The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1900-02-13
TRIBUTE
BY HON. CAssIUs M. CLAY.
Estimate Of William GOebel's Char
aCter by One VINO Did Not
Agree With Him.

Hon. G. M. Clay, Jr., of Paris, who
was President of the Kentucky Con-
stitutionsl Convention when Senator
Goebel was a member of that body
and who served with him in the State
Senate, and who knew Sar. Gvvbei as
few men knew him, pays this feeling
tribute to the dead statesman:
"fermit me to say a few plain,
blunt words in memory OF my old
friend, Hon. William Goebel. l knew
Mr.. Goebel intimately for many years,
first as a colleague in the Kentucky
Senate, working in the main for mu-
tusi objects and sctUsted by the same
political sentiments and motives. In
the Constitutional Convention we
were again associated together init.
mately, both personally and as to
common objects TO be secured as de-
sirabie and necessary for the welfare
and protection OF the people in the
organic law. Since then we have diff
fered politically on some Of the great
issues, and in the last few years have
seldom met him. He was my friend
and / knew him well. The words
that l now speak of Mr.. Goebel are
not to be considered as the fulsome
phrases of praise and eulogy given
man when he is dead, but my honest
and accurate analysis of his personal
character and public purposes. al
ways found him utterly reliable and
truthful, one of the very few men that
! have known in public life vino WAS
absolutely undaunted in carrying out
those measures that he thought neces-
sary for the welfare and protection of
the great macs of the common people.
No brise of any sort, honor or poliu-
Cal preierment, danger or fear of per-
\ nal consequences could abste one
jot or little of that capacity, energy or
action that he had consecrated to the
service of the people.
BY nature a radical and eminently
fitted to be a great tribune OF the peo-
pie, he, in the fierce fight for the pro-
lection of the plain people against the
colossal corporate power, might have,
from conservative standpoint, COM
mitled some mistakes or errors, but
this did not come from any abating
of the conscience or the weakening of
the moral force, but from the fierce
ness and unscrupulousness of the fight
made upon him and from his earnest
and indomitsble desire that the peo.
pie, whose cause he srdently believed
he represented, should prevail.
"a great many of US think that his
greatest political mistake was the pas
sage of his election bill. But to Mr..
Goe6ei, vino mad consecrsted his abili-
ties and energies to the fight in behalf
Of the protection of the plain people
against the entertainments of the cor
porate power, such bill seemed abso-
lutely necessary to prevent the de-
launching of the elections by the mon
ey and influence OF the said power.
He folt, however mistaken he may
have been, that it was a bulwark in
defense of the rights of the people.
This fight of his TO restrain the cor
porate power within what he thought
due limits was no new fight with him
assumed for demagogic purposes, but
commenced with the first day of his
official life and continued until the
hour OF his death.
81 snail ATTEMPTING estimate or anal
ysis of bis intellectual abilities for by
his public acts and speeches such es-
innate can be made by the world.
Suffice IL to say that they were of
very high order. But amidst the
mountains of abuse aud contumely
that were heaped upon his personal
and moral character, and this in a
greater degree than ever before
known, on account of the strong, sell
fish interest behind it, felt it my du-
ty, being one of the few who really
knew him (and at the best there are
very few who so know any MANI to
give my honest evidence in behalf OF
his moral purpose and high and lofty
integrity.
ttT,0 a man who he's haav. sovna~.rI !, -