The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-31

nuToSI ON MuTQGT.
The storm cloud has broken over Ken
lucky. The dark forebodings. the sui
len mutterings of coming trouble. the
angry play OF evil passions wrought to
the highest pitch shot out yesterday
in bolt Of death. Goebel. the leader
OF the revolutionary party in the state
and the late Democratic candidate for
governor, was shot at the state capt.
tai. 1t IL a case Of assassination such
as makes horrible the annals Of that
state OF hideous crimes. 1t is murder
most foul; and the blood that was shed
will exact through time to come its
penalty. drop by drop. In shame and
lawlessness and suffering and coil on
coil Of private broii and public riot.
The people who are shocked and
stirred by this deed Of darkness. as all
civilized people are, must stop and view
the matter calmly and justly. For it
is not spontaneous and inexplicable
burst OF. madness. It is the fruition Of
all that went before. It is, let us re-
peat once more that none may misun-
I. derstand, a hideous. devilish crime.
Let the man who committed 1t and
every man who was privy to 1t. II any
such there be, be hunted down and dealt
with as the law deals with such felons.
For him or them there should be no
pity or clemency or extenuation. The
fame OF the commonwealth and the
honor Of the country cali for swift and
memorable punishment This being said.
let US see also how this Is not the con-
sequence Of q mere sporadic impulse
from the pit. 1t is the necessary work.
ing out of all that went before.
First, there is the community. Ken
lucky has been for years synonym
for violence and bloodshed. There Is In
that state condition of public opinion
happily unique in the United States
Men go about their daily tasks under
arms. The right of private revenge is
an unrelinquished tradition. No strong
division OF public opinion arises without
working itself out in bloodshed. It is
land of the old, evil era; common
wealth where law has not yet risen
above the code Of the Indian war trail
Second, there is the man. He Is him.
self the incarnation of the system whose
victim he became. He represented it.
Human life lies at his door and blood
stains were on his hands. 1t was no
surprise to him when the fatal shot
was fired; for the man who embodies
the Kentucky idea and has lived by Il
expects to die by it. 1t is q question
only Of the hour and the man.
Third, there was the circumstance
Again, Goebel had engaged In a duel to
the death, but this time with free in
situations and government by the people
as his antagonist. There are few pub
lie careers as remarkable as his. Step
by step he had fought his way, DELHI
erately, with knowledge and intent, to
the subversion of all law. The loss Of
the state to his party Infatuated him
and them. Colby and with inexorable
determination the plot was laid to sub
stitute government by fraud or force
II necessary for government by the peo-
pie. 1t is programme of which the
final act has been the same in many
lands and among many peoples.
1t was with this fixed purpose that
Goebel became a member of the legisla-
ture. 1t was for this that he devised
an elaborate scheme for the perversion
of the ballot. The law that carries his
name was framed and passed to make
1t possible for his party to seize political
power against the peoples will IL they
should be defeated at the polls. Be-
cause 1t was his plan he forced his NOM
ination by means which the best men
in his own party repudiated. Defeated
at the polls. he relinquished nothing of
his purpose. This was the emergency
that he foresaw. against which he pro-
yided. which we might say fairly that