New-York tribune., 1873-05-19
NOPE TROUBLE.

| There is more trouble with the uDrecOn-
| structed South, and this time it is in the
| State of Arkansas. We have not yet the full
story of the quarrel, and such reports as have
reached us are only ex parte; but the difficulty
seems to be not between whites and blacks,
nor between Republicans and Democrats, but
between two factions of the Administration
party, one led by the Governor, Mr.. Baxter,
the other by the celebrated Senator Clayton.
Mr.. Baxter has not satisfied the patriots who,
after much chicanery, and bargaining, and
perhaps we might safely venture so far as to
say fraud, succeeded in placing him in Office,
and it is proposed to remove him, and give
his dignites to Lieut.-Gov. Smith. This is to
be done by writ of quo warranto from the
Supreme Court, to test the legality of his cleo
ton. Pending the suit the Court is to enjoin
Gov. Baxter from acting, and Mr..
Smith will become Governor ad in
terim. 1t will go hard if the Clay
ton party, having the cooperation of the
Attorney General and the Chief-Justice, can
not prolOng the case to the end of the Gov
ernor's term. The election for State officers
was held in November last, and Baxter,
Smith, and the full Administration ticket were
declared elected by majorities ranging from
500 to 10000 There is good reason to believe
that the count was grossly fraudulent, and an
honest return would have shown a victory for
the Liberals. 1t is evident however, that the
action against Mr.. Baxter is not brought in
good faith for if he was not fairly chosen
neither was VOlney V. Smith, the Lieutenant
Governor, nor YOnley, the Attorney General,
nor Stephenson, nor Searle, Judges of the Su-
preme Court. Mr.. Baxtergis preparing TO re-
sist the expected wTits. He has recognized
the militia, turning out the principal officers
| and appointing new Ones He has fortified
himself in the Capitol and goes about his
duties under the protection of an armed
| guard.
| Perhaps it is not worth while to seek for the
| origin of this disgraceful complication. 1t is
exactly what we might have expected after
the treatment which Arkansas received in the
| Senate last Winter. Senator Clayton was con-
victed-that is, morally convicted-of the most
shocking series of frauds in the Senatorial
| election. 1t was shown that he got the Sena-
| tOrship by bribery,7by dishonest dickering in
appointments and by falsifying votes; but he
was a good Administration man, so the Sem
ate after prolonged investigation, took him
| by his dirty hand and received him into full
fellowship with their once honorable body.
| Scandals in other States were treated in the
same manner. Kellogg, being a partner of
Casey and Packard, was virtually sus-
| tanned after the most eminent Administration
| Senators had felt constrained in an official
report to denounce his usurpatiOns in the
plainest possible language. Caldwell was sus-
tanned in the face of the proofs of vulgar
wholesale corruption. And the story of the
Credit Mobilier Senators and Representatives
surely carried its lesson Of encouragement to
all corrupt politicians who could keep on good
terms with the party in power Mr.. Clayton
of course went home with the conviction that
he might safely do as he pleased. He could
do nothing much worse than the things upon
which the Administration majority in the
Senate had placed the stamp of its approval.
Arkansas was now delivered into his power.
Whatever violence he might find il necessary
to use in controlling the State for his own