Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1900-02-09
CANTON SOUTH DAKOTA FRIDAY. 1900.
THE KENTUCKY TRAGEDY.

The KENTUCKY TRAGEDY.
There are occasions when words must
fail to adequately express horror and
regret. There have been such occa-
sions in the past when presidents have
been shot down, and now the country
is face to face with another tragedy
hardly less deplorable. The assassina-
tion Of Mr.. Goebel in Frankfort, KY,
by fanatical republican must, on &C
count of the circumstances surround
ing, stir the country as it has not been
stirred since Garfield was stricken down
by the bullet Of Guiteau.
Words of regret seem but mockery
now; condemnation will not give back
the life that is ebbing away or lift the
pail of sorrow that has fallen upon the
loved ones; it will not bring peace to
the state that seems to have
gone mad over partisan politics,
nor can anything that can now be said
make less black the deep and abiding
stain that has been placed on the COM
monwealth of Kentucky by this mad
deed. But these considerations cannot
prevent Americans whose first thought
lis for the preservation of law and order
from placing the blame where it be-
longs, and branding with infamy the
lawless acts Of those in Office which
have infamed the weak brain of an
ignorant partisan and persuaded him
that the commission of murder was his
privilege and his duty.
The question Of who was to be gov
ernor of Kentucky could have been set
tied by methods wholly IN keeping
with the law and the constitution. The
legislature might have decided in favor
of Goebel, and by so deciding it might
have abused it's power. still it would
have been within the limits of the pow
er conferred upon it by the state.
Such a decision perhaps would not have
met with public approval, and the
same man can picture Gov. Taylor
STEPPING out under such circumstances
with honor and respect, both he and
| his party, stronger for the future.
But now Gov. Taylor and the state
officers under him have the blood of
Goebel on their hands. The truth will
penetrate and abide with all who have
read the news from kentucky during
the past two weeks The question
which was the main one before the leg
islature two days ago has palled into
;insignifcance before the awful tragedy;
the governorship of Kentucky is now
the poorest political privilege in all the
Uni,ed States. 1t might have been
held by the right Of law, it might have
been lost by the abuse of power within
the law without causing bloodshed, and
there is reason to believe that this
would have been the course had not
Governor Taylor called to his eide a
Thousand armed men and caused notice
to be given that their mission was to
kill it an attempt should be made to de-
prive him of office. The zealot who
fired Ut Goebel might have been ap-
palled at the thought Of wholesale
murder, and reasoned that u single bull
let rightly placed would be simpl Q
solution. Whose is the blame? The
concience of the country will answer,
and all the protestations Of regret the
Taylor administration can make will
not lessen popular condemnation of Off
cials who have made use Of an armed
force in purely political contest from
the time the polls opened last November
to the present d+y,-Sioux City Tri-
bune. a -r . r. ..-..-.-. i,