Our feature OKI Wanna Know seeks answers for those frustrating questions that can get you swearing up a storm. This week, we look into an oath, and its violent history in this second half of a two part look at elections, with WVXU's Bill Rinehart.
Jean Wohl of Ludlow says she signed up to be a poll worker in the last election. At the end of training, the Kenton County Clerk of Courts swore in Wohl and the other new employees.
"I would like to know why there are clauses about not having fought in a duel in the Kentucky oath of office," she says. "I love history. I love when they honor history, but I was just curious as to why, after 200-plus years, that kind of language still remains in the Kentucky oath of office."
The Kenton County Clerk of Courts says anyone who holds an office in Kentucky has to take that oath. Gabrielle Summe says they swear to support the constitutions of the United States, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and that they will execute their duties to the best of their abilities. And yes, they swear: no dueling.
"I can't be in a duel. I can't challenge somebody to a duel. And also I can't have a second."
Your second was someone who came along to make sure your weapon was ready, and to make sure the other guy didn't try to cheat.
Kentucky's violent political history
Duelists, and seconds, were definitely a thing, according to the Kentucky Historical Society.
It's director of research and publications says in the early to mid-1800s "gentlemen of means" would challenge someone to preserve their honor.
"If there was an insult or if their honor was impugned through failed business deals or other issues they would sometimes go to the dueling grounds to settle those issues."
Stuart Sanders says a number of prominent Kentuckians dueled, including Henry Clay, who served in the legislature, in Congress, and as the U.S. Secretary of State.
"I do find it sort of ironic that Clay became known as the Great Compromiser even though he fought a number of duels during his political career."
Duels fall to gunfire
Sanders says enough people abhorred dueling that the state constitution was amended in 1849. He says the duel fell out of favor maybe because the formality just seemed ridiculous after all of the bloodshed of the Civil War. But that didn't mean gentlemen weren't still feuding.
"A lot of politicians ended up carrying concealed weapons, and shooting at one another on the street when they disagreed with each other," he says. "It's different from that formal duel. It was replaced by these gunfights on the street, much like the Old West. While Wyatt Earp was fighting at the O.K. Corral Kentuckians were also pulling pistols on one another."
That violence included a Covington politician in 1895.
"William Goebel found himself entangled in a political dispute with a local banker," Sanders says. "Goebel actually ended up drawing pistols with this man, shooting him in the head and killing him. So it wasn't a formal duel."
Goebel's gunplay was cleared as self-defense. But if you live by the sword, you may die by it. Goebel was assassinated in 1900, three days after he was declared the winner in a contested gubernatorial race. That's a whole other story.
Kentucky politics were very partisan, and very intense at the time.
"The sergeant-at-arms in the legislature at the time actually had a pretty tough job of maintaining peace as there were worries about gunplay erupting as legislators were making speeches or voting on issues."
Sanders says that sense of preserving one's honor, and the idea of using violence to settle differences lasted well into the 20th century.
There have been attempts to change the oath, to make it a little more modern, according to Kenton County Clerk Summe. But nothing's come of it.
"Frankly from a historical standpoint, I think it's interesting. I think it's unique. It catches everyone's attention. I would hate to see it go," she says. "If it changes, that's fine. I just think historically it's kind of a cool thing."
Sanders agrees it's cool. But it's also something more.
"I think people enjoy the fact that this interesting vestige of the past is still within our constitution," he says. "But I think most importantly is it reminds us that conflict should be resolved peacefully. We should really seek compromise and act with goodwill as opposed to seeking violence as a means to settle differences."
Summe points out, Kentucky's motto is "United we stand, divided we fall," which she says plays into the idea of it's OK to disagree with your opponent, but don't kill them.
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