The Portland daily press., 1900-02-06

have hssn for so years. the friend OF the
great corporation. MIR. Belmont showed
my letter the courtesy Of subnittiog 10
to his executive board and did me the
honor to send me copy OF Its deiibera-
tlons embracing ths reasons Of their re-
fussi TO consider my application In the
affirmative.
lie sole purposs Of the Louisville and
Nashville wss at every cost and hazard
to defeat tho election Of Mr Goebel to
The governorshlp OF Kentucky.
MIR. aoebel was man Of unimpsached
purity Of private life and of conceded
professional ability. During his ten
years. service as n senator In the state
legislature no act of his, excepting what
is known as the doebsl eleotion law has
brought the least reproach upon him.
nor any unelean dollar had ever been
chsrged against him, although money to
corrupt legislation had often flowed
as free as water at Frankfort. But in
some way he had given: deadly offence
to the management Of the Louisville and
Nashville, and this management felt
that 1t must destroy him.
Is has certainly done this, but In doing
it, IL has brought upon the people OF
Kentucky the incaloulable wrong and
the dire diszrace of transactions unex.
ampled In tbs history Of Republican gov
erument.
There Is not at this moment nor has
there been at any moment the least dis
order or menace Of disorder, except such
a. emanated from the hand Of the de-
f.cto Gov. Taylor. ~
The mountain men we're brought TO
Frarkfort,if not by his express command.
yet by and with his knowledge and con-
sent, Their presence In Frankfort could
have but one meaning and purpose; and.
as II to augment both this meaning and
this purpose, some Of thsm who had BEEN
arrested by the local police TOR carrying
deadly weapons and for disorderly con-
duct were in advance Of trial. pardoned
by the defaoto governor.
The shot that killed Mr.. Goebel " as
fired from an upper window Of the execu-
tive ofilcs which swarmed with the armed
adherents OF the defacto governor. Ad-
mission to this building was ut ones de-
MED the civil authorities, a Gordon OF
troops we're thrown about 1t and there
under the pretsnse Of being In state oil
siege, the dsfaoto governor has ever since
held himself q volunteer prisoner though
surrounded by the state militia, called
out by himself and issuing thence proc
lamations disbanding tie general as
sem bly, and transferring the seat OF gov
ernment Of the common wealth.
All this while the contestants before
the legislature were proceeding strictly
In accordance with laws OF contest, as
old as the constitution Of the state with
not the least threat of violence or show
Of disorder.
There was positively no thought of In
surrention outside the Imagination OF the
governor. BY his orders the general
assent bly, Of the commonwealth had been
denied aooess to its chambers In the state
capitol, closed by, guarded BY troops,
by his orders, its members have been
ohassd through the streets Of FRANKFORT
from one place to another, seeking a
Legislative abiding place; and by his
orders the processes OF. the courts Of law
Including the writ OF habsas corpus. are
denied service and the lawful proos-
dures Of the peace officers have been put
at defiance, whilst martial law has taken
the place of civil law and on these lines
an armed conflict 10 invited.
IThis is the exact situation In Kentucky.
give 1t in answer to numerous tele-
grams and letters from all parts OF the
country asking 1t. ] have no party inter-
est to serve. i am not now and have not
been for years in active fellowship with
the leaders of my own party; and my sole
purpose Is to represent to the sober sense
and following of all parties that the oon-
dition of affairs In Kentucky is not that
of forcs against force. justlfying a GER
tain neutrality in public opinion, but
that of military usurpation unwarrAnt-
ed by law against what the law writers
cal. "ths peace and dignity Of the COM
moawealth."
DENIAL FROM TAYLOR.
Frankfort. KY, February 5.-Gov. THy-
lor this morning gave the Associates d
Press q denial over his own signature OF
the report that the legislature would CON
yene In Frankfort tomorrow and that he
had telegraphsd the Republican members
at London TO return.
| The statement reads as follows:
"No order has been made revoking the
order oopvening the legislature at Lon
don.
| "w. S. Taylor, Governor.
|
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