Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-08
BOSS BUT A NAN OF
GOOD PARTS.
COULD HANDLE A GUN
Had Brought Down His Man and
Been Acquitted of Blame for Doing
so-Able as Lawyer, Anxious TO
be Governor and Resolute in His
Purposes.

cratic convention of Kentucky las
June nominated for governor but wht
was defeated in the race by William L
Taylor, was, until the last two or three
years, an unknown quantity outside
Of Kenton county, his home. In tina,
county, however, of which the city
Of Covington is part, the man has
been for almost ten years an even
more absolute boss" than Richard
Croker of New York or George B
Cox of Cincinnati. Comparatively a
young man, he has, by persistency that
is remarkable, in many instances
forged himself to the front by methods
that heretofore have been unknown in
Kentucky politics.
Mr.. Goebel his led in Covington
for SO years-th3t means since he was
Y years old. From the time he ended
his law study and began to take an
active part in politics he has been a
prominent figure in the local political
world. One Of his first great fights
was made as he leader of the faction
which opposed the gang which had
y
democratic machinery in Kenton
county. He won a splendid victory
and since then his word has been law
with his party's county organization.
He was called the monarch of Ken
tucky."-a boss in place of the gang
he dethroned.
Senator Goebel was born in Penn
sylvania, and his parents removed to
Covington in 1866 He was educated
at Gambler college and at the Gin
cinnati law school. His first studies
of Blackstone were under the super
vision of the late Governor Stevenson
and ex-Secretary of the Treasury John
G. Carlisle, the latter then scarcely
the national figure that he became in
later years. After Mr. Goebel had
been admitted to the bar he formed
partnership with Mr.. Carlisle, but
this was of brief duration, as the
great Kentuckian soon after practi-
cally abandoned the law business for
that of national politics
Since that time Mr.. Goebel has been
associated with no other lawyer, but
largely through his intense devotion
to his chosen profession and the ex-
cellent membership obtained in earlier
days built up for himself one of the
largest clientages in the state. AS a
lawyer his ability was soon admitted
and he amassed a fortune. But the
energy that has been one Of the most
remarkable characteristics of the man
soon forced him into the political
field. His first and only political po-
sition was that of state senator, rep
resenting the county of Kenton. He
succeeded James B. Bryan, who was
nominated for lieutenant governor of
Kentucky along with General Simon
B. Buckner for governor.
The senator was always a good
friend of the people. and this charac-
teristic caused him to become en-
gagged in a controversy which led him
to take a life. He thought the bridge
tolls across the Ohio river were too
high, and he introduced and had pass
ed bill through the Kentucky legis-
lature reducing the charges to l cent
Sanford, an eX-cOnfederate soldier,
was a large stakeholder in one Of the
bridge companies, and he denounced
Goebel for fathering the bill, and
wrote a bitter article, which was pub
lished in Covington paper. In this
Goebel was abused severely for the
part he took in reducing the tolls.
ha
communication, which cut deep into
the feelings Of his antagonist.
It was announced to Goebel that
threats had been made by Colonel
Sanford that he would kill his man on
sight Goebel procured a pistol and
soon afterward met Sanford on the
steps of a bank in Covington. The
colonel made motion as if
TO draw a weapon, but before he
could get his hand behind him Goebel
had shot him dead. The senator was
acquitted on the examining trial. 1t is
said by Goebel's friends that he acted
in self-defense.
One of the first bills Goebel intro
duced after he went into the senate
was one to make gambling a felony
! He was the author Of the free public
| library bill and several important
| laws, notably and most recently the
Goebel election law, which was a part
Of his platform during the late cam
| paign. This measure has attracted I'M
usual attention on account of it's pecu-
| liar provisions. On the returns of the
/ ~
the state board of elections. under
/ the Goebel election law, the certificate
| Of election as governor was given to
| Taylor,
| The seat in the senate he has held
since his first election, although on
several occasions he narrowly escaped
! defeat by republican. Only one
other position to which he aspired he
failed to attain. He was a candidate
for the democratic nomination for ap-
pellate judge in his district, but the
| convention became deadlocked, GoebeI
| was forced to withdraw, and the nom
| ination went to Congressman Pawn
| ter of Maysville. 1t had always been
| supposed, until the convention which
nominated him for governor, that he
was a gold man. His affiliations with
newspapers and others whose none
tary faith was pronouncedly for the
gold standard caused surprise when,
in announcing his candidacy at Leb-
anon, KY, he declared that he was for
the free and unlimited coinage of sill
yer at the ratio Of Is to 1, and was
| for William J. Bryan for president
] y l.