The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-27
GOV. Beckham Says Critics from the East Should Clean
 Their OWn Skirts
EVERYTHING POSSIBLE
 DONE ID UPHOLD LAW
Persons Who Urged HIm to Establish Martial Law Trials In Breathitt Did Not Know That Such Was
 Not In Ills Power.

frankfort Ky, June Ex-Governor Beckham, in response to a great many requests, today gave out the following statement in reference to his position In the Breathitt county matter:
 "A great many letters have come to me in the last few weeks, some from those who are friends some from those who are not urging me to use radical measures in dealing with unfortunate troubles in Breathitt county, to declare martial law, and to have trials of the accused by courtmartial 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 execu- tive.
 "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 plan to the governor as to what he should do. l have been left in the dark by those sagacious critics as to whether it was best for me to consume this lawlessness with fiery rhetoric and noisy pronounciamento, or to throw to the winds the constitution of state and to bodily enter the scene of trouble with arms and ammunition, snap my fingers at judges, commonwealths attorneys and turies, and defiantly proclaim that I was the czar of Kentucky and not it's chief peace officer, who humbly respects the fundamental laws of his state.
 Cares Not for Yellow Journalism.
 T care not one particle for the phari- saical censure of those yellow journals of the north and east whose mercenary greed for a salabe romance and whose partisan hatred for southern neighbor make them defame and misrepresent the great and good people of all Kentucky because one county out of 119 In the state has recently been the scene Of certain crimes and violations of the law. An H. lustration of this might be found in the recent trouble In Breathitt, where 1t was difficult to tell whether the war corre- spondents or the soldiers outnumbered the other. and those ferocious and un- armed long-distance warriors, safely guarded against danger to their gallant persons breathed forth threatenings of war and told an eager and expectant public what a governor, a judge or a military commander should do. These outside critics need not be considered. W HtH they SuCCceQ III eTdQlCdIlnR crime, or at least reducing it, in their own states, then we may give them a respect full hearing in their efforts to tell us how to purify Kentucky.
 Due to Sectional Hate. "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 political exigency. It is with critics in our own state that 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 im- patient for results. Their feeling, owing to the situation. is to be commended for 1t shows the character of our noble and law-abiding people. They have demanded prompt and vigorous action in dealing with the trouble. Nearly all the de- mands made upon me for action have been that I should declare martial law there, and have all cases tried by courts martial
 Has No Such Right. Tn their impatience they have forgot ten that the governor of Kentucky has absolutely no such right, and if he should attempt to such arbitrary power he would be and ought to be im- peached. have been active in every way possible to aid the enforcement of the law. While believed Judge Redwine to be an honest and capable judge. 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. l feared that convictions might not be had in Breathitt county. But he took a different view of it. and his conduct in the recent trials showed that he was honest and earnest in his desire to see the law enforced. He has called a special term of the Breathitt County court for the further Investigation of crimes com mitted in that county, and I believe that it will be only short time before every citizen in the county will see that the law Is supreme and that there must be an end of crime.
 Aefers to GoebeI Period.
 U let us turn our attention for a
 those people who exulted in the
 William Goebel. and who today
 rejoice to see every citizen of
 t county murdered and every
 irned If 1t would make for them
 ig political against me and
 the democratic party. There was
 that when the unfortunate Mar
 dying on the spot where he had
 ot Curtis Jett in a little while
 'ds came around stood over the
 an with an assumed gravity and
 is an awful thing
 lere are today some republican rf nd leaders in Kentucky who look thitt county with affected sorrow
 Is an awful thing
 in newspapers and men who ap-