New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-06-24
ARKANSAS.

The present political situation III AIhahSa'
deserves fuller notice than it has received III
THE TRIBUNE, more especially as, by an mad
vertence. we placed the majority in the State
with the Democratic party. The Republicans
had n minority Of less than 5000 at the last
election, and that small figure is now 10 De
DESTROYED by the coalition of the Liberal ele-
ments in the State. just as soon as Arkansas
was ready for reconstruction, carpet baggers
and military adventures swarmed into the
State, like the locusts of Egypt. AS In other
States, they sought first to secure control OF
the Central Committee of the Republican organ
ization, and, aided by Federal patronage TINS
was accomplished, A ring was formed having
for its object the distribution of Offices and
the parcelng out Of political influence through
ont the State. This ring obtained control OF
the Legislature just as the Casey Admnstra-
tion Ring Intellectually sought to do in Louisi-
ana. 1t elected Gov. Clayton to the United
States Senate, and by series of shameless
and corrupt bargains, divided local ana
national official plumber as victorious army
might portion out its loot among Its camp
followers. With Clayton in the Senate, Ed
wards in the House, and quartermasters and
commissaries in league with the central junta,
the disordered, discouraged social fabric of
Arkansas was completely at the mercy OF the
e)nspirabOrs.
So far did they go, at last, that when the
time for Opening the present campaign arrived,
the State Central Committee made loyalty
to Gen. Grant the test of Republicanism in
Arkansas. The boldly followed the doctrine
laid down by some of Mr. Murpby's witnesses
A. IL OF, hon NV o.
that Gen. Grant was the head of the party /;
that loyalty to him and obedience to his
wishes were therefore the duty Of
every good Republican. They went too
far. Their prescription drove out of
the party large numbers of old-time
Jealous Republicans, of whom one, at least -
Mr.. Joseph Brooks - was member OF the
State Central Committee. These men, what
ever might have been their preferences for
Presidential candidates, rebelled at being COM
PEELED to swear allegiance to Grant in adj
vance of any national nomination, and the
pressure of Federal and local political power
which could be applied was not sufficient
to make them surrender their manhood and
their freedom of choice. The result is before
the nation. The expelled band Of Liberal Re-
publicans grew TO be q power in the State
they represented advanced and liberal ideas.
They put their candidates for State offices in
the field, and the Democracy, seeing no other
way to secure an enlightened political policy
| in Arkansas, have coalesced with the Liberals
and the State will be swept in November by
a ticket pledged TO anti-Grantism.
If there is any split in the Republican party
of Arkansas, it has been made by the reckless
and despotic management of the Grant bench
men. They declared that no man should have
any political existence in that State unless
he adopted their Notwithstanding
They assumed that whoever refused t.
swear by Grant was pariah, and to b.
banned. Forgetting that they had only small
majority in the whole State, they took posses
sion of the party organization, established the
tests, and succeeded in drying out the bes
element in it. These fnen in Arkansas, lik,
similar ma112Sefs" in other States, are tn
architects Of their own ruin. They took OIL
the ais of satraps; they have succeeded il
organizing a rebellion which adds one NOR
State to the column on which rests the tri
umphant cause of Liberal Republicanism.