The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-31
G0EBEL'S REMARKABLE CAREER
The Achievements of Born Lender
in the Face Of Disadvantages

| W nave told the political history OF William
Goebei few months ago. but to adedudt ely
picture the characteristics of the man the
requirements are great.
| Goebel. the studious. perseveriug youth /:
| Goebel the frugal. keen witted. ambitious
young lawyer; Goebel, the reticent. deter
mined, fearless master OF political craft.
and Goebel the powerful respected.
wealthy leader OF a great party-that is his
history. His character is one which only
those who knew him can fully understand.
and they were not his intimates, for init
mates he had none.
In the State where ancestry. breeding.
ard social position are usually elements of
tremendous Importance in the making OF a
mans career Goebel is supreme with
! none of them. Simple acumen and force of
character had raised him above the ideals
Of the South. the caste OF Kentucky.
He is a man of the people. he has con-
sistently been for the people. and the re-
salt is personal supremacy which Joe"
Blackburn himself never enjoyed. Upon
one quality more than any other dep ded
I the remarkable power of the man from
Kenton county. He has in a degree that is
seldom equaled the faculty Of making men
biind!y do his bidding. He is born
leader.
Thirty nine years ago. in Sullivan COuG-
ty, Pennsylvania. the first son WIS born
TO the honest, toiling German immigrant,
William Goebel. Before the boy had
grown beyond infancy the Goebe family
had removed to Covington. Ky, and
! there the father conducted little grocery
shop. In the back room. where precious
cheese from the fatberIand and little bar
rels OF the modest brew of 4 neighboriug
''hrauerei'' we're stored. sat the boy. VIII
lam. with book. The thirst for knowl-
edge was born in him
Father Goebel was wise in his day and
generation. He let William keep his BOOK,
when he might have earned two or even
I three dollars week by laying il aside
and putting his time to practical use. II
was perhaps the thought of all he had to
do in The world that made the boys char
acter. RE had no p!aymates. He was a
peculiar fellow altogether.
Finally William GOebel having finished
his career in the Covington public schools
decided within him that he should be
lawyer. He did not ask anyone's advice
about il. He simply informed Father toe
bel of his decision and Father Goebel
with that superior ii untaught wisdom
which marked him. gave approval.
If the boy had net made companions Ct
his Cwn age he had carefully cultivated
speaking uaintance with grown zen md
lawyers especially. Therefore he was able
to speak for himself when he called upon
John W. Stevenson. former Governor of
Kentucky. and foremost among the law
rers of the COmmCnw -alth. Here the story
NJ Goebel. the boy, ends. Ii was not ten
years afterward that John W. Stevenson
died. leaving a large estate. to be executed
without bond by his law partner. William
Goebel. That trust remained in the hands
Of the man when he became the chci,e of
the Democratic party fer Governor Of the
Commonwealth.
Since the day when the boy entered Gov
ernor Stevenson's office he had acquired a
fortune OF his own. had established his
brother in a mercantile business. now
grown to immense proportions. had sent
another brother to graduate at Yale. had
become master in the politics of his
State. had fought the bitterest personal
and political riyalries. had overcome the
animosities of men and the preiudices Of
society. and all without mourning the
slightest breath of scandal either as to his
personal or public life.
In 1887 he made his first campaign. and
was elected TO the Kentucky Senate. He
was returned to the senate at every elec-
ton after that time. and was the repre-
sentative Ct Kenton county in the cOnsti-
tutional convention of 'eO-'9l. For short
time law partnership between himself and
John u. Carlisle existed.
In all his career as attorney and legis-
lator the keynote of his policy had been
opposition to the encroachments of cor
porations. and this was what gave him his
strength in the State at large His support
did not come from personal following. for
he was lacking in the qualities of the po-
litical mixer" When he made a campaign
1t was solely upon the issues current. He
was not ''handshaker''
The most tragic episode in Goebels ca
reer was his encounter with John w Sand
ford. of Coviugton. which resulted in Sand
ford's death. II was most depiorable al
fair but one which under the circum-
stances. Goebel could not have avoided with
honor According TO his policy OF opposing
corporate Gocbel passed a bill cutting
down the revenues OF turnpikes. sanford.
a hacker and large holder Of turnpike stock
IN kentOn county. on this account bitterly
opposed Goebel's reelection to the senate.
That was eleven years ago and it was the
beginning OF the Goebel- SANFORD quarrel
For four years the eumity grew. ana
finally. at the approach of an election. the
matter came to deadly issue GOebel OBJ
tanned indisputable evidence that SandfOrd
was the author Of violent attacks made
upon him by a local paper. Goebel replied
to them in another paper making no effort
to conceal his authorship.
Everyone familiar with the cireum-
stances fOresaw tragedy, Sandford was
skilled in the use OF firearms and veteran
of Morgan's command. Goebel had been
a student and lawyer all his life good
many predicted that Goebcl would avoid a
meeting with the banker. One bright
morning five years ago they met acct
dentally on the principal street OF COving-
ton.
Sanford said Are you the author of
that article
Goebel replied. II am.
They fired almost simultaneously Sand
ford's bullet penetrated GOebel's clothing
and underclothing leaving red welt
across his body. GOebel's bullet struck
Sanford in the forehead. and he lied in
a few hours.
The testimony at the coroners inquest
and the examining trial was that Sanford
mad been the aggressOr. and GOebel was
acquitted. 4 fact tina, had never before
been published is that GOV. John
Young Brown, knowing all the circun-
stances OF the case. sent Goebel pardon
before he had been tried.
Gcebe had never had love affair.
year ago he astonished q friend by remark
ing: Il believe ought TO have wife"
In the discussion which followed he said
that he would not require that the woman
he married should be either rich. beautiful,
or high in the social scale. He would look
to her mental qualities only.
He was declared the Democratic candi
date for Governor of Kentucky on June %.
1899, after a timultuous convention lasting
a week Twenty-Five ballots were taken
without result, and then the hindmost
candidate Capt W. J. Stone. of kuttawa.