The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-05-25
BECKHAM WINS.
Supreme Court Makes Decis
ion in Kentucky Governor
ship Case.

WASHINGTON, May II The
Kentucky Governorship case was
today decided by the United
States supreme Court in the in
tereSt Of Bcckham, affirming the
decision of the Kentucky Court
of Appeals. The opinion in the
case was not unanimous, Justices
Brewer. Harlan, Brown and Me
Kenna were the dissenting jus
tees.
The opinion was handed down
by Chief Justice Fuller and the
case was dismissed for want OF
jurisdiction. He said the court
should be the last to oyerStep the
bounds limiting its own iurisdic-
ton and that the determination
of cases of this character, contests
for State Office, must necessarily
be settled by the political branch
OF the government. That branch
had acted in the Kentucky case
when the General Assembly took
jurisdiction.
There was no appeal from the
aSSembly's decision, which was
favorable to Goebel and Beck
ham, except to the tribunal OF
the people, which tribunal, the
chief justice said, was always in
session. He also said the case
was purely a State case-that
Kentucky was in the full posses
sion of its faculties as a mem Der
of the Union, and that there was
no emergency at this time calling
for interference.
These are some of the incidents
in the sensational affairs of Ken
lucky preceding the decision of
the Goyernorship case by the
Supreme Court:
The political developments in
Kentucky first attracted national
attention i'll 1895, when for the
first time i'll 40 years a Republi
can, ". o. Bradley, was elected
Governor. At each recurring
elected must interest was shown
and last fall William Goebel and
John {. W. Beckham ran for
Governor aud Lieutenant Cover,
nor, respectively, on the Demo-
cratic ticket, against William S.
Taylor and Marshall, Republi
cans, candidates respectively for
the same Offices. Goebel was op.
posed by eX soldiers of the Con
tederacy and many religious
bodies. The vote was close, the
result not being known for sew
eral weeks after November s.
But i'll the end two of the three
members OF the Democratic Flee
ton Board, which Goebel hoped
to control, voted to seat Taylor,
who was inaugurated in the
second week in December.
Goebel at once took steps to
contest the election, carrying the
matter into the Legislature.
AT LILO O'Clock on the morn.
ing Of January 80 Goebel was
shot and fatally wounded while
walking toward the Senate cham
Der. The Legislature was dis
missed by Taylor, but a majority
of its members signed resolutions
declaring Taylor and Marshall
unseated.
Senator Goebel was inaugural
ed Governor about 8 o'clock at
night on January 81, as he lay
on what proved to be his death
bed. The oath was administered
by Chief Justice Hazelrigg.
Immediately afterward he sign
ed a proclamation declaring John
b. Castleman Adjutant General
of the Kentucky State Guard and
ordering that troops called out
by Taylor he sent home.
On February 3 Beckham was
made acting Governor, immedi
ately after Goebel's death, The
contest was then carried to the
Kentucky Court of Appeals,
which decided in favor of Beck
ham. The opinion was agreed to
by SIX of the seven judges, four
Democrats and two Republicans.
One diSSented. The ruling of
this tribunal was yesterday
affirmed by the United States
Court.