely in that crime if
could persuade myself that the party
so charged, under existing conditions,
would be accorded fair trial. do
not believe fair or impartial trial
can or will be given Mr.. Taylor at
this time. When Judge Csntrill, of
the trial court at Frankfort, declares
that he would not subject sheep
killing dog to trial under such cir
cumstances as exist, may / not Justly
refuse to send Mr.. Taylor back to be
subjected to trial with this prejudice
intensified and famed into hate !?
When a man who is controlling
spirit in the prosecution, witness in
this case, and prominent in all its
councils, uses the monstrous language
that when they should get control
they would hang Republicans like
pigs to pole" (and these ansrchistic
words have not to my knowledge
been denied), the question of guilt
seems of little consequence in this
conspiracy against innocent men, the
furtherance of which is indicated by
indictments found by partisan grand
jury.
Upon such finding is based the req
uisition papers which / now refuse TO
honor. / regret the fact that the
peace OF your State is marred by Bit
ter political strife. When partisan RAJ
pacity leads TO acts that endsnger lib
erty and jeopsrdize life it is tir
remedy the cause by r.
evil, instead of persecu