The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-27
TELLS OF HIS COURSE
Has No Authority to Proclaim
 Martial Law.
Says That He Urged Judge Redwine to Transfer the Cases of Jett and White to Some
 Other County.

Frankfort, Ky, June Ex-Governor Beckham, in response to great many requests. today gave out he following statement in reference to his position in the Breathitt County matter:
 "A great many letters have come to me in the last few weks, some from those who are friends. some from those who are not urging me to use radical measures in dealing with the unfortunate trouble in Breathitt County, to declare' martial law and to have trials of the accused by court martial. to remove judges and other officials, and. in fact. to do most anything for which there Is absolutely no warrant of law to do upon the part of the executive.
 "A number of newspapers in the State. some kindly in their feelings towards me, others most hostile and bitter, have come out in heavy editorials and said It was up to the Governor to do something to put stop to this lawlessness and crime None of them, however, with one honorable ex- ception ever suggested in their infinite wisdom a plan to the Governor as to what he should do.
 Left in the Dark.
 'I have been left in the dark by those sagacious critics as to whether 1t was best for me to consume this lawlessness with fiery rhetoric and noisy pronuncia- mentos. or to throw to the winds the con- U the scene of trouble with arms and ann munition snap my fingers at judges. com monwealth's attorneys and juries. and defiantly proclaim that I was the Czar of Kentucky, and not its chief peace of ficer, who humbly respects the funda- mental laws of his State.
 Il care not one particle for the phari- saical censure of those yellow journals of the North and East whose mercenery greed for a salable romance and whose partisan hatred of Southern nelghbor make them defame and niisrepresent the great and good people of alltKentucky because one county out of 119 in the State has recently been the scene of certain crimes and violations of the law.
 "Long Distance Warrors.
 "An illustration of this might be found in the recent trouble in Breathitt where it was difficult to tell whether the war correspondents or the soldiers outnumber- ed the other and those ferocious and un- armed long distance warriors, safely guarded against danger to their valiant persons breathed forth threatenings of war and told an eager and expectant public what a Governor, judge or military commander should do.
 'These outside critics need not be con- sidered, When they succeed in eradicat- ing crime or at least reducing It In their own States, then we may give them a re- SDeCIIul how to purify Kentucky.
 '"The Breathitt County trouble Is alto- gether local, and the effort to throw odium on the entire State on account Of 1t Is due solely to sectional hate or polit- icaf exigency. It Is with critics in our own State that I propose to deal. The people of the whole State have been in- dignantly and justly aroused over the crimes recently committed in that Coun- ty, and in their impulsive resentment against the guilty have been little i'm. patient for results. Their feeling about the situation is to be commended, for 1t shows the character of our noble and law abiding people.
 As to Martial Law.
 ''They have demanded prompt and wig orous action in dealing with the trouble. Nearly all the demands made upon me for action, have been that should declare martial law there and have all cases tried they have forgotten that the Governor of , Kentucky has absolutely no such right and If he should attempt to use such ar bitrary power, he would be and ought tc be impsached. have been active in ev- cry way possible to aid the enforcement of the law.
 while believed Judge Redwine to be an honest and capable judge, I urged him several days before his court began not to try these cases himself. but to transfer them to another county, or to allow me to appoint another judge. feared that conviction might not be had in Breat hitt County But he took a different view of 1t and his conduct in the recent trials showed that he was honest and earnest in his desire to see the law en forced He has called a special term oi the Breathitt County court for tho further investigation of crimes commit ted in that county. and l believe that fl before citizen in the county will see that the law is supreme and that there must be an enc of crime.
 The Case of Goebel.
 Now let us turn our attention for z while to those people who exulted in thu death of William Goebel and who today should rejoice to see every citizen O Breathitt County murdered and ever! house burned if 1t would make for then some political capital against me anc against the Democratic party. Ther was a report that when the unfortunate Marcum lay dying on the spot where h. had been shot Curtis Jett in little whil afterwards came around. stood over tn dying man, with an assumed gravity ant said: This is an awful thing So ther are today some Republican papers an' leaders in Kentucky who look at Breat hit County with affected sorrow and sa. This Is an awful thing Certain news papers and men who applauded the as sassination of Kentucky's Governor an' a reign of terror in the State capital. nov pretend to be wonderfully shocked an disturbed over the conditions of affairs fl Breathitt."
 Harassed Goebel at Death.
 Every citizen of Kentucky knows 'tha when poor Goebel lay suffering with tn awful agonies of death from his crue wounds, the Republican officials sent lot of their raw militia and statione them immediately under his window tha with their boisterous conduct and nois demonstration they might disturb an harass the last hours of the fallen leade whom they could not defeat except b assa ssination. N.
 The efforts of certain Republicans | nnaka A nolitical Issue of this Is 90 miseT