Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-02-07
LIKE KENTUCKY.
Maine Politicians Remember Days Of
the Count Out"
Situation Then SimiIlr u tn, Scenes in Fx
cited Kentucky.

| Just now, while the stirring times ~,
in progress in kentucky, it carries An.
| Susta back to the days Of the .coiyn,
| out in the winter of 1880. 1t does MOI
seem to the average person now read
ing of the shoOtings in Kentucky that
70 years ago, right here in Maine. We
| had almost the same kind Of excite
ment. and that Augusta was the seen,
| of the stirring events. But it is :,
fact, hard as it may seem Everyone
has heard the Count out" history re-
| hearsed and rChearsed, time and time
again. The people OF Il not so very ma
| ture age can also remember the news
paper accounts. and the Augusta peo-
pie can well remember the times that
! We're 50 exciting. Yet many believe the
affair has been exaggerated. II was
stirring ana there was danger Of blood
shed, but for all that the people who
We're here ana who went through i'll.
10 not remember ii with one half the
tragic ana shuddering thoughts as the
younger people who have been told Of
it,
7" be- told that two rival parties Were.
contrnding for the State House. that
Governorship. and as to whom should
be- seated in the House and Senate:
that the Republican nominees We're in
augurated and finally called out thr
militia 10 protect thu, State House until
the decree of the supreme court was
made on The election returns. that
there often came near being bloudsh-d:
that meetings were hrIl in various
halls i'll the city ny the Democrats ANA
th'ir so-calIed Legislature ana tina;
finally the Republicans tiumph"d
through the Suprrrn. court decisions.
all this is enough to make person not
her" believe some such condition exist
"a as now exists in Kentucky 1t did.
only On a smaller scale
Hon. :. J. ChadbouIn-. th, present
deputy secretary of STATE. was elected
the secretary Of State at lhe famous
night inauguration and was through
all of il. In speaking of il. ;he other
day, h. said he supposed there was
quite a little excitement. but at thu
time NJ did not realize how great ii
was
II never fit nervous" h. remarked
and | never went armed. | loaned my
tia company ana never thought NJ
carrying one myself | remember. on-
day. when | was coming up here. ana
Democrat met me down by the Au-
GLSta house. II" had been in the Lcgis-
laturc with me before and We had al
ways been great friends.
For Gods sake. ChadbouTne,' h.
said To me. don't 20 up there. now, or
you will get hurt and possibly killed
Il asked him why he thought 50. and
ne said 200 men We're up there ready
for anything and that my presence
might excite them. But | didn't feel
scared over il. | came NJ ana looked
around There We're the men all right,
200 lusty looking fellows ana every man
had hammer handle or some hard
wood stick up his sleeve. | don't doub;
most IF them had pistols in their
pockets.
after the decree Of the courts was
made seating the Republicans, who had
been counted out in the returns, the
Democrats who had no business here
dispersed. and the rest came in and
worked with us for the making of the
laws.
Thosr We're doubtless stirring days.
ana a tragic scene Of bloodshed was
avertcd only by miracle. There We're
several companies of militia quartered
in the Capitol. guards We're posted. ana
Gattling guns commanded the an
preach. The preparations for tho fight
over thn state Capitol ana the events
that followed all showed that each
party was determined. but mod ration
So