The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-04-23


The Hon. William o. Bradley, of Ken
lucky. refuses to believe that Taylor Wis
tied New York for the purpose Of effect
Ing deal with Mckinley and Roosevelt
for protection against extradition on the
requisition of Governor Beckham. Mr..
Bradley declares that such thing would
be disgraceful. and that when his indict-
ment is made public. Taylor ought to and
will walk into court and face his accusers
like man.
1t is very evident that former Governor
Bradley believes in Taylor's innocence,
and cannot think that the latter would
shirk chance to prove it. A great many
other respectable Republicans have taken
the same view: but it may be modified to
some extent through the spectacle pre-
sented by the Kentucky insurgent leader.
in going around and pleading with Fed
eral and State authorities for protection
as fugitive from justice.
According to dispatches last night, Gov
ernor RooseveIt's decision, to make New
York safe harbor of refuge for alleged
Kentucky assassination conspiratOrs. was
e only reached after protracted conference
Z with the Hon Benjamin Harrison Dur
ing the evening the Governor spent some
time with President Mckinley. The not
unnatural inference is that support and
protection of Taylor and his friends has
been made an Administration issue If
so. the fact is highly important as indi-
eating 4 determination to even destroy the
fabric OF comfy among the States OF the
Union, II that course be necessary to Sc
cure immunity from the criminal law for
Republican henchmen. Such a develop
ment, or rather revolution. in the history
Of American institutions would be inter-
esting rather than surprising Citizens
who have seen the National House of Rep
resentatiyes suppressed in everything but
name. and who have witnessed the DELHI
crate and intentional violation Of the Con-
stitution Of the United States at the COM
mand Of the trusts, will have no cause for
establishment, should the harboring of Re
publican fugitives from justice be added to
the party policy
The murder OF Governor Goebel and the
antecedent plot to reduce a Democratic
majority in the Kentucky Legislature by
means OF a wholesale assassination Of
Democratic State Senator's and IS
semblymen while in session. intro
duced a new and advanced meth
ed in the system Of controlling the
country against popular suffrage and the
rights Of legal government. the courts.
and the people. An equally powerful fac
tor in the accomplishment of such purposes
would be added. if there were certain
assurance Of immunity from punitive con-
sequences for partisans resortIng TO the
novel Sound business method" referred
to- We might then with confidence ex-
pect that the means adopted to maintain
Republican State administration in Ken
lucky in defiance of the constitutional au-
thorities Of the Commonwealth, would be
extended elsewhere: in which event of
course Republican party form of gov
eminent would soon be guaranteed to the
country, and to every State in the Union
Territories being extra NATIONAL, and IN
der the personal dominion and control of
the Emperor President. Sometimes it
looks almost as if a real Augustine Golden
Age were dawning on the Republic; such
an age as found its organized beginning in
Rome when Octavius Caesar was rot a
king" but only first citizen" Emperor
Consul. and the whole thing.
For immediate purposes perhaps il is
as well to consider the social disorganiza-
ton which in certain directions will be in
Volved in the practice of harboring fugi-
tives from justice. escaping from one to
another State Reprisals necessarily must
follow. Il the Governor Of New York will
not honor acquisitions from the Governor
OF Kentucky, lit is a poor rule that does
not work both waysi'' Among the first
results we should probably find that a
numerous contingent Of New Workers
would find the Bluegrass region a pleasant
relief from the monotony of bookkeeping
or eashiering which may have been err
ratio and prostrating in a neurotie sense.
Then the corporations which make a bus
mess Of furnishing bonds for iduciary Of
hcers would suffer and make trouble and
on the whole. it may well be doubted IL
the Empire State would not suffer most
in the premises. The destruction of our
Interstate extradtion system would have
consequences which might seriously re-
fleet upon the Samson who pulled down
its temple. and earn for him the dislike
and disdain of the American people Still,
II Ii has become a matter of strict Admin
fstration policy, as Senator Plat observes.
Governor Roosevelt is "a soldier and a
Republican" and perhaps. as such, would
accept political martyrdom on the altar of
his machine without sobbing a tear for his
vanished popularity. or throwing a fit I'M
der the deadly pressure of his pastors and
masters.