The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-02-01
The Expected Happens.

The Expected Happens.
WILLIAM GoEBEL, the sol disant
Governor of Kentucky, the author of
Goebe1ism, and the man who is at the
bottom of all the trouble in the Blue
Grass State over the election of a chief
magistrate, has been shot, and probably
fatally, by an unknown assassin.
At present Goebe1 hangs between life
and death. If he lives, according to
he u1timatum of the Legislature, he
may be the Governor of Kentucky. If
he dies the prospects of a lively time
are not at all impaired.
This event surprises no one. Condi-
tons have beer preparing for it from
the first. Since Goebe1, defeated at
the polls, made known his determine
ton to ride rough shod over the wishes
of the people, and seat himself and UNI
seat Taylor through the medium of an
unpopular law, the conditions have
| been ripe for anything from assassina-
ton to civil war. The capital at
Frankfort has been teeming with
armed men, excited, bitter, conten-
tious. Gov. Taylor has probably erred
in that he has called out the militia at
his command. Both leaders have
made the vital mistake of bringing the
most reckless, injudicious, imprisoned
of their followers into contract at the
capital city. For the past few days
the capitol has been a veritable ar
sena1 and the grounds about the Gov
ernors buildings a bivouac of so1diery.
Companies of the State Guard have
been focking to Frankfort. Hundreds
of mountaineers, with a natural dispo-
sition to make trouble, Winchesters on
their shoulders, and pockets loaded
with firearms, lone man was found
with FIVE pistols on his person., full of
Bourbon, have made Frankfort the
scene of fighting, carousing mob.
This is certainly infammab1e enough
material. With political contest of
the bitterest nature going on in their
midst, it could not but be expected
that some of these numerous firearms
would explode with fatal effect.
Now what is likely to follow? Goebel
has been assassinated. The Goebe1-
ties are on fire with the spirit of hatred
seeking vengeance. The hot heads of
the Tay1orites, among whom one could
be found willing to commit murder,
are not made of the stuff that peace is
made. Should the Legislature make
it's decision against Taylor both fac
tons would then have d grievance
which would be likely to prove the
spark that would set the infan1ma BILE
stuff af1ame. The outlook is far from
pleasing. There is great possibility of
the most disastrous combustion and
only small probability of a peaceful,
lawful and dignifed settlement of the
struggle. The situation savors of
ante-rebe11ion days and recalls the
Kansas and Nebraska struggles.
At distance it would seem that the on
1y way of avoiding open and sanguinary
rupture would be for Gov. Taylor to
send home the militia, get his fire
brand mountaineers out of the city and
return, as soon as possible, to peace
footing: and, if the Kentucky Legisla-
ture decides to unseat him after the
verdict of the voters at the polls, &C
cept the verdict quietly and leave the
Legislature as we'll as his successor in
the hands of the people. Such scenes
should have no place at this day in the
Republic of the United States. The
only remedy and future prevention
seems to lie in the common sense and
dignity Of the people of Kentucky.