Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-11-11
Result. Of Partisan Trials in Kentucky.

In making the trial of the men ac-
,used Of the murder Of William Goebei
,r Kentucky. II purely political matter
,le courts of that state, and particu
la,iv the one presided over by Judge
Can,riu have been brought into ma
ti.na, di.repute. The American people
as a whole believe in fair play. 1t
has. therefore. been impossible for
them 10 conceal their contempt for the
sriii, that prevailed in the recent trial
of Caleb Powers. 4 former secretary of
state. who was accused of being an
accessory to the Gocbcl murder. This
whole performance was Il Srotesuue
far,e-a travesty on justice. Powers
was rrc-iudceG. The jury selected TO
try him. was Il packed caucus of
Gopbel Democrats. Judge Cantrill sat
upon the bench for the purpose of see
ing that the program went through
without hitch or alteration. OF
course Powers was convicted. even in
the tac. of ample evidence to convince
any man not hide bound by partisan
bias of his absolute innocence of the
charges preferred against him. II was
monstrous injustice; but the rank
artisans who We're responsible for il
We're rot troubled by consideIa Iati"ns of
right or wrong.
Having Gone up Powers, the Demo
cratic leaders i'll Kentucky proceeded
30 arrange similar program for eN-
Governor Taylor. This is the man
who was elected governor of kentucky
over William Goebel by "A clear ma
ioii,y. and deliberately counted out by
a Democratic legislature. Finding
that tk. partisanship of his opponents
haG degenerated into a lust for blood,
and that he could hope for no sem
blarce of justice in the courts con-
rolled by them. Mr.. Taylor removed Ia
indiana where he has since made his
home. Soon after he went 10 that state
a reuuisition was made upon the late
Governor Mount for his surrender 10
the Kentucky authorities: but as the
trials of various persons alleged 10
Goabel had then proceeded far enough
To demonstrate the political character
of all the proceedings. and to show
that the so-call-d prosecutions, Were
nothing more or less than partisan
prosecutions. the Indiana executive
Very properly refused To give him up.
\ few days ago a second requisition for
the surrender Of Ex-Governor Taylor,
was made upon Governor Durbin. the
present chief executive Of Indiana, by
Governor Beckham Of Kentucky. In
refusing 10 honor il Governor Durbin
made use of the following vigorous
language:
The monstrous rulings and in
structions of the court, with its vicious
partisanship. further represented by
Jury unanimously made up Of Goebel
Democrats. is OF itself sufficient cause
for a refusal Of your request" And he
added: II have on file letters and re-
quests from many prominent Democrats
OF Kentucky. prominent in the or
ganization Of the party, and from edi-
to,s of Democratic newspapers uni
versally condemning the prosecution IN
the Goebel trials as Il travesty upon
justice and urging that no requisition
ho honored for Mr.. Taylor until reason
has resumed sway and the good name
of kentucky in its procedures under
the law in the courts be resumed
Governor Durbin was in no wise
hastv in reaching these conclusions.
He made a careful and exhaustive in
vcstigation Of the whole matter. and
his decision was based upon his find
ings.
The indianapolis Journal calls atten-
ton to the fact that the late President
HarriSon-one o1 the ableSt anu ldlr-
est men this country ever produced
FULLY sustained Governor Mount in re-
fusing to surrender Ex-Governor Tay-
lor and did not hesitate to advise the
governors of other states to follow his
example. How strongly he was justi-
fed IN dis course has been shown
anew by the infamous mOckery-the
brutal injustice Of the Caleb Powers
trial.
II Mr. SaninS- DumOnt doesn't think