The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-30
GENERAL HARRISON ON THE GOE-
BEL-TAYLOR CASE.

If anything were needed to justify the
action of the late Governor Mount in the
G~oebel-TayIor case and to determine Gov
ernor Durbin to follow his example it is
furnished by the conviction of Caleb Pow
ers by a packed jury led by a biased judge,
in the judicial farce recently enacted at
Georgetown. The second conviction of
Powers on probably the weakest evidence
that ever went to a jury in a capital case
shows that the judicial vendetta which is
now being carried on in Kentucky and
which aims at the punishment of a certain
number of prominent Republicans by way
of reprisal for the murder of Mr.. Goebel is
organized on a permanent basis and ac-
tuated by a vindictiveness that will require
years TO obliterate. The Kentucky VEN
delta sometimes ~outlasts a generation. The
reasons given by the late Governor Mount
for declining to surrender Governor Taylor
under the new form of lynch law admin
istered by Judge Cantrill are even more
convincing since the second conviction of
Powers than they were before.
In this connection it is worth while to re-
] Ndii iii ldCl that TIC ldlC IItSluclil a
rison fully approved of Governor Mount 5
action in the case and virtually said that if
a similar requisition had been made on
him as Governor of a State under like cir
cumstances he would have refused to honor
it. a recent publication entitled Views of
an Ex-President'' contains General Har-
rison's speech as president of the Ecumeni-
cal Missionary Conference in April, 1900.
in response to the welcome of President Nc
Kinley. After referring in a digniied way
to the indness shown by the President in
coming so far to welcome the conference,
he spoke in a lighter vein Of Governor
Roosevelt:
OF course, it was no trouble for Governor
Roosevelt TO come here. Indeed, l think he
rather likes to get away from Albany, and
If we may believe those unfailing chroni-
clers of the truth, whose representatives
are here before me, he is not Cnfrequently
here for the purpose of having consulta-
tions- He awaited himself of the few mo-
mentS that We spent together in the re-
ceptiOn room TO consult me about a matter,
and when L had given him my opinion. he
said: well, that is what l was going to do
anyhow, no matter what you would say.
/ felt very lucky hat L had hit upon the
conclusion at which he had already arrived
The Journal is able to state on positive
Information that the consultation referred
to related to the Goebel-Taylor matter.
About that time it was rumored that Gov
ernor Taylor was going East, and that
when he reached New York a demand for
his extradition would be made on Governor
Roosevelt. The latter asked General Har-
rison informally what he would do in such
a case, and the result is stated above. Thus
we have positive proof Of what Governor
Roosevelt woul have lone had the demand
been made upon him, and of what Genera
Harrison would have lone had he beer
Governor. The latter was one of the great.
est constitutional lawyers the country has
ever had, and lie was a strict construc.
zionist in questions OF law, but he found
no difficulty in piercing through the fimsy
contention that the Governor of a State
has no alternative but unquestioning com.
pliance with any and every demand thai
may be made upon him by the Governor Of
another State, provided it be in legal form
He saw clearly enough that the c~onstitu
tional provision could only apply to case:
I'm which the course of justice was free anC
unimpeded, and that the Governor of on,
State could not be required and ought no
to be expected TO lend himself TO the con
summation of a conspiracy in another Stat,
for the prostitution of justice and the exc
of law. And Governor Roosevelt haC
reached the same conclusion before h,
asked General Harrison's opinion.