The Van Buren press., 1873-07-15
THE FOURTH AT LEWISBURG
Governor Baxter Crates by Invitation
He eoes foI Poker Jack and the Other
Modocs


LADIES AND FKILow- CITIZENS OF ARRAX-
sAs You have conferred too much honor
upon me on this occasion. | will address you
briefly but do not think | can do justice tC
my sell as it is getting late. After referring
TO the freeing OF the cUlsnies, he said the pe0-
pie OF Arkansa. are and ought to be free, and
SO help me God they shall be free, He wa;
willing to pledge his sacred honor, property
and lie to that end lie said his remarks
might be personal in a way, but as God was
hi. Judge he had no feeling Of luminosity to-
wards any one did not intend to malign any
one, but 10 yindicate the right. Eight years
ago the State passed through rebellion, but
all good citizens buried the past, and those
who opposed were not good citizens. In 1854
the people organized State government, but
the officers were without ability. although
their purposes were honest. II the State had
been let alone, the people would long since
have been prosperous and happy. In 1868,
by authority OF Congress, the people were re-
quired to reorganze and reconstruct the gov
ernment, although every body knows it was
not the will of a ma iority of the whole people
of Arkansas. Arkansas was not represented
by the will OF the people in the convention
which assembled for that purpose. Joe
| Brooks was the chief alan there. Very few
people bolieys the present constitution was
legally adopted. Why submit to it: Because
it has been foiated upon us by the action of j,
l.. Hodges, Joe Brooks auu Thomas NJ Bowen,
the. commissioners appointed to count the
| votes on its adoption or rejection; lie read
| 4 certificate signed by them as commissioners
| that the new constitution was adopted. Every
| man knows that it was never adopted by a
majority Of the legal votes, This view was
new doctrine with him. He proposed to eX-
| anime what had taken place aid what Will
| take place On The 6th of November an cleo
| tien for state officers was held. His friends
| called on him to be the standard bearer for
governor for the republican party. He never
sought the Office, but thought it u solemn duty
10 accept, and now that he is governor sur
vive or perish, sink or SWIM he proposed to
correct the errors that have crept into the
government. The law requires that the re-
turns for governor be made 10 the presiding
officer OF the Senate so they were, and went
direct TO Q. A. lladley, the president pro. TEN.
of the senate and acting governor. The re-
suit gave hia majority of 32UO over Mr.
Brooks. NlCJher there WAS fraud or not lie
was unable to say, but knew there were men
in the republican party guilty Of fraud, and
capable of committing any crime or wrong
possible II there were any frauds in elect
ing him he had 10 knowledge Of them. He
read a certificate signed by J. NJ. Clayton,
president OF the senate, and {. W. Tankcrsly,
speaker of the House showing him to be elect
ed governor. lie iclt 1t is bounden duty to
exercise the duties OF governor. Joe Brooks
presented petition to the legislature to cen
ties for the geyernorship. No one ever heard
him Baxter say he opposed hearing the con-
test. Joe Brooks alleges tbnt |, in connection
with Secretary of State johnson, manipulated
the returns. This statement is an Infamous
iulsehOod. lie had never seen the returns al
though now n his care. Every assertion to
the contrary Is an iglamou, lie, from what.
ever throat uttered. When the petition Of
contest was presented 10 the house, it was not
Of sufficient interest to call him there. He
never entered the house but encc during the
entire session. The petition was presented.
aud the vote stood siNy-thrcc against rceeiv-
ing it, and nine for; twenty-unc Of his parti
san friends hot supporting it. lie hoped the
ladle, would not think he was dngry-hC was
not Joe Brooks and his friends complain
that he did not receive Justice In the legisla-
turc. Maybe SO! he, as n lawyer, had often
in practice demurrcd to the declaration or bill,
and the case had been thrown out of court
without Il hraring-thc court holding there
was no case. He thought the Legislature said
/ Brooks had NO case, and SO threw it ont. lle
! referred TO the gaO jrcrTdittr unnlirntion
/ which was so Clan0rateIy argued before tie
| supreme court The iour honest Judges de-
clared there were no grounds for granting
! the application. The one dishonest judge
| thought there was He il knOWH rs Poker
]
( has played his last game! Pu1,TJayh back
/ is broken, and Lc vii! never be htm,clf again.
/ The attorney general and Joe Brooks have
| gone into the circuit court and brought suit
again, Next they viii 20 before q Justice of
| the peace, and next inlo the ackwoods of
! Van lhrcn county, ,ru Devils fork, where
| they will haut up "a Justice OF the peace and
contend for gUO ,cuJ, d,ttV. They may bring
/ a 4AO ,sarrdHto to him. but lac will never sub
NIT to De oustyd by any circuit court OF the
state, II Ills Is SHY consolation to Joe
Brooks and lis irirnus, they can put It in
/ their pipes and smoke il, doe BROOKS claims
! that | have usuYped the office OF governor.
/ This deny never desired the Office, but in
/ a~mgCh as havc been called to discharge its
! duties, 1t would hc treason for me to yield it
/ to another. We're | to Iu 50 it would sink me
| so low the hand OF resurrection would never
| reach me. Men claiming 20 be friends of Mr..
| Brooks say | was counted ia by fraud. II
/ fraud had been committed, Poker Jack and
! others Of the same ilk had more 10 do with it
! than amy body else Respectfully protesting
| that congress has no right to interfere in this
/ matter, nevertheless ifaR election could be
| held under the auspices OF the gcCC.oi gov-
| ernmtnt' world ~ TunG 10 compete with
Mr. BROOKS Iot the Office, and in case Of his
success would icld all claims to the position
! But now Brooks must be patient and bring
his petition before the next legislature, which
would be the first elected from the whole pco-
| pie since reconstruction. He read that por-
! ton of the law in Gould's Digest bearing on
! the matter. which says the contest must be
decided by The legislature. If this is SO, how
can Mr.. Nhytock, or any other irdge, decide
! its Five years ago he retired from political
| life disguised with certain republican leaders
had heard Of the great corruption OF Poker
Jack, but not the half The first difficulty
Poker Jack and himself { had was In the Metro
poltan hotel, in Little Rock. Poker Jack
came to him and said "tre have got little
bill we desire to get through" lie asked i.
| j. not 10 drive him to an issue on that bill
shortly after he went home for four days and
| the bill passed the house during his absence
He referred TO an editorial in the Republican
suggesting how susceptible he was of taking
! bribe. lie said there was no man who was
bold enough to offer him brbe. lie did find
one or two mcn, however, who felt Of his pulse
to ascertain his position relative to brides
! Poker Jack has made the issue. and he and the
| ring mus, go the wall. There is no compro-
mise. He lucidly explained the senate clee-
/ tion bill, with its proposed board of canvass-
ers, one Of whom WAS to be Lieut. Gov.
| Smith. The canyasserS were to have the au-
/ thori'y to appoint the supervisors, and they
/ In turn the Judges Of election, suppose the
bill WAS a law to-day. No one except those
whom Poker Jack favored would ever come
/ into Office. The metropolitan police bill re-
/ eeived his attention next The bill proposed
/ TO allow men TO be arrested at any place AND
any time, without a warrant, IL these bills
| had passed, Arkansas would not be fit TO be
/ inhabited. Opposition to these bills is the sin
for which the ring would have me answer.
! When these measures were defeated the peo-
| pie began TO breathe freely, and are breathing