The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-03
THE PRESIDENT AND KENTUCKY.

The New York Press makes the following
declaration:
We refer rather to the patent fact that
the Kentuckians seem determined to go TO
war before they will consent to surrender
their rights of government to a band of
Goebel criminals. And doubtless they have
reached their determination after a careful
consideration of the fact that so long as
the plume of national authority is a white
feather the people of the State of Ken
lucky must do the federal governments
work.
The foregoing statement. If 1T could not
be attributed to ignorance, would be
shameless, i'm that IL assumes that the
and on similar occasions. He has no duty
to perform in reference to Kentucky. No
constitutional warrant can be found for
his interference in what has been going on
in that State Even if Governor Taylor
has appealed TO him for assistance. he cam
not render it. There is Legislature i'm
Kentucky which Governor Taylor has rec
ognized by at least adjourning it to another
town than the State capital, and that
Legislature is the only branch of the gov
ent conditions. appeal to the President for
assistance to suppress domestic violence"
In view of these facts, the declaration
of the paper quoted that ''the plume of
calls the abuse showered upon the Presi-
dent when he refused to listen to the APP
peals of those who would have plunged the
United States into war by recognizing the
which had no existence. The New York
paper would have the President ignore the
Constitution and send troops to the capital
of kentucky-for what purpose? To pro-
tect Governor Taylor in the executive Of
flee to which a Legislature, acting under
the color Of law, will declare that another
man was elected. There is no doubt that
such action is usurpation, but 1t is not a
function of the federal government to in
terfere with an attempt to overthrow that
usurpation. The Goebel usurpation is "a
republican form of government as much
as are the governments i'm Mississippi,
South Carolina and other States in which
majority of the voters have been dis
franchised. or where the party machinery
is used to count i'm Democratic candidates,
as in Alabama. The Louisville Post, an
anti-Goebel Democratic paper. declares
that "the election franchise is practically
This is doubtless true: but it will defend
the constitutional provisions in other
Southern States designed to destroy free
suffrage. That paper further declares that
the overthrow of popular government by
the Goebel election law may result in caus-
ing the next presidential election to turn
upon the vote of Kentucky. That is cross
ing a river before ii is reached. The cleo
toral vote will be canvassed by the Senate
and House. and the electoral vote of Ken
lucky would be thrown out by the Repub-
lican Congress should it appear to be
manipulated by commission under the
Goebel law.
Experience has shown that eft is wise to
leave the States to deal with all such dis
turbances-" If the federal government
should interfere, even if it had authority
to do so Under the Constitution ii would
deprive the States of the power of self
government and their rights under the or
ganic law of the land. Worry may result.
but those who perpetuate it will come to
punishment In this case it would have
come very quickly if Governor Taylor had
not relieved the Goebelitcs of their burden
OF infamy by attempting to adjourn the
Legislature and preventing it from assem-
bling. In 1887, i'm this State, Green Smith
and a few followers were guilty of the
crime of usurpation. 1T prevented General
Harrison from being his own successor in
the Senate, but. as much as anything, the
usurpation made him the Republican can
didate for President in 1888 and the Repub-
lican President for four years. In the
years to come. when the full history OF
will put him in the pillory as the man who
usurped authority in spite of the decision OF
the Supreme Court. But the point to be-
kept in view is that the President has nc
warrant for interfering i'm Kentucky, and
therefore. need not heed such aspersion:
as that 1.-The plume of the national author.
ity is white feather"