The Van Buren press., 1871-08-22
Brooks and Hodges on the Stump.

buIiHS Nucli IcCcnl Visit W VI hAtI'tiio'
Hon. Joseph Brooks made speech, fol
lowed by Capt. Hodges in few remarks
The .Hontcelloniah, referring to Mr.
Brooks effort, says:
lie said that he and Mr. Hodges came
down to see after Fulton whom they sup
posed when they left Little Rock would
be dead when they reached here, and that
they had instructions to bring his re-
mains to Little Rock, if such should be
the case Said he would take nothing
back but good report Of the treatment
Fulton had received at the hands of the
citizens Of Drew county. He eulogized
Fulton very highly, and said that all the
efforts Of the Clayton faction were not
sufficient to cause him to forsake his du
I ty; that they were unable TO brbe him,
although they had offered him $1,000.
He commented largely on republicanism,
which by the way" he can well afford
to do, as his party has never e4emplilied
any of it by actual experiment, by reduc-
ing it to practice.
He then said there was n difference in
the republican party, thereby admitting
that CIayton's ring is part ofthe repub-
lican party If such be the case, if such
band Of thieves and robbers as he rep
resents the Clayton wing to be is part
and parcel Of the republican party, then
we shall ever pray for a dehverance from
such corruption. lie claimed that there
publican party had come into power
pledged to republicanism, pledged to po-
htical equality, to internal Improvement
by the internal govdinment, to railroads,
to schools, etc, etc. He believed that
the school system had done much good,
Notwithstanding recent legislation on the
subject had been made with the view of
making it political machine, that it had
disarmed DR.. Smith Of the power neces.
sary to make it efficient lie showed
that the railroad system had been per
vertod for purposes of most enormous
swindling; thought Bowen, Clayton and
Lewis had some difficulty in dividing the
spoils at the St. Nicholas hotel Broad
way, New York, and that Bowen ran of
with all Of the stealage thought Clay
tons swindles were checked by what was
known as the omnibus bill. which passed
the senate by bribing some Of the mem
bcrs, and as there was a certainty Of its
passing the house, Clayton O. Co, were
drivon to the necessity Of making the
award at once showed up their frauds in
anything but favorable light, denounced
them as swindlers and ballot.box suffers,
as a curse and nuisance to the republi.
can party; said the celebrated immiGra
tion commissioner, DE- Lewis. had gone
to Saratoga and Long Branch, and had
brought only one immigrant-a bob.tail
pony. 1t was also rumored on the au-
thority Of Mcdonald, that the doctorhad
brought one immigrant from Kansas,
who, after being here few days, took
Mcdonald by the arm very atectionate-
ly and asked him about getting an Office ;
said he had understood that this was n
good place to get an office.
He approved the funding OF the Hol-
ford bonds He favored the swamp land
homestead appropriation bill Says that
Clayton " Co turned him out Of the SEN
ate to prevent its passage. Said Clayton
& Co. have 100, 900 acres Of these lands.
He spoke at large of his treatmentby the
Senate, He showed up the Hot Springs
swindo5 pretty clearly, and spoke in pa
thetic terms Of Captain Bethel, and at
tributed his death to Clayton radicalism
lie seemed to think Malery had stolen
the Sl25,O00 of militia appropriations ;
hc seemed to think evidence ofthis fraud
soon be devolved, showing the ccrtiti-
Gates to be false We have no cause to
grumblc at the speech of Mr.. Brooks
We believe that he made n fair expose OF
the doings Of the Clayton radicals.
Hodges only made few remarks,
which were directed principally at Sheriff
Oliver, and in regard to the school fraud,
and which were applicable to every sher-
ifr in the State Out of S2ll, ,206 Gl only
1926, 6,3I424 were paid in greenbacks.
State scrip being worth about fifty cents,
it is a clear loss to the State of S92, $40,
10.