The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1900-04-20
Fine Job Work a Specially.
SCHOOL MASTERS ANSWER
TO COL. THOMAS CAMPBELL.
Burke, State Superintendent of Public Instruction,
Tears to Pieces Goebel Lawyers Defense
Of the Kentucky Force Bill.

Col T. c. Campbell, chief counsel
for those who are trying, according T.
their own statements, ito damn the
Republican party of Kentucky" even
II they have to bride those whom they
have arrested and placed in the
"sweatbox" to do it, has long, we'll
written article in Saxby's Magazine
for April 10 defense of the Goebel elec.
tion law. Although am only an
humble pedagogue, one who has spent
his life in educational work and who
has never before entered the stormy
arena OF politics. and although l feel
totally incompetent to combat with
this great barrister and politician on
equal footing, | shall reply to this
skilliully written article to the best OF
my ability, feeling assured that lack
OF capacity and training on my part in
dealing with such subjects is more
than compensated by the position Of
advantage given ME in the discussion.
Col. Campbell, after the manner OF
a skillful pleader, opens his defense by
acknowledging the uufavorable opiu>
ions expressed of this law by the press
OF the country, both Democratic rad
Republican, and then by specious rea>
soniug attempts to convince his read b
ers tnat these opinions are all wrong
and have arisen from misunderstood.
ing and misconception OF this law. He
states that nine>tenths of the Demo
cratic press of the country have de-
nouuced the Goebel law and that the
entire Republican press was a unit In
condemning it He quotes the follow
ing from Henry Wstterson: at is
not merely a force bill; it is a radical
despotism. II DISTINGUISHES every vot.
er in the State whom the Triumvirate
at Frankfort or their satraps in the
counties see fit to find 1t neediul to
dislranchise At one Tell swoop II
aboiishes tree elections in Kentucky.
II the people in Kentucky
submit to it, then they are a race OF
slavas, and will merit all the woes and
ruin il brings upon them, including
the heralding of their names as slaves
and the proud name Of the Old Com
monwealth as by word to the ends
of the earth"
Col. Campbell treats this outburst
Of righteous indignation in the great
editor in the following flippant man
ner: "This sounds more like a Sec
ton OF stump speech then an article
from the pen OF polished editor; but
such thunderbolts may be expected of
Henry Watterson occasionally" This,
however, was not the only thunder>
bolt hurled at this bill by this Jove OF
Kentucky Democracy both before and
after its passage.
should like to quote further from
him, but his sentiments on this law
have already been widely disseminated
over the Union and 1t is unnecessary
to repeat them. Suffice it to say that
with almost prophetic vision he iore>
saw and ioIetold the evils and dangers
that would come upon the unsuspect-
log people OF this State as a direct
consequence OF this law. With a pro.
found insight into the nature OF hu~
man beings when clothed with power
and irresponsible to human agencies,
he foresaw the corruption, fraud, in
timidation aud manipulation of the
returns to be eugendered by this law;
he predicted the Acknowledgement OF
enough voters to elect those in favor
with the partisan triumvirate at Frank
tort; he ioretold the indignation OF the
people when they should find they
had been robbed OF their rights; he