Delaware gazette and state journal., 1900-02-01
rh. shooting Of eo.bsl.

For all they that take the sword
shall perish with the sword. - So
spake the Master, when be rebuked
the man who drew his sword and
smote off an ear OF the servant OF the
high priest.
William Goebel, tho persistent and
INSCRIPTIONS aspirant to the Office of
governor of Kentucky. Tuesday fur
nished q striking illustration Of force
Of this admonition, whom he was struck
down by an assassin's bullet, Just when
his audacious claims for the Office were
about to be granted by his partisan
adherents in the Kentucky Legislature.
He died-if, as seems probable at this
writing, his wound shall prove fatal
in the parlance of his lawless oon-
stituents, with his boots on" For
he was armed at the time of his shoot
ing down, and with what little strength
was left in him, strove to draw his
pistol for the purpose, if possible, Of
wreaking death upon his miserable
assassin. He, in his time, had "killed
his man." violently and without provo.
cation. Now he perishes by the samo
brutal means.
The terrible elimination Of the con-
test for governor in Kentucky is but q
legitimate result OF the lack Of respect
for law and order that has been cara
mount IN that State for years. 1t
found expression in the form Of lynch
ings, of deadly feuds, and of the law
less rule of shooting on sight. And
this outlaw spirit has ever been en-
Outraged by the failure of tho consti-
tuted authorities 70 even make the
attempt to punish the offenders by due
process Of law. Thus, murderers walked
| the streets in their communities on a
social and legal footing with law
abiding citizens, and the moral sense
of the community with respect to
punishment for murder seemed to have
been wiped out absolutely.
In accordance with this spirit of
brutal misrule, William Goebel was
shot down yesterday while engaged in
an attempt-by the forms of law, it is
true-to reverse the will of the people
of Kentucky as expressed at the polls,
and install himself in an Office to which
he was not legally elected. His intense
earnestness in this direction angered
the desperate and lawless people with
whom he was dealing, and tho re-
version to deadly means to prevent his
success wns but natural sequence to
the state Of affairs that has SO long
prevailed.
The career Of Goebel, fiom the in
ception nf his campaign for governor,
was but succession Of violent events.
He stole his nomination from the
Democratic State Convention by
double. dealing and chicanefy, and be
attempted to steal the election by
means Of returning board of his own
selection. But his own friends, selected
by himself for the purpose, revolted
from the loathsome task, and declared
the election of the man for whom a
majority of the people had voted. Then
Goebel turned to his partisans in the
Legislature, confident that they would
determine the contest for the Office in
his favor. which they showed every in.
dication Of being perfectly willing
to do.
But, even the aggravation CT the
people over the prospect of thus beine
robbed of an Office was no justification
for a resort to the awful crime OF assas
sination. Goebel was proceeding on the
lines laid down by law, and the law
should have been respected, no matter
how irritating the result. The people
Of this country once saw tho President
whom they had elected by large ma
jority of the popular vote and cleal
majority of the Electoral College de
prived of his Office by contest con
dncted under the forms of law, anc
they acquiesced without attempting tt
strife blow. When the people of the
whole country set this example O
patience undor wrong and respect fol
the forms OF law, there is no exous,
for the people of Kentucky resorting t.
assassination and mob violence oyel
tho prospect of losing a governor
However, they have encouraged thi,
spirit Of lawlessness for years, and nov
it is visiting itself upon them with
force and OBJECT that at present canno
be measured. Even now anarchy aut
revolution may prevail there. The,
have "sowed the wind," and ar,
'reaping the whirlwind.
William Goebel has been prominen
IN Kentucky politics for many years
and has been power among tn
Democrats since he was elected Stat
Senator twelve years ago. He ha
served as Senator continuously sine
then, and has put his mark on man.
pieces of legislation, chiefly of an anti
,, corporation character. He is identified
in the public mind, however, by hi
authorship of the Goebel Eleotion law
the enforcement Of which created tn
antagonism which resulted in tn
attempt on his life. This law PLACED
the control of elections in the hands O
a partisan board created by the Demo
cratic Legislature, and as GoeEel wa
, regarded as the boss OF, the Legis
lature, it was believed that he woul,
be also the ruler OF the Election Com
, mission. The action of the latter boar
: proved that he was not its ruler, bu
that did not lessen the antagonism +
: the law and to its author.