The Van Buren press., 1872-03-05
NO ~.
The Award Of State AA 70 1ailresdA.


The learned and erudite Podsnap.s
in the organ Of thieves and defender Of
wronp-doers, favors us with the follew
ing conundrum, which be svtdenoy
thought was sumner:
II State aid has really sbsen awarded in VI
olation of every principle Of rigbt. Why ncs
show 1t up, as public jeursal ssd give fsets
and date?
Instead OF waiting for Pod. TO knock
down the chessmen he h1o erected, we
submit to him . short rssponss, which
We trust will prove satisfactory. 10 sns
Evening Journal sf November l3, 1871.
Mr.. d. L. Hodges, in . card over hts
own signature, said. seosyyipg to the
award OF State aid 70 the c. and !. rail-
road.
did 70, In company with the then Gov.
ClaytoI, and see Gen. Bray man. and then ana
there did hear Gov. Clayton demand THAss
HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLL AIRS, and II was &C.
csdsd to, and WAS directed to arrange The
details, but failed to get them in auch 2 ioaa-
nsr a. both Gen. Brayu,an and Gov. Ciay toa
would agree to- snd therefore ths weNs
thing fell through.
And again, to Judge Mcclure:
Better tell what you, as . member Of the
Supreme court, have received from the tsse
@. Il +. railroad company IN the way o.
lackmail, or call on me. can tell you.
This is but one instance.
The other day the Augusta Bulletin
contained the following on the same sub
ject:
We hear that one OF these sharpers an az
| Judge Of tho Supreme court, sbtained cnar'
ter for railroad from some place In Prairie
county to Pine Bluff; got the proper ceftlns
cate from 1.-THE board Of railfoad commission"
ers," that the road had yesouress ana snas ~
construction was public osneet etc. snd
then sold that certifcate TO the Ar.sasss
grosser swindls ever perpstratedr Thstcer.
tifcats would entitle the Prairie county ana
Pine Bluff road to State aid, when certain
amount OF cork had been done. But that WORK
hat NOT been done. The Hns had not even
been surveyed. Nothing whstever had oeee
done by these swindlsrs bwt subscribing thstr
names TO sums they never dreamed OF paying:
Then how did the Arkansas Central get ais
| for their road on that certificate p II we re-
member right, the Gazette said the charge
could be proved, for we saw II there. In the
name efjustice and honesty lin the name OF
the Democratic party, We ask the Gazette
give names.
The statement the Bulletin refers 10
has been told us several times BY somo
Of the incorporators Of the White River
Valley road, and we believe them to bs
true, but the cvidene has never been
placed in our hands. The circumstan1
tial evidence. though, 10 sufficient OF It.
self to convict. In the first place aid
was awarded to railroad corporation
known as the Prairie County and Pine
Bluff road, with c. w. Tankcrley, Jne.
NJ Clayton, Fl. B. Morse, +. H. Young,
J G. Botsford, L. NJ Phillips and W.
W. Wiltshire as incorporators. This
road was chaftered on the 17th March.
1871. Aid was awarded this rosd - ws
understand, instead OF the White River
Valley, but it was afterwards taken from
it and given TO the Central road. Why3
We have been told that the latter paid
good round sum for 1t, aud We tnins
there can be no doubt Oft
Again: How did Mr.. Meals railroad
get State aid? The answer will be, by
making that celebrated report 10 tss leg
slature Withdrawing the impeachment
charges against Clayton.
How did Clayton get S35. 900 IN shares
to each of the Pine Bluff aud Ouachits
roads? Could it have been from any
other source than through this State
aidp
When we take. these things In cen.
ncctiom with the positivs statement ct
Mr.. Hodges that Clayton dsnasdsd
83OO, 900 OF the Cairo and Fulton before
he would issue bonds to il, wc think ws
establish about rs clearly as can be done.
outside OF judicial investigation, that
the /" aid was awarded in violation Of
every principle Of right. IL. Il. o.
zstts.