The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1900-02-07
The Shooting of GOebel.

| Assassination is murder. IL is 10 De |
hoped that the criminal who made Goe-
bel his target in FranE fort will be fully |
identified and suffer the penalty pre-
scr ibed by law. 1t has been evident for
some time to friends of order throughout |
this country that an extremely danger
GUS situation exists in Kentucky. In |
every county men are heavily armed and |
under such circumstances trouble may |
occur at any moment. A few days ago |
there was desperate shooting atfray in
Frankfort, in which bystanders not con-
cerned in the quarrel were the heaviest
sufferers. The cause of tho increasing
excitement in Kentucky is apparent to
all. An impression widely prevails in
the state and outside of it, that an at
tempt is on foot to deprive its citizens of
fair elections, to take away the right to
choose their true representatives at the
ballot box. Goebel has headed this
movement and has been pressing it
steadily to consumation through the
Legislature. de was the recognized leader
in this plan through all successive stages,
from the convention that divided his own
party to the proceedings the present
boards of contest, and the recent daily
transfer of legislative credentials from
the opposite party to his own.
That bloodshed should result in a state
like Kentucky, where the carrying of
arms is general and the crisis one of the
gravest the state has ever known, is not
surprising. That it should take the form
of attempted assassinatiod is especially
deplorable. All violence due to super
heated political feeling is deplorrble.
Something must be more than ordinarily
wrong in Kentucky when such deeds are
committed. Is it not time for the sober
minded, prudent and honorable elements
: Of the state to take suitable action to pre-
. vent matters from being even worse than
they are? Undoubtedly, majority of
Kentuckians believe in and support the
sovereignty ofthe ballot. Such aquestion
can never be ess antially partisan. An
honest verdict by the voters is at the ba-
sis of all parties, and the ballot box can
never be struck down except by conspir-
ators. The solid people ofthe state, regard
less of party, ought to exert themselves
to quiet the prevailing excitement, and
the way is to convince citizens that no
invasion OF their rights as voters is pro-
posed. That will. instantly dispel the
signs of storm.
The crime by which Goebel was struck
down is symptomatic of conditions that
have been growing worse for months. A
few days ago body OF armed men arriv-
> ed in Frankfort to present protest
= They came at their own instance and
were eventually persuaded 10 return
home. In the petition they framed and
: handed in they said to the Legislature
"We implore them that they do not, on
slight or techinal pretexts nor for flimsy
or trivial causes, permit the subversior
OF that supreme law of the land, the will
of the people, Every Kentuckian who
u believes that subversion of this nature
is intended should strive to the utmost
, : to persuade his representatives to go nC
II further in a course of revolution that i:
" simply startling. The wonder is tha
such petition should have been written
. as the last resort for justice. There art
;, courts in Kentucky, there is state gov
i ernment inaugurated after the mos
. searching tests of the popular vote hat
. been made by boards of the opposite
party. Surely, Kentuckians should fine
h some peaceful, upright way to calm thu
agitation that prevails, to reassure th'
people who think their liberties arr
:, threatened and TO prevent the spilling o
}, another drop of blood in this strange anC
10 tragic form ofpolitics,