Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-01-22

How He was EIsctsd to the United States
Senate a Second Time.
And how He Rewarded the Senators snd
Representatives who Reelected Him.


another Chapter Of Radical GhleSnery ID
ArkaHsas-ProOf Of Glaytoa's
TrlCkerY;
The Little Rock Gazette OF the
18th contains a long and ably-pre'
pared article recounting the facts Of
the manipulation of the electoral dis
tricts of that State by Clayton and his
Radical legislature, showing that OF
IO2, ,S59 citizens II 1856 snly were regis
tered in 1870, and $500 voted. And
that, according to the registration,
3O.474 were disfranchised, and accord.
ing to the vote cast As ,559. Also that
counties were thrown together whose
borders were more than one hundred
miles apart, and which have no local
interest In common. -Four or five
white counties were grouped together
where the whites largely predomi-
nate, and then added q county with
sufficient colored votes to elect the en-
tire legislative ticket Of the district,
thereby depriving the white counties
from any representation whatever. In
Others, again, where no negro county
could be added, six or seven white
counties were massed together and
the representation cut down. And
all this In the interest of Clayton, In
order to sustain an Illegally acquired
supremacy. The Gazette says these
facts are very valuable when taken In
connection with the investigation now
going on before the congressional
committee at Washington as to the
participation Of Governor Clayton in
the election frauds In Arkansas in 1870.
We would like to call the attention OF
that committee to the fact that every
registration officer In the State, ante
cedent to his election, was an ap-
pointee of Clayton, subject to removal
at his pleasure. 1t is hardly possible
that the astonishing results shown
a )ove could be brought about without
his knowledge CT cOnnivance. 1t is
well remembered here that although
the law required ali the registrars to
be appointed on or before the 1st day
of August, 1870, yet but few such Off
GERS were appointed before that day;
and for weeks and months after, up TO
within few days sf the election in
November, his appointments OF regis
trars were dOled out-in the face Of
universal, outspOken, public indigna-
ton at the manifest corruption of his
action-as he could find willing tools
to do his bidding.
But Governor Clsyton's power over
the registration of 1870 was but very
small portion of his power and plan
to elect himself 10 the United States
senate, as will be seen at glance as
to the power Of appointment vested
In him-a power greater than that of
the czar or sultan. Il can be said of
Governor Clayton, perhaps more truly
than of any other man in the senate,
that be was ''the architect of his own
fortunes
APPOINTING POWER OF THE COVER
NOR.
Section one of the schedule OF the
State constitution provides that, at
the time the constitution was sub.
mitted TO the people, an election
should be held for members Of the
general assembly, members OF con-
gress, governor, acknowledgement,
secretary OF stale, auditor, treasurer,
atsOrney-g general, superintendent o.
public instruction, judges Of the SUI
DFeme court and county officers.
In article fifteenth, section two Of
the constitution, it is provided that
the general assembly may determine
the node of filling az vacancies in
all Offices, and Of choosing all neces-
cary officers.
But the general assembly, under the
m6nipulatiOns Of the State executive,
has never enacted sny law in accord
auSe with this provision, and hence
sections five and six, OF the same art
icle, still remain In force, giving tine
governor power, Arst, to appoint all
township and precinct officers; sec !
ond, TO appoint all the prosecuting Gt-
tOrneys; and section three, OF article |
eight, gives the governor power to |
appoint the chief justice; section five,
sane article, cOnfers the power on the |
governor to appoint the judges of all
Inferior courts, fer the term of six
years. and until the general assembly
shall otherwise direct. This Includes
circuit judges end county and probate
Judges. Under the registration law Of
1870, the governor was empowered
also, to appoint and remove registrars
at will, and In the new election law |
he is empowered to appoint and re
move assessors, who are made regis !
trars whenever he msy feel 80 dis !
posed. The general assembly never
having made any law to regulate the !
the filing of vacancies In Office, the |
governor fills by appointment all va
caueias.
The governor has the power to I'LL |
apy vacancy that may occur in any |
Office of the State by death, Tesigna- |
tion or otherwise; he has the poYeF /
to appoint every officer in the State 1
save governor, lieutenant governor,
au1itOr, treasurer, secretary of State,
attorney general, superintendent OF
public instruction, associate justices OF
the supreme court, sheriff, clerk, treas.
urer and coroner OF the counties,
OLAYTON's ELECTION
TO THR UNITED STATES SENATE.
Mr.. Clayton was first elected United
States senator on the 10Th of January,
1871, receiving tWenty-three votes in
the senate and seVeaty-one in the
house. Nearly all the Democratic
members supported him, because they
saw no chance to elect q man of their
own choice, and Governor Clayton
had promised to inaugurate and carry
out many needed reforms. No sooner
was he elected, however, than he did
the very reverse 20 what he had
promised. His majority in both houses
became defiant ard intolerant, and
ousted a member Of the house, Thorn
burg, because he was q Demo
Graf, In order to give room
fOF & supple tool of the administra.
ton. This, together with the effort
to impeach the lieEtenant-governOr-
for no other reason than thet Cover.
nor Clayton had promised 70 get rld
Of him, that one OF his own tools
might ill the executive chair
aroused the indignation Of the better
Of the house, who turned the
tables upon the governor, and i'm
him; but the majority Of the
senate, owned by the executive, heo
TO the woods, and prevented a quo
rum for eleven days, In order to keep
the articles from being presented TO
that body. In the meantime Clay
ton yerked upon the managers, and
succeeded In getting q report adopted
In the house Withdre wing the charges.
Then followed the RESIGNATION of the