The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1900-03-23

Legislature offering a reward of $780,.
900, which may prove a sufficient in.
centive TO imperil the life OF any iunc.
cent man in the Commonwealth.
With such corruption fund. levied
by taxation on the people, it will not
be difficult to find witnesses as bad as
Titus Oates to swear away the lives
OF as many innocent persons as may
be thought necessary to support the
invention of any plot to promote the
interests OF those who advocate their
strange theories.
Under cover of this clamor the rev.
olutiou proceeded.
QUEER LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS.
The legislative actors in this drama
met for the third time to go through
the same forms of contest in which
they had played before thus conced>
ing the utter illegality of all their
former proceedings. Without specify.
ing any established facts for none had
shown, they again pronounced their
opinion that their candidates had re-
ceived the largest number OF legal
votes, thus casting doubt, by their
opinion. on the validity OF the election
in every county in the State, and on
their own rights to all as legislative
body. For. on the same ballots on
which were the names OF the State
officers voted for we're their own names.
The declarations that there were a
sufficient number OF illegal votes on
these ballots to change the result of
the election In the whole State, was a
declaration that there might also be
enough to change the result in any or
every county OF the State; and to rem
der it doubtful whether a legislative
body existed so legally constituted as
to entitle it either to sit in Judgment
on this contest or to choose Senator
for the State.
The Board of Election Commission
ers to settle the contests for the minor
State officers also met. Claiming to
possess the highest right that a judi.
cial tribunal can exercise, they pro-
ceeded to disfrauchise more than
quarter Of a million of people. be-
lieve that no impartial mind will rec
ognize the justice Of their proceedings.
The pretext urged for throwing out
the vote OF three counties which were
opposed to their party views that the
ballots were printed On paper which,
in their judgment, was not thick
nough, and therefore was not, in fact,
a secret ballot. 1t was conceded that
in sotne counties where the majorities
were in their favor very similar bal>
lots had been used, but they were not
fully convinced that those ballots were
illegal. The benefit of the doubt was
therefore given to their friends.
1t Is we'll for the people to ponder
on the far.reachiug tendencies of this
partisan decision. The constitution
iorbids the citizen to cast his vote In
any other way than on the ballots
furnished by the authority OF the
State. These ballots were so furnish
ed, and were direct pledge of the
State that the citizen was authorized
to use them in giving expression to
his choice. To deny this right is to
violate the plighted faith of the State
to its own citizens. 1t is an assertion
that any party in control of the State
government can by a premeditated
fraud, disfranchise the citizens OF the
largest portions Of the State, by the
simple device of furnishing ballots
which they never mean to recognize.
1t Is to assert that the perpetrator of
fraud can take advantage OF his own
wrong and rob the innocent victim of
his Vaccinations OF the dearest rights
of a freeman. 1t is to coucede that we
are no longer citizens of free com~
monwealth, but subjects of an oil.
garchy which deies the authority of
the people and seeks through the
usurpatious of the legislative body,
governing through an irresponsible
triumvirate, to trample upon the rights
and liberties of the people. Simply
to state the case is demonstration OF
the injustice OF those proceedings, and
to show the latest evolution of the
spirit of Goebelism.
LEGISLATURES UsURPING ALL THESE
FUNCTIONS.
OF all tyrannies. that of legisla,
tive body, unrestrained by constitu~
tioual limitations, is the most intol-
cradle, In times of party excitement
its proceedings are invariably directs
ed by the most violent counsels. The
individual conscience seeks to lose
itself in the responsibility OF mem
bers, and the force Of members, unre-
strained by any computations visit
Jugs Of nature" and insensible to any
moral obligations, seeks to attain its
object by any means, however ques.
tionable. History is filled with ex.
amples of the most atrocious acts COM
mltted under the authority OF such
tyrannous bodies. II the people of
Kentucky will dispassionately reflect
on the present condition of our State
government, they cannot but view the
situation with serious concern and
alarm. With the passage of the ?res.
ent election law and its confirmation