The Van Buren press., 1873-05-27


on Gov. Baxter to make hin sign the raiiroad
bill, or because he would not sign 1t. In rela,
tion TO the railroad bill Gov. Baxter anu
Judye Mcclure never had but one CONVERSE
ton and in thas. Judge Mcclure saiu 10 the
governor, that were he (McClure) III 10Y
Raxter's position, he would veto the OIL.
While Judge Mcclure favored the Dill ne re-
cognized the fact that the governor had 50
com plicated himself foolishly 1t l. true, that
he could not approve it without laying hiIn-
self liable to the charge that he had been
bought To the railroad bill as 1t passed the
senate and as it came Dack To- the house
Gov, Baxter has said to more than twenty
persons that it was good bill. ana that but
for his " compl cations lie would approve IT,
The amendments which were made TO the
bill. were written bv Judge Mcclure and af-
ter consultation with the governor. They
were made to conform to his ideas. not IN
hopes that he would sign the bill but in
hopes that his appointing power would not De
u,ed TO defeat it after the bill had been We
teed MOI only this. he promised Senator,
SO the Senator says, who opposed the bill on
its first passage through the Senate, and who
voted for it as it finally passed the Senate,
that he would sign the bill and allow it to be-
come alaw. upOn condition that certain other
things were done. When this Senator said to
one of cur friends that this thing could be ef-
fectcd, Judge Mcclure sent party to Gov.
Baxter TO ascertain what reliance could be
placed on it, and Judge Mcclure has the re-
sponse of that man in writing. confirming
what the Senator said the governor had
promised. and that he, the writer of the letter,
had promised the governor t,ceaty-fDe thou
sand dollars IN bonds to sign the 6W.
These are plain words, but they are none
the less true. and we stand ready at any time,
and before any tribunal, to establish what we
have said We do not wish to detract from
the character of any man. but when Coy.
Baxter attempts or any other set OF men at
tempt to hold him up before the world as the
palladium Of honesty and purity at the eX-
pense of his superiors, We shall not hesitate
10 tell the truth. that otheps may know the
facts before it is too late, to correct their
Judgment. We say the bill was a good one,
and should have been signed for its merits
GOV. Baxter will not deny to-day, that it was
a good bill. He will not deny that he said, to
more than twenty men, that he would sign il
as it came from the senate to the house. but
for his complications wLich he regretted
That Gov. Baxter did defeat the bill by APP
pointing persons to Office whom he would
not have appointed but for the fact that they
voted against the bill. is true. and if it was a
creditable thing he is entitled to credit for it..
What We object to is, that he shall be held up
! before the people as their champion for doing
thing which he admits was against his own
| Judgment, and which he would not have done
I but for complications with the democ
| raCy.
! That Judge Mcclure does not approve of
| the appointment of democrats TO office by
| GOV. Baxter is certainly true, and in Mis re-
/ spect he is not alone. The president of the
| United States. who was elected by rcpubli-
cans mainly, and who got more Democratic
support than Gov. Baxter did has not even
thought ofappoiHting the democrats schO sur
/ ported htm to Office let alone those Who OPP
| posed him. IT, by appointing democrat to
office now and then. the governor could
strengthen his own party. We would not
complain i; but when he appoints men " ho are
of no use to the republican party men who
can not and viii not bring US a single vote !;
men who despi,c him for his weakness and
! laugh AT him for his foil instead of appoint
1 ing men who have claims upon the party for
! services rendered we think we have a right
/ to complain in the name Of all the republicans
of the State. In the late canvass he was
chosen from among his fellows rs the candi-
/ date for governor, not on account of his fit
ness, not On account of his ability. but be-
cause it was thought his experience with
/ rebels would admonsh him to cling to the
| party of loyalty, and that if he WAS true to
nothing else that he would ha true to the
| party that elevated him to pow or. and would
/ be guided by the cOunsclS OF the leading men
of the party. The argument which we used
]
he was the candidate OF the democratic party.
/ True. he proicssed and declared all the time
! that he was a republican, but his associations
passed doubt and suspicion that could not
petsr GONE. Gov BaxteE himself in the late
a8'ass. moro ti%n once portrayed the evil
= ,nch v ould beiall the State if the democrats
should happen to elect Mr.. Brooks instead OF
| himself How stands the matter now? Where
ale the men who supported Mr.. Brooks and
where are the men that supported Gov. Bax-
ter? Those who supported Mr.. Brooks are
now Gov. BaNter's boon companions and
| those who supported Gov. Baxter are halted
at his threshold with mrsket in the hands
OF their enemies and badc to mark time y
until it plea>cs the officer Of the guard to per-
nit them to see lis excclcncy.
This condition ofalaiIs can not be account
/ ed for by saying the governor incurred Nc
/ CIure's displcasure by defeating the railroad
/ bill. II can not be accounted for by SAY ing
! that lie was forced into the hands of the de
mocracy to protect himself against the macLi-
nations OF Brooks. Smith or any one else. 1t
| he was afraid OF Brooks, why surround him
self with Brooks friends instead of his own !?
| why take the very men into his office as a
body guard. that loss than siX months since.
he organized company to protect himself
against? Gov. Baxter claims that he received
over forty thousand votes at the late election
Out o this forty thousand men why is it that
none of them are at his back? Mcclure is
personally unpopular and no man knows it
better than himself and it is not possible that
he could have alicnated these forty thousand
men from Gov Baxter. because he disagreed
with him about the railroad bill With an
am"olntlr. rvwCr doubliy@ that Of Powell
Clay tons administration, Gov. Baxter ought
to have surrounded himself with friends. and
from The rGUtiicaR tdrty. that would have
clung to him to the bitter end that in every
hour of trial, and in every emergency and
that at the first approach Of danger would
have rallied around him. Where are they
Why are they not there now? Let him call
the roll of the State central committee of the
republican party at his Office and no one of
them viii respond. Let him call the roll of
those who composed the convention that
nominated him for governor, and the silent
echoes OF their names will be the only re-
sponSe; but let the roll of the democratic
state central committee be called there. and
but few If any will fail to respond to their
names, Let the roll OF the ku-klux den which
was organized here in 1868. be there called
and but few. very few. viii fail to respond To
their names. lie says. so We understand that
Mcclure hath done all this. II Mcclure hath
caused these thingS-if he hath driven the
governor where he now is then indeed Is he
powerful and wonderful man He should
be imprisoned, cNpatripted or arrested tried
and executed for bcguillng the hearts of re-
puhicans from the Governor!
The truth OF the matter l.. Mcclure l. not
responsible for anything the governor has
done. Judge English smiled upon him. Judge
Compton asked him to dinner Col Garland
took walk with him. Judge Rose brought
him a bouquet and Bob Newton asked him to
take drink These acts Of kindness from his
old masters have overcome him. Having
l..