The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1907-11-15
IN KENTUCKY,

ii ~'~~NtoA 4ScNAto AZ AA~h-
lucky are really not very surpris.
ing when we recall the recent his
tory of the State. The true and
tried leaders of the party have
been gradually eliminated and the
small fry have been on top. There
was bound to be an end of this
sort of thing at some time and the
end is in sight.
Kentucky is normally Demo-
cratic State. With men like John
lG. Carlisle, VIM. Lindsay, Henry
Waterson, the late Col. Brecken-
ridge and others sidetracked, it is
no wonder that the Democratic
ascendency in Kentucky has been
tottering recently. When VIII
liam Goebel was assassinated sew
eral years ago the Republican
party was seriously damaged, and
Democratic ascendency was con-
tinued by that deed. Goebel be-
came a martyr, and certain set of
small fry politicians have been
thriving on that martyrdom ever
since. Had Goebel not been muir
dered he would have long ago
been relegated 10 private life with
the disapprovai Of the people Of
of Kentucky.
Goebel was able, unamiable and
entirely INSCRIPTIONS. He can
vassed the State of Kentucky for
Governor, with the result that he
had only a trifie over 100 votes in
a convention of over 1000 dele
gates. Hardin and Stone together
had eight or nine votes to Goebel's
one. Yet by deceiving and be-
traying Stone, getting control Of
the organization and nervily IN
seating several hundred delegates,
Goebel managed to secure the
Democratic nomination. 1t was
the most artistic piece of highway
robbery ever perpetrated against
the Democracy Of Kentucky.
In the election that ensued Goe-
bel was defeated, and the State
election commissioners, who were
Democrats, issued a certificate of
election to the Republican candi-
date, Taylor. But Goebel, who
was still a State Senator, held on
to his purpose and got up a con-
test before the Legislature in or
der to pluck the Governorship as
he had plucked the Democratic
nomination. In short, he was
planning a cold steal. 1t is hard
~ necessary to say that both par
ties lost their heads in the midst of
the general excitement and some
fool shot Goebel. 1t was only
natural that this murder should
react against the Republican par
ty and make people forget the po-
litical sins Of William Goebel.
But the small fry collected
around Goebel have been living on
his murder ever since. They have
let the real murderer, Henry
Youtsey, go in q measure, and
have concentrated their efforts to
bring about the hanging Of Caleb
Powers, who wasn't in Frankfort
when Goebel was killed and who
has been connected with the muir
L
der only by transparent perjurers.
The Powers case has been greater
stain on Kentucky than the Drey-
fus case was on France, but France
had the courage to correct her
Kentucky, however, has evil
lently grown tired of a steady
liet of Goebel. The Democrats
nave made so many tactical mis-
takes in perpetuating the memory
IF that dastardlY crime that the
people have elected a Republican
Governor 1t is likely that Gov.
Wilson will pardon Powers and
light what seems to be great
wrong. Wetrust he will do this
lot only in the interest of justice,
1ut in the interest of the people
# Kentucky. It's time to put the
5oebel case to sleep and resume
normal WAYS