Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1908-09-26
HOT NUMBER.
Nashville American Calls On
Gov. Patterson For In
slant Action.

Nashville, Tenn, Sept. 24.-The
following editorial in today's Amer
lean is the severest arraignment yet
made by any paper against the night
riders:
GUILTY BEFORE ALL THE WORLD.
Several witnesses have been intro
duced in the trial of Gardner and
Hunt, at GAINESVILLE, for the killing
of night rider who, in company
with number of his band, was rid
ing the county armed cap-a-pie at 2
O'Clock in the morning of March 10,
1908. These witnesses testify that
they are members of the Tobacco
Association, and. incidentally, being
young men, belong to the night rid
ers. The old men are reserved to
serve on the juries.
While this is the first time any
court has had this proof so pointedly
put before it, every sane man, in
GLIDING Judge Tyler and all his jury,
and Judge Savage particularly,
knew all the time that such a con-
spiracy did exist; that the Tobacco
Association countenanced the conspi-
racy if they did not aid it; that not
one hand within the association has
been really raised to stop the Ku-
Klux character of their demonstra-
tions, and the association was glad
TO profit by the outrages of the night
riders. There can be no sort of
doubt about that.
The prominent members of the
Tobacco Association are accustomed
to condemn the murders and other
illegal acts of the night riders when
talking to law-abiding citizens who
care nothing for tobacco, nor those
who raise it, but will invariably drop
some such remark as but | confess
it rifles me when / hear men talk
about arresting the night riders and
Furnishing them, and especially the
Governor offering rewards for their
detection"
One of the most prominent mem
bers of the association, in long Ii
rade against the objectionable acts
of cruelty of night riders practiced
upon their own neighbors and kin,
closed his condemnation of these
outrages by saying: However, it
must be confessed the night riders
have done a great deal of good"
And when asked what good, he re-
piled: They have forced number
of tobacco raisers into the associa-
ton who would not have joined 9TH
wise"
That is the whole confession in
one sentence. The object of the
night riders raids, destruction of
property. punishment of defense
less men and women, even children,
and the murder of men, has been to
force everybody to join the Tobacco
Association, not join the night rid
ers; that was attended to afterwards.
Two thousand men were to attack
GAINESVILLE. The order has been Civ
en- twice by the proof, likely oftener.
Two thousand men! More than ever
attacked GAINESVILLE during the war.
The Cumberland river on the south
and west, Red river on the north
and east, with a loyal and alert vol
unteer guard under the chief of po-
lice, an old First Tennessee volun-
teer, made GAINESVILLE so invulnera-
BILE that these miserable, cowardly
riders by night and skulkers by day
were afraid to attack though order
ed twice, so the proof shows. to do so.
What is Tennessee going to do
about It? IL there is no law to de-
fend the citizens of Tennessee, then
let's abandon Tennessee and go back
to territory under the protection
of the government. After our liz
years of statehood we prove our in
competency to take care of ourselves.
We are won't to boast Of much. We
dash it all in the dust dallying like
a lot of dastards. permitting murder,