Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-03

brought about by Republican disre-
gard for law and decency, and partic-
ularly since the dastardly attempt to
assassinate Governor Goebel, it has
been the common practice for hide
bound and untruthful newspapers, of
the Wheeling Intelligencer type, to
charge that Goebel himself was a
murderer, and that he has only reap
ed what he himself had sowed. AS
long ago as the 18th of January, the
Intelligencer, taing its cue from 9TH
er organs of like nature, dragged the
Sanford matter before the public in
the effort to blacken the character of
the Democratic contestant for the Of
fee of Governor in the Blue Grass
State, and in doing so quoted these
words, attributed to Senator Black
burn, but often repudiated.
John Sanford was to me like brother.
l loved nm ! nope GOD may spare me e.
avenge him by burying his slayer in the
depth of merited public execration."
1t is true that William Goebel kill
ed John Sanford. 1t is also true that
he did it in self defense, and he was
adjudged guiltless by his fellow citi-
zens. 1t is not true, however, that
Joe" Blackburn ever used the Ian
guage attributed to him by the Wheel
ing Intelligencer upon this point. A
letter addressed to Senator Blackburn,
the original of which is before the
writer, is clear and explicit. This let
ter is as follows:
WASHINGTON, D. c., JAN 81, 1900
Dear Sir:-Yours of the 18th inst with
Enclosures has reached me here. / beg to
thank you sincerely for the kind personal
expressions of your, letter. AS to the en-
sists of a tissue of falsehoods which have
often seen in print before, but never
deigned to notice except to denounce as
false. Very truly yours
~ c. S. BLACKBURN"
This ought to dispose of that phase
of the case for all time to come.
AS to the Intelligencer's further ut
terances to the effect that William Goe-
bel was responsible for the events
which led UP to the pulling of rifle
trigger by an assassin, they are just as
untrue. The most to be truthfully al
legged against Mr.. Goebel is, that he
believed he had rights which even Ken
lucky Republicans were bound to re-
spect, and within the close limits of the
law he proceeded to obtain justice. His
only appeal was to lawful methods, and
not to the rifle, the shotgun or the re-
volver. He summoned no armed parti-
sans, his friends and supporters did not
provide special trains to bring hun
dreds and thousands to the State Capt.
tai to overawe or influence the Legis-
lature, or other authorities, nor were
threats or other means Of intimidation
resorted to. The laws of his State and
the regularly constituted tribunals, leg
islative and judicial, have at all times
suficed for Mr.. Goebel and those who
believed with him that fraud and force
had initiated against him, and because
these lawful means were likely to pre-
vail. there were first threats against
him, then the invasion Of the Capital
city by lawless men, who held forcible
possession of streets, public grounds and
public buildings, then the bullet OF the
assassin, and later still the threat to
assassinate the Supreme Judge OF the
State. who administered the oath of
office to Mr.. Goebel, the refusal of the
partisan military organization to obey
the orders of the man declared to be
Governor, the forcible prohibition OF
the Legislature from meeting, the false
declaration that a state of instruction
existed, and finally the threat to again
invade Frankfort with armed noun
taineers in the interests of Taylor.
These are the facts; the public will
judge of them.