The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-14
AFTER -BLACKBURN's SEAT.
Republican. Managers plan to Make
n41ittcr Contest.

NepuDiican- managers PiNh 10 N"Ae
n Ritter Contest.
From a reliable Republican source 1t
learned that the party managers, at the
direction o. adr. Hanna. have decided TO
bitterly contest the seat of Senator-eiect
Blackburn of Kentucky.
This decision was reached at CONFER
ence held in Republican national head
quarters at Chicago about two weeks De
fore the election. Senator Hanna pr SID
ed. and among those present were PERRY
S. Heath, Henry C. Payne. OF Wisconsin,
and Richard Kerens. of Missouri. Sena-
tor John C. Spooner. of Wisconsin, was
present by special invitation. and at the
earnest solicitation of Mr.. Hanna agreed
to lead the fight on Mr.. Blackburn In the
Senate.
Soon after Mr.. Blackburn filed his GER
titicate OF election, Il short time before
the Senate adjourned last spring, Senator
Dcboe OF Kentucky served notice of cen
test. without stating the grounds of his
movement. Very little attention was p.id
to it at the time, and even Senator-elect
Blackburn refused to dignity II with dis
cussion.
1t is understood that the ground of cen
test will rest upon the Goebel election
law. 1t will be recalled that MIR. Back
burn was chosen by the Legislature at
Frankfort few days before Governor
Goebel was assassinated. and while w. S.
Taylor. who is now fugitive from jus
tice under indictment for conspiring with
Goebel assassins. was dc jure Govoruor.
Taylor fia:ly refused to certify to Black
burns election, giving no other reason
for his refusal than that he desired to
await the outcome of the contest over the
governorship that was then pending in
the Legislature
After Goebel's ssnation Taylor de
clined to aftlx his signature to the certiti-
cate on the plea that all the acts of the
Legislature were vitiated by the alleged
frauds committed by the Democrats under
the GOebel law When Tayor was finally
Ousted by the decisions Of the courts and
Lieutenant Governor Beckham was il
stalled as Goebels successor. one CT the
latter's first official acts was to sign the
Blackburn certificate of election to the
Senate as the successor of Senator Lind
say.
1t was this document which Senator elect
Blackburn filed in the Senate last spring
and upon which Senator Deboa. the only
Republican ever sent to the Senate from
Kentucky, served notice OF contest. 1t Is
now believed that Senator DebOe was
guided in his conduct by Mr.. Hanna and
other Republican leaders. Strength is given
to this belief by the circumstance that the
Deboe notice of contest was not served
until several days after the Blackburn Ger
tificate was filed.
II is said that the contest against Senator
Blackburn will be begun as soon as he takes
his seat next March, at the special ses-
sion of the Senate OF the Fifty-seyenth
Congress, called to confirm Presidential ap
pOiHtments. Senator Spooner is said to be
now preparing himself deliberately for the
fray. Ii is stated further that able coun-
sci has been employed by the Republican
National Committee to assist Senator
Spooner in the preparation Of the legal
points he will array against Blackburn.
What these points are likely to be, none of
the Republicans will say.
In his favor. so far as the refusal OF
Taylor to- sign the certificate is concerned,
Senator Blackburn has the precedent of a
case from, Florida several years ago that
is very similar to his own in its relations
to the declination of the de jure Governor
to certify to his election. In the Florida
case. it appears that the Governor failed
or refused to affix his signature to the GER
tifioate OF election. When the matter was
brought to the attention of the Senate an
investigation by that body showed that the
Legislature regularly had elected him. the
Senate a6mitted him to his seat although
he was the holder of an imperfect certifi-
cate
1t is contended. therefore, that Sena-
tor Blackburn will enter the Senate much
more strongly fortified than was the Flor
ida Senator whose experience has provid
ed precedent. The Kentucklan not on
ly can shsw. as the Floridian did. that
he was duly elected by the Legislature,
but his certificate also bears the sigma
ture of the official whom the highest
courts in the land declared was entitled
to the governorship.
The understanding is that the Hanna
programme is to induce the Senate to
declare Senator Blackburn's election viii
ated by the alleged frauds committed by
the Democrats under the Goebel law.
Senator SDocner's legal argument will
rest upon the unconstitutionality of the
Goehei law. the contention being that the
courts have never passed upon this point