The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-02-07
L.. 81 N. lN KENTUCKY POLITICS,

Tho New York Journal Correspou
dent Declares the Railroad Com
pany is Responsible for the Present
| Reign of Terror.
Mr.. James Creelmau, the famous
| correspondent OF the N ,w YORK Jour
nal, writes IS follows:
Inc real author of the reign OF
terror In Kentucky is the Louisville
and Nashville Railroad company. This
giant corporation has controlled the
That State and bas dictated the noni-
nation and election of every Governor
since the civil war. 1t is the champion
and defender OF Iawless corporate
power.
Governor Goebel led thu fight in
the Kentucky S.nate and In Jaw suits
against the criminal and tvrannous
power of the Louisville and N Nashville
Railroad and its corporate allies. Mr..
Goebel's enemies may abuse him, but
the fact remains that during his long
service In the Kentucky Senate no cor
poration was able 10 buy or bully him.
He was incorruptibllity itself in his
of1itial life. He forced the railroad to
pay It's share OF the taxes, he intro
ducsd and passed laws projecting rail
Of actions for damages in the courts.
He fought against the corrupt and
law-defying RUE Of the Louisville and
Nashville Railroad company as Tilden
anu y Cnnor fought against enthroned
crime in the days OF Boss Tweed.
Not only aid Senator GOebel attack
the dreai Louisville and Nashville,
but he boldly grappled with the un-
speGkable Southern Pacific Railroad
company. He discovered by reading
the charter which Coils =. Hunting,
ton and his lobby succeeded In getting
from the Kentucky Legislature that
the State had dishonored It's name.
This extraordinary charter permitted
the Southern Pacific to engage In
practically any kind Of business except
In the State Of Kentucky. In other
words, Mr.. HLntlngtoa and his ac-
completes could plumber the people OF
all the other States, provided that
they did not plunder the people of
kentucky. Mr.. Goebel sought to re-
woke this almost incredible charter.
1t was a desperate struggle, and Hun.
tington won the fight. 10 tho last
Kentucky campaign the Huntington
forces joined with the Louisville and
Nashville and the trusts to defeat Mr..
Goebel.
| made the tour OF Kentucky with
Mr.. Goebel and Mr. Bryan ia the last
political fight. had good oppor-
tunlty OF studying this ren, arkabl c man,
the most masterful personality, per-
haps, in the whole Sout,. 1t is true
that In the convention which nominal
ed him for Governor he resorted to
political methods that one can hardly
condemn too strongly but it must be
remembers that be was engaged In a
life aud death struggle with what had
hitherto been an Irresistible force in
the Democratic party. He was fight
Ing fire with fire.
1T was the Louisville AMI Nashville
Railroad company and its 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 scat, even IL heIwere 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 over.
thrown corporate power much nearer
homo than Kentucky"