Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-07-02
BECKHAM'S POSITION
The Kentucky Governors Statement
About Breathitt County.
CRITICISMS OF ENEMIES ANSWERED.
Political Capital Being Made Out Of the
Breathitt Affair-Certain Republicans
scored-IIow the Convicted Murder
or Of Gov. GoebeI II Petted.


many requests, yesterday gave out
statement in reference to his posi-
ton in the Breathitt county matter
"A great many letters have come tt
him In the last few weeks, he says
some from those who are friends
4 some from those who are not, urg
ing him to use radical measures In
dealing with the trouble in Breathitt
county, to declare martial law and to
have trials of the accused by court
martial. Speaking of criticisms out
side of the state, Gov. Beckham says:
"These criticisms, friendly or un-
friendly, have not swerved me in the
least from the pathway of what I
have conceived to be my duty and
the just responsibilities Of my high
Office. / care not one particle for
the pharisaical censure of those yell
low journals of the north and east,
whose mercenary greed for sale.
able romance and whose partisan
hatred of southern neighbor make
them defame and misrepresent the
great and good people of all Ken
lucky, because one county out Of 119
within the state has recently been
the scene Of certain crimes and vio-
lations Of the law. 1t has become
q fashion and fad with those pa
pers to picture in the most lurid and
sensational type killing in Ken
lucky, when the slaughter of an en-
tire family in their locality is not
dignified with dozen lines. The
calling into service Of the entire ma
tional guard Of one Of the northern
state to suppress strike, where
hundreds may be slain, does not at
tract one-half the notice from those
yoracious journals as does the use
Of one company Of Kentucky militia
in aiding some circuit court in the
trial Of criminal. An illustration
Of this might be found in the recent
trouble in Breathitt, where 1t was
difficult to tell whether the war cor
respondents or the soldiers outnum-
bered the other.
'The Breathitt county trouble is al
together local and the effort to throw
odium on the entire state on account
Of It Is due solely to sectional hate
or political agency"
Speaking of the insistent demands
FOR declaration of martial law, Gov.
Beckham states that his critics "in
their Impotence have forgotten that
the governor of Kentucky has abso-
utely no such right, and If he should
.ttempt to use such arbitrary power
le would be and ought to be i'm
The constitution of Kentucky, the
governor explains, declares that the
military power shall always be In
trict subordination to the civil au-
horities, and when the governor
alls troops into service he is COM
,elled by law to place them under
ONE local civil officers. He has no
light to remove Judge, common
vealth's attorney or any other dis
riot or county officer.
Gov. BeclhaWp than ravevts ane tlA
Of the late Gov. Goebel
Certain newspapers and men who
pplauded the assassination of Ken.
ucky's governor and reign of ter.
or in the state capital" he says,
now pretend to be wonderfully
hooked and disturbed over the condi-
lon Of affairs in Breathitt."
OF certain republicans" who are
rying to make a political issue out
the Breathitt affair, the governor
avs: "They must first wash their
ands Of blood before they attempt
pose as the apostles of law and
rder."
The attacks upon his course in the
reathitt matter, Gov. Beckham
'ys, have been made because he Is
le democratic nominee for that Of
'e, about to enter a campaign for
selection. Speaking further of his
irtisan critics, the governor says:
Jim Howard, the thrice convicted
urderer of William Goebel, who,
hen he could not assassinate man
r hire, would shoot one for
slime, is the petted beneficiary Of :
cir liberal donations, and is lauded
tn slavish adulation, his cell deco
ted with flowers and his savage
ce the object of admiration by 40
ose who love him because they be-