Litchfield enquirer., 1873-06-12

1oTeSG place In heaven, IS 1n1nltely bet ter than the highest part of earth. All that have germ of good will be saved, and if there are those who have not, they will be destroyed as the beasts are.
 The Politicians of Arkansas.
 An explanation of the troubles which are constantly agitating the southern states is found in the remark of Q southern busi- ness man, and it is particularly applicable to Arkansas. ''The fact is," he said, ''were we able to rid ourselves of a score or so of noisy politicians, who are plot tins. t2 get. Iepetteel uaf rPiEJpleF Fair qtnefe is on the continent, and as prosperous, too, if both whites and blacks had more energy and enterprise.
 The present difficulty in Arkansas has grown out of the rapacity of the fac tion which has ruled the state ever since the war. Honest but deluded people who think that Republican triumphs pure and sim pie are the objects which all who call themselves Republicans strive for, do not comprehend the condition of politics in that state. When the Republican man. agers there last year made up their slate they found that the Democrats and the Liberal Republicans were making some lnroads upon their ranks. It was neces- sary, therefore, however distasteful, to abandon their usual line of policy. and to nominate a candidate for Governor who had some qualifications to commend him to the honest voters who do not be- long to the close corporation which had so long divided the offices among it's mem- bers. Judge Baxter was accordingly elec- ted, although 1t is asserted with some assurance that the ring which despised hlm because he was supposed to be hon. est "counted him in" without ballots, and defeated the liberal candidate, Mir. Brooks. The legislature, 1t was asserted, and the result has in part confirmed the assertion, was packed by the same system with a class of men, so-called Republicans and democrats promiscuously, who would leg islate upon the commercial principles so common in modern legislatures. When the legislature assembled, the ring mas ters presented their programme, which included three great s'jobs" and many minor ones. First, they proposed that the state should relinquish it's lien upon certain railroads which had been con- structed at the public expense, involving several million dollars, in winch a large dividend" was poorly concealed. Sec ond, they proposed that the state should appropriate half a million dollars to re- imburse the citizens for the damages con- mltted by the several "raids" of the mih- tia which this ring had itself ordered for political purposes. Third, they demand a new election law, giving the whole con- trol of polling and of canvassing the votes to board of their own establishment. The recent constitutional amenment abol- lshing the rebel disfranchisement clause made this last act necessary, in the opin- ion of the leaders, to maintain themselves in power.
 But it turned out that Governor Baxter had a notion that he was chosen executive of the state and not the head of a conspira- cy. He promptly denounced every one of these measures as dishonest and in violation of Republican pledges. This was not the feast to which the cabal had invited themselves, and thenceforth they sought means to get rid of their own Governor. Curiously enough they invi- ted the opposing candidate for Governor to assist them, and Mr. Brooks, believing that he had been defrauded of the cleo tion, readily assented. They proposed to impeach Governor Baxter or to declare that his election was void, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court being one of the ring, it was agreed that he should enjoin the Governor from acting during the subsequent proceedings, which would give the legislature ample time to perpe- trate the acts contemplated in the above programme.
 This scheme was defeated only by the prompt action of Governor Baxter in plac-
 ing the State House under guard and an- nouncirg that the should resist any attempt to serve papers upon him. For the appa- rent assumption of extraordinary powers in this course the Governor excused him. self on the ground that the attack direct ed against him was conspiracy against the state, which there is reason to believe is true. Alarmed by the resistance which they had provoked, and at the serious consequences which threatened, the con- spirators then withdrew and affected to ridicule the alarm which they had created.
 That Arkansas narrowly escaped con- dition of affairs as bad as Louisiana has experienced, there can be no doubt, and the denials of the ringleaders will have little influence against their former polit- ical history and the events of the last few weeks. Indeed, the trouble is now only suspended, not past. The leaders in this conspiracy are no less persons than Unit ed States Seanator Clayton, whose politi- cal career has been the the subject of several investigations and no good reports and Chief Justice Mcclure, of the State Supreme Court. It is one of the weak nesses of republican institutions that such high. offices can be prostituted to the grat- ifcation of low characters. No one who contemplates this picture for moment can doubt that if these ''noisy politicians" were wanting in Arkansas, peace would be the rule, and we should hear no more of bloodshed and ipiunctions. ns.-Arkansa Eveaing Post. -...-