The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-03
Spirit of the Press.
GOEBEL A VICARIOUS SACRI-
FICEl.
New York Morning Telegraph.


New York Morning Telegraph.
At certain crises in social development
4 vicarious atonement seems neceS-
sary Men require a sudden jolt to set
their mental faculties operating correct
". The human animal is much like a
,lock--earnest shaking up sometimes i'm
proves his action. 1t was necessary
possibly that William Goebel ;hould be
assassinated in the grounds of Ke--
-ucky's Capitol in order sharply to call
he attention of the American people
o the viciousness of corporations in
politics. If he dies his death may not
have been in vain. The Louisville and
Nashville railroad corporation has ruled
Kentucky for years. 1t has owned Gov
arnor and Attorney General. The Office
roy who slams the door in the directors
room is no more a creature and paid
employee of this corporation than Lave
been Kentucky State officers. Incum
bents of the highest office in the State
have been Of the legal staff of the road
before taking office. Louisville and
Nashville men have headed either ticket
md have made up the county cards il |
he State for so long that the scandal
had both parties under control No mat
ter how the game went, the Louisville
md Nashville could bot lose.
Goebel first occurred as a disturbing
element in the State Legislature. He
was persistent with bills to restore to
he people Of Kentucky some Of tho
lights which the railway had stolen from
hem. Goebel could not he bought off:
ould not be choked off. He resisted all
ttempts to corrupt him, and laughed a:
III efforts to intfmidate. Paid lighters
or the railroad sought to involve him in
rouble and kill him. Such was his
heerful life for period of years. Then
'e came to be nominated Governor on
he Democratic ticket. Tue railroad
'ompany, as was set forth by Il staff
correspondent for The Morning Tele-
yraph last week, sought by every means
lnown to vicious politics to prevent his
nomination. Some delegates were
bought; some were sand bagged; others
we're threatened The police were asked
20 subdue riots in the convention hall,
which disturbances were started by rail-
Dad employees. Goebel was nominated.
railroad candidate was named against
him to divide the Democratic vote. At
the election he was counted out. He
contested the right of Taylor the Re-
publican candidate, to the seat, and it
was found from the result of some rep
resentative election contests that Goebel
had the Legislature with him. Manifest
ly all that remained to be done then to
remove such a relentless and dangerous
foe to corporate Nominations of KEN
lucky was to kill him. The man who
did this, as we have said elsewhere
was not directed to do so. He acted
from imbecile impulse. He simply
thought he was doing a good thing for
his employers, who wished GOebel out
IF the way. We do not believe the rail-
Dad company is an active criminal in
his affair, not because it is too finely
moral, for corporations have no souls
md consequently no moral natures, but
because the assassination of Goebel is
extremely poor politics. 1t calls atten-
ion directly to the dangerous power of
corporations and the menaces they are
to honest Government. The most I'M
'ortunate feature Of the affair from the
standpoint of the Republicans and the
'ailway is that Goebel was shot down
by a man from a hiding place in the
,uilding which contains the Governors
ffice. The Winchester was shot through
me of the windows of the building, and
rom the inside. Whether Goebel dies
II lives, the lesson for Democracy is
he same. Organize against the corpora
ions. They constitute the greatest
LANCER to the people. Corporations are
ecessary but they should be kept strict
Y in the Governed Glass and never be
ermitted to become the Governing Ele-
ment. A@