The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-01
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE.
Democratic Legislators Arraign the
Republican Governor.

Democratic Legislators Arraign the
Republican Governor.
FRANKFORT, KY, Jan. 3l.-The Demo-
cratic members of the Legislature tonight
issued the following address to the peo-
pie of the Commonwealth:
ION the 3lst day of January, 1900. at 1890.
the hour to which the House of Representa-
tives had adjourned, the members thereof
attempted to assemble in the House in the
State Capitol for the purpose of perform
ing the duties with which they are charged
under the laws of the commonwealth. At
the entrance TO the House they were met by
armed soldiers, commanded by the adjutant
general of the State, under the orders of
the acting Governor and the members of
your House of Representatives were by the
soldiery not only refused admission to the
House. but commanded to disperxe as an
unlawful assembly, Thereupon, your rep
resentatives attempted to meet at other
places within the city of Frankfort but
were pursued by the same soldiery and dis
persed at the point of the bayonet; further
more as If these unwarranted acts-hith-
erto unheard of and without precedent
under any form OF gOvernment-were not a
sufficient assumption of tyranncal powers.
notice was then and there attempted to be
served on your representatives by uni
formed officers that he, the acting Gov
ernor. had adjourned the General Assembly
TO meet in London, in a remote mountain
county in the heart of that section of the
State notorious Throughout the Nation for
its lawlessness, murderous feuds and as
sassinations, where he and his predecessors
have repeatedly acknowledged their inabil-
ity to enforce the law even with the full
assistance of the military power of the
State. This outrageous usurpation of power
and authority. denied to the legally con-
Stituted chief executive of the common
wealth by the Constitution, the acting Gov
ernor attempts TO base upon alleged
state of insurrection which he without war
n l,..trf
the State and especially in the vicinity of
Frankfort. Now, therefore, we, the I'M
dersigned representatives of Kentucky,
do protest to the people of the common
wealth:
"First-That no instruction exists or has
existed in the vicinity of Frankfort or else
where
''Second-That no dangers or indications
of dangers exist, except such as have
arisen from time to time from the pres
ence and threatening movements of pro-
miscuous hordes of armed mountain Re-
publicans, brought here by the acting Gov
ernor and his political colleagues for the
sole. but vain, purpose of provoking re-
sentiment and counter demonstrations on
the part of the law-abidng citizens of the
state, which course of conduct had its
logical and inevitable. If not its contem-
plated. elimination last Tuesday morning
in the assassination, from a window of the
executive building, in the immediate vicin-
ity of the office of the acting Governor of
the Hon. VIM. Goebel a senator approach
ing the threshold of the Senate chamber I'm
the exercise of his official duties. the VIC
tim being also the contestant for Governor
'Third-That the civil authorities of the
county Of Franklin were able and willing
to enforce the laws, punish the offenders
and protect the citizens. but an oppor-
tunity so TO do was denied them in order
that an excuse might be found for terror
izing the community with armed soldiery
I'VE, your representatives, deploring the
necessity thus placed on us of attempting
to vindicate the fair name of our beloved,
but Inundated and bleeding. State, the in-
nocent victim of 2 thousand crimes. against
this series Of additional outrages. culmi-