Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-02-04
The Shooting of Goebel.

Assassination is murder. 1t is to be
hoped that the criminal who made
Goebel his target in Frankfort will be
fully identified and suffer the penalty
prescribed by law. 1t has been evident
for some time to friends of order
throughout the country that an eX-
tremely dangerous situation exists in
Kentucky. In evry county men are
heavily armed, and under such cir
cumstances trouble may occur at any
moment. A few days ago there was a
desperate shooting ARRAY in Frankfort
in which bystanders not concerned in
the quarrel we're the heaviest suffer
ers. The cause of the increasing eX
citement in Kentucky is apparent to
all. An impression widely prevails in
the state, and outside of it, that an at
tempt is on foot to deprive its citizens
of fair elections,t to take away the right
to choose their true representatives at
the ballot box. Goebel has headed this
movement and has been pressing it
steadily to a consummation through
the Legislature. He is the recogniz-
ed leader in this plan through all sue
cessive stages, from the convention
that divided his own party to the pro-
ceedings of the present boards of con-
test, and the recent daily transfer of
| legislative credentials from the oppo-
site party to his own.
That bloodshed should result in a
state like Kentucky, where the carry
ing of arms is general and the crisis
one of the gravest the state has never
knewn, is not surprising. That it
should take the form of attempted as
sassination is especially deplorable.
All violence due to super-heated politi-
cal feeling is deplorable. Something
must be more than ordinarily wrong
in Kentucky when such deeds are COM
mftted. Is it not time for the sober
minded, prudent and honorable ele-
ments of the state to take suitable
action to prevent matters from beccm-
ing even worse than they are? I'm
doubtedly. majority of Kentuckians
believe in and support the sovereignty
of the ballot. Such a question can
never be essentially partisan. An hon
est verdict by the voters is at the basis
of all parties, and the ballot box can
never be struck down except by con-
splrator5. The solid people of the
state, regardless of party, ought to ex-
ert themselves to quiet the prevailing
excitement, and the way is to con-
vince citizens that no invasion of their
rights as voters is proposed. That
will instantly dispel the signs of
storm.
The crime by which Goebel was
struck down is symptomatlc of condi-
ions that have been growing worse
Ter months. A few days ago body
of armed men arrived in Frankfort TO
present a protest. They came at their
own instance and were eventually per-
suaded to return home. In the petit
ton they framed and handed in they
said to the Legislature: I'VE implore
them thatthey do not, on slight or
technical pretexts nor for fiimsy or
trivial causes, permit the subverslon
of that supreme law of the land, the
will Of the people" Every Kentuck
ian who believes that subverslon of
this nature Is intended should strive
to the utmost to persuade his repre-
sentatives to go no further in a course
of revolution that Is simply startling.
The wonder is that such a petition
should have been written as the last
resort for justice. There are courts in
Kentucky, there Is a state government
inaugurated after the most searching
tests of the popular vote had been
made by boards of the opposite party.
Surely, Kentucky should find some
peaceful, upright way to calm the agi
tation that prevails, to reassure the
people who think their liberties are
threatened and to prevent the spilling
OF another drop of blood in this
strange and tragic form of politics.
Globe Democrat