The news & observer., 1905-07-16
STANDING FOR OUTLAWRY

STANDING FOR OUTLAWRY
The case of Caleb Powers, convicted
of the murder of Governor Goebel,
has been removed to the Federal
Court upon the arbitrary order of a
Federal Judge by the name of Coch-
ran. The shot that killed Goebel was
fired from the window of Caleb Pow
ers and was the result of the most
damnable conspiracy of murder ever
conceived in America. Governor Tay-
lor is a fugitive from justice in Indi-
ana whose Republican governor re-
fuses to honor a requisitIon from the
Governor of Kentucky, and now the
Republican Federal judge removes the
case against Powers from the State
Court. Why? Because Powers is a
Republican criminal. and legislative
and executive usurpation are invoked
to save his neck. The evidence
against Powers was So plain that 10
honest juror could fail to say
guilty" If Goebel had been plain
citizen, Powers would have been hung
years ago, but because Goebefs policy
obtained for him corporate and Re-
publican hostility, the Republican
party in the nation has resolved to
save the neck of the murderer at the
cost of usurpation before never
dreamed of by governor or judge.
Upon what theory does the Federal
Judge remove the case into the Fed
eral courts? Powers is private
citizen, charged with the murder of
the chief executive of the sovereign
State of Kentucky. He has had two
fair trials by juries of his peers, he
has been twice convicted, and the
Supreme Court of that State has found
mo error" And yet because he Is an
influential Republican politician the
case at this stage is moved into the
Federal Court for the purpose of
nullifying the criminal laws of the
State of Kentucky. If Federal
Judge can move that case to the Fed
eral Court, he can abolish the pro-
cesses of State courts whenever he
sees fit to do SO. The State courts
will lose their power and their stand
ing, and all man accused of murder
will have to do will be to claim that
the State is trying to convict him be-
cause he is a Republican politician
of the sorriest type, and, presto
change, his case goes off the State
docket, he is acquitted. and soon re-
turns to his old time occupation of
political rascality.
Ever since the murder of Goebel it
has been apparent that the national
Republican leaders would protect the
thugs who were guilty Of conspiracy
and murder because they were the
Republican leaders of Kentucky.
When he was Governor of New York
Mr.. Roosevelt made a speech approx
ing the lawless spirit of the Governor
requisition of the Governor of Ken
lucky for Taylor, a fugitive from
Justice. The whole outfit has stooS
by the outlawry that disgraced Ken
lucky, and the Federal Judge is In
line with the national Republican
party i'm it's determination to free
Powers and defy the orderly execution
of the criminal laws. OF course the
Federal judge will free Powers or he
will be pardoned, and already 1T is
predicted that as a "vindication' he
will be elected to Congress by the Re-
publicans of the big East Kentucky
district where Powers and Taylor
padded the election returns in order
to rob Goebel of victory. They
couldn't cheat him out of the election
They therefore successfully conspired
to murder him. And now all the
inherent rights of State courts are to be
overridden in order to restore to Ken
lucky it's Republican leader. Ken
tucky has fallen pretty low and ken
lucky Resolutions" are made a dead
letter when such things can be carried
on under the sanction of the Repub-
lican national organization.
The last yestige of State rights has
been snatched from the common
wealth, and murder and conspiracy
have been made virtues!