New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-17
LIGHT on KENTUCKY MATTERS.
AUGUST BELMONT IN THE GOEBEL
CAMPAIGN.

Louisville. KY, Feb. Is (speciaD-M H Smith,
president OF the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Company to-day made public the correspondence
between August Belmont. chairman of the Louis
Vile and Nashville Board of Directors, and Henry
Watterson Editor of The Courier-Journal," about
which so much has been recently said. Mr.. Wat
terson's letter of June so last Mr.. Belmont is
given 1t is about five hundred words in length. In
this Mr.. Watterson says:
In my judgment the local administration of the
teho 70 destroy the property will greatly burden
certainly be elected. Under the operation of the
GoeneI law the result is not left to chance In its
we managers have already expended large sums
not only made themselves responsible for two un-
popular and uninhuentiaI newspapers. but they
sentative a man by the name Of Whaien. the pro-
pIletor or variety theatre and undoubtedly the
most oalous personality in the city and the State
At every turn they have met defeat, and they will
For thirty years The Courier Journal" has been
the steady, disinterested friend of the road.
This has never cost the road penny. But under
is made upon US through the two newspapers in
question and the man Whaiea, backed up by the
1noEey Of The road The end is as certain the
Dsnoeratic party versus the Louisville and Nash
n w aff fg a gs the Poad could
handled with capacity and discretion. But they
concerns without Circulation or influence, conduct
ed apparently with no other purpose than TO
In my judgment. the situation is both momentous
and critical and ought to arrest the serious atten
AS ] said in the beginning 1 write friend
the conflict forced upon it by the managers of the
road on the contrary, it has something TO gain,
profit at the expense of the road For Mr. so,t6 70
We have always entertained the kindest sentiments
3Si MI smith is no more proof against mistakes
than other people; and being a man of unyielding
this business ne has certainly allowed his temper
10 carry him far beyond the lines of worldly wis
called upon the proceedings, its evil conseq6ences
The Kentucky Legislature
Next is appended the action of the Board of Di-
rectors on July Il, in which it is declared that the
managers Of the company are in no wise RESPONSE
bic for the two papers referred to. or to Whalen
and the Board resolved that IL had not and would
not enter the field of politics, nor nor injure
any candidate, but if its property attacked by
political party the company would avail itself of
ali proper and lawful means to protect itself by
appeal TO the great body Of the people. The Board
resolved that ii viewed with apprehension the att-
tude Of the party represented by Goebel and his
publicly avowed hostility 10 the railroad.
Then is given Mr.. Belmont's letter to Mr.. Wat
tersop, dated July II, in which Mr.. Belmont says,
after mentioning the transmission of the resolu-
tions:
1 have made such Investigations enable me
70 assure you that the management has not, up to
between them and dobn n WhaIen artsa from
the fact that they like the railroad company, de-
sire that the political ambitions of Hon. Will
lam Goebel be not gratifed Nevertheless, one
understands better than you the influence of the
press as means of educating the public and dis
semlnaung information, and l will
readily concede that 1t will be entirely proper for
the railroad company, in the defence of fits In
terests, TO aid in disseminating information through
the press. 1t is to me OF regret that in
this critical juncture the columns THE Courier
Journal are not available, and that are, there
fore compelled TO rely upon others to oppose those
who openly threaten and are endeaVoring to
greatly injure and if possible, destroy material
interests OF the State Of Kentucky, for railroads
and their ramfcations such