The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1900-02-08
BOURKE COCKRAN'S ADVICE.
Despite Taylor's Majority Of Votes. the
legislature Has the Power to Elect.

legislature Has the Power to Elect.
New York. Feb. 3.-Before Mr..
Goebels death the following signed
article was given out to-day by
Bourke Cochran, as representing his
views on the Kentucky row:
Z THE peace OF Kentucky, the credit
OF the nation and the interest Ofclvll-
ization alike demand that the legis
lature be allowed to meet and act on
the disputed election before the as
sassin's bullet shall have affected ir
revocably the status of the question
OF the rights OF individuals. | say
this although | have not the slightest
doubt that Governor Taylor received
a majority of votes cast at the eiec-
ton.
1T is claimed, however, that under
the constitution and the laws OF Ken
tucky, the legislature has absolute
power to decide all contests affecting
the governorship. Ii this power ex-
lists and it be exercised so as to IN
stall a candidate defeated at the polls
then it is clear that a majority OF
votes does not constitute an election
in Kentucky.
The executive department is no
longer chosen by the people, but by
the legislature, the power OF the for
msr being limited to placing that OF
the latter in motion. An election So
called amounts tonothing more than
species of nomination which the
legislature at its own pleasure may
ratify or reverse.
1.-THE powers of the Legislature in
this and all other respects must be
decided by tribunals and not by
violence.
ITO clothe Mr.. Goebel with the
governorship by Legislative fiat in
the face of an adverse popular major
ity would be subversive of Republican
government. but to prevent 1T by MUIR
der would be stillgreater calamity.
We cannot afford to naturalize as
sassination among our political meth
ods even to defend Republican insti-
tutions.
'.It would be disgraceful to impute
responsibility for inspiring this mons
trous crime to Governor Taylor, but,
unfortunately. his whole course has
the appearance at least OF willing
ness to profit by it. His attempt to
adjourn the legislature after Mr..
Goebel had been wounded fatally, as
it was supposed, could have had no
other motive than a desire to delay
decision of the gubernatOrial con-
test, and under the circumstances it
was impossible to disconnect in the
public mind desire for delay from
the fact that Mr.. Goebel's death ap-
peared to be ir4minent.
''lf Governor Taylor had the con-
stitutional power claimed by him,
his proclamation of itself must have
dissolved the legislature. Nothing
which that body might have done
after it had been read could have had
any effect The prevention of men,
bers from the meeting in the capitol
or elsewhere, far from adding to the
force of the proclamation, betrayed
doubt of the constitutional power
to issue it while civilization was deep
ly shocked to see the military power
OF an American state apparently in
voked not to prevent an assasslna-
ton, but to harvest it's fruits, not to
effect the capture of the assassin, but
to complete his purpose.
'The moment Mr.. Goebel was
stricken down, loyalty to state re-
/ quired that all parties should have
combined to obtain immediate action
one way or the other on the disputed
election, so by settling it while he
was still alive the succession and all
other consequences of the decision
would be beyond the power. of a muir
derer to disturb"