The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-27
BECKHAM STRIKES BACK
KENTUCKY's GOVERNOR REPLIES TO
CRITICISM OF HIS CONDUCT.
Defends Himself for Not Supervising
Lawless Feudists and for Pardon-
ing Notorious Criminals.

FRANKFORT, KY, June Ex-Governor
Beckham, in response to a great many re-
quests, to-day gave out lorg statement i'm
reference to his position n the Breathitt
county matter. He denounces those who
have been urging him to take drastic action
and says:
Il care not one particle for the pharisai-
cal censure of those yellow journals of the
North and East whose mercenary greed for
a salable romance, and whose hatred of
Southern neighbor. make them defame and
misrepresent the great and good people of
Kentucky because one county out of 119 I'm
the State has recently been the scene of
certain crimes and violations of law. 1t has
become fashion and fad with papers to
picture in the most lurid and sensational
type killing in Kentucky when the
slaughter of entire family in their To-
cality is not dignified with a dozen lines.
The calling into service of the entire Ma
tional Guard of one of the Northern States
to suppress a strike. where hundreds may
be slain, does not attract one-half the no.
tice from those veracious journals as does
the use Of one company of Kentucky mill
tia in aiding some circuit court in the trial
or a criminal. These outside critics need
not be considered. When they succeed. in
Graduating crime, or at least reducing it,
In their own States. then We may give
them respectful hearing in their efforts
TO tel, us how to purify Kentucky. The
Breathitt county trouble Is altogether local
and the effort to throw odium on the entire
state on account of II is que solely to sec
tional hatred or political exigency 1t Is
with critics In our own State that propose
to DEAL
The Governor then condemns the prac-
n oil Iou
moval of civil officers, saying his power in
this respect Is limited by the State Consti-
tuition. He reviews the trials Of Jett and
White and charges those who rejoiced at
the killing Of GOebel with affecting sorrow
they do not feel for the killing of Marcum
AS a Democrat" he says. Il am proud
of the fact that the Democratic press and
the Democratic people of the State de-
nounce crime and lawlessness regardless of
politics, and have been unanimous i'm their
condemnation of the assassination of Mar
cum, even though he happened to be a Re-
publican leader. The Democratic party in
Kentucky has no sympathy with crime, no
matter who may be the criminal. No DEM
ocratic paper and no Democratic person has
yet sought to take up subscriptions to de-
fend the assassins of Marcum. On the con-
trary, they have thrown their whole in
fiuence IN the effort TO have those assassins
punished. What a wonderful contrast have
they. shown with the conduct of the Repub-
lican press when Goebel was murdered,
and the entire commonwealth seemed to be
on the verge of revolution and anarchy
THE effort of certain Republicans to
make political issue of this is so miserable
and so despicable that IL is hardly worthy
OF notice, for they must first wash their
hands of blood before they attempt to pose
as the apostles of law and order. 1t is
from such as these that / have received
the most bitter attacks and the most willful
Misrepresentation about my official con-
duct
1T has been falsely and wilfully stated
that have turned loose by pardon, twenty
of-in mir "a Ia =.
that such use of the pardoning power has
been the cause of lawlessness lin that
county. The records show that | have
granted pardons In only seven of such
cases-in .one case two men being par
doned.I
The Governor continues to defend his use
OF the pardoning power and accuses former
Governor Bradley of seven felony cases
from Breathitt county.