The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-07-17
TO NAME YERKES
Kentucky Republicans Meet in
State Convention.


| 17-1:30 p. M.-The Auditorium was
nearly full of delegates and visitors to
the Republican state convention Flags
and bunting and pictures. of Mckinley,
w. s. Taylor, John w. Yerkes and w.
0. Bradley ornament the building. At
p. m. the convention was called to or
der by G. NJ. Barnet, chairman of the
state central committee, who presented
the name of ex-Lieutenant Governor
John Marshall for temporary chairman.
Mr.. Marshall was unanimously chosen
by the convention. He made an ad
dress of some length, dealing with Ken
lucky political affairs
Never has there been gathered in
this state body of men who have been
called together under similar circum-
stances to nominate a candidate for
governor.
One year ago at Lexington our party
met and named candidates for all of the
state offices. After a campaign that at
tracted the attention OF the whole coun-
try and surpassed in intensity and ar
dor any ever held in this state, our
opponents were forced to declare that
every man on that ticket had been elected.
Ano' yet IN few months after that de-
claratlon, by an edict repulsive to ev
cry principle of Justice the men so
SO named were deprived of their offices,
and denounced as usurpers for making
an attempt to perform the duties that
devolved upon them. It is almost i'm
possible to believe that such thing
could have occurred in our midst. But,
1t has come, and we stand in the pres
ence OF one of the greatest dangers that
has SO far confronted free government
on this continent.
Three men have disfranchised the
state and the voters in the city of Lou
lSV1lle and in the mountains of Ken
lucky and a bare majority in the legiS-
lature have declared elected to the no.
sltlon OF governor and lieutenant gov
ernOr men who received a minority of
the votes cast.
An outrage has been committed
against civil government, but it is not
Ialr, as yet to charge that against the
Democratic party. The masses of the
Democratic party are fair-minded lib
'erty loving people. They have not vet
approved the foul wrong committed by
thelr raise servants, and can not be-
neVe that the rank Ond file of that or
ga1ization would deliberately approve
acts that are destructive of the very
foundation of civil government. That
party under Jefferson, Tilden and
Cleveland, always commanded the re-
spect of its opponents and exercised a
powerful infiunece in directing the af-
fairs of this government. But woefully
has it fallen from its high estate The
men who haveeadded lustre to it's fame
I'M this state have been insulted and
driven from its ranks and men not
worthy to stand in their places have
succeeded to leadership.
Carlisle, Lindsay, Buckner and
Breckenridge, national figures for
whom every Kentuckian, regardless of
party respected and admired have been
spurned and cast aside. And Brown.
that patriot, who regardless of personal
sacrifice threw himself into the breach
to save his state from disgrace has
been denounced as a traitor and a rene
gade. Deluded as they have been, the
rank and file of the party can not be
SO dead to every principle of justice and
right as to approve the foul wrong that
has been done in their name.
Blinded by partisan zeal, or deceiv-
ed by party organs, it may be they do
not yet understand the enormity of the
crime that has been committed by their
representatives They have been told
in this city 10000 men have been in
Inundated by the state militia under the
command of a Republican governor
when every fair-minded man in the
community knows that the presence of
the militia was an assurance of good
order and a protection against a riot
that might be destructive of life and
property
THE claim of tissue ballots was even
more unfounded than the charge of in
timidation- The vote in those counties
was the same as had been cast in other
elections, and the same character of bal
lots had been used in Democratic coun-
ties as in those thrown out In addition
these ballots were all furnished by the
state, and it is contrary to all principles
of justice to put it within the power of
any county clerk to utterly disfranchise
the people of his own county. The peo-
the committees to try the gubernatorial
contest were selected nor their ruling in
excluding and limiting the time for the
presentation of evidence. They have not
forgotten how a bare majority of the leg
islature without notice, evidence or hear
ing adopted the findings of these commit
tees DISTINGUISHING thousands Of the citi-
Zens of this state.
1.-THE assassination of Mr. Goebel was
no justification for such highhanded pro-
ceedings. The people of the state and
the parties to these contests had right
to a fair trial of these issues that could
not be destroyed by any vicious or blind
political fanatic The ASSASSINATION was
abhorent to every manly instinct, and who
ever committed so cowardly and bastard
~ an act deserves the severest sentence OF
the law.
1.-THE people of the state must express
their condemnation of the wrongs that
have been committed in their state and
ton to which she is entitled in the sister,
hood of the states. We believe they will
rise equal to the occasion We appeal not
alone to the Republicans and to these
men who refused to vote for Mr.. Goebel,
but to the citizen of the state regardless
of party The Democratic party under
the old system of appointing the officers
carried this state in many an election.
Give us a fair and non-partisan law, and
Republican party will make no com
laint. Better a thousand times that
party should be in power than that our
present conditions should continue with
the citizens of the state in political slav-
cry under the domination of three men
responsible to no one"
John w Yerkes. of Danville, for gov |
ernor finish it's business and adjourn by |
o'clock p- m. A feature of the cQnven- |
ton was the giving Of three cheers for
Mrs. w s. Taylor, wife of the former Re |
publican governor, who with four of her |
daughters occupied a box in the audi |
torium-
QUO WARRANTO