The Van Buren press., 1873-02-18
"A Mild Admopitlon.

| We find in the Little Rock Daily Reputiteft
/ of the Sth inst, the State organ OF the party
In power in the Legislature, the following
very mild admonition. The Legislature
the next day, apprcciating it so much. ap,
pointed committee OF its members to ascer-
tain from the Editors who the member OF
members were that expeeted To b. compen-
sated i'm dpliars' for their action. 1t Is GER
tainly mild" from master to servant:
MILD ADMOSIfIoN.
Thus far. we have abstained from making
any reference 20 the action of the General
Assembly. hoping. inasmuch as it j. republi-
can, that il would at an early day takeup the
legislation to which the republican party Of
! the state stood suicinny pledged by its plat
| form, and In good faith fulfill the pledges
made to the people.
| Ii il with regret that we now announce to
| the public, that as yet nothing has been done,
and what is more diseouragiDg still, we ave
| losing faith The financial matters to which
the attention of the General Assembly was
called by the outgoing governor, lladley, and
| by Governor Baxter in their messages, are al
lowed to rest silently within the archives OF
the State. unhseded and neglected. All seem
| To agree that some measure should he passed
| looking to the restoration OF the credit of the
State; but no one seems 10 be willing to take
the lead. Whether this diflidence arises from
want Of Legislative experience. or from de
sire 10 pratt By iegisldti0H, is II question which
we have not fully made mp our minds. That
something is wrong, is evident to all
The January interest on the State debt was
not paid. and this fact il, or ought to be. well
known to every member OF the General As
sombly. They ought. also, to know that the
July interest on the funded debt, and that due
4 a
levied for that purpose now in process Of col
lection. They ought to know that State Scrip
and the warrants of the auditorare not worth
but sixty cents on the dollar at II time when
taxes are being received and that for more
than one month. Yet, in the face OF these
things we have not seen any thing introduced
by way of bill or otherwise, looking To "A cor
rection of the evils mentioned. Instead of
this however, we find the time of the General
Assembly being consumed in the question as
to whether pages should be allowed the same
amount of postage rs members OF the House,
and in the pretended investigation of other
subjects, which the legislature has no power
to correct If wrong existed, Some of these
committees are pretending to investigate
whether or not the bonds issued to railroads
have been improperly used. Suppose they
have. but whether they have we have no
knowledge-what is the legislature going to
do about il? Repndiate the bonds on this ac
count? We hope no one Of them is silly
enough to believe such thing could be done,
even if men could be found who are willing
to vote for such proposition 1t was sug-
gcsted to us the other day that the object of
these bond Investigations was for the purpose
OF creating belief in the minds OF some of
the holders that some thing was wrong about
the issuing Of the bonds for the purpose of
further depressing the market, to the end that
the entire issue could be bought up by ring
which 1t is said Is formed for that purpose I;
but we were, and are yet 10th to believe that
any considerable number of members of the
Legislature would lend themselves to any such
scheme. Whether they have lent themselves
to 1t or not. their action Is panicing the hold
ers Of Arkansas securities, and injurng the
credit and standing Of the State.
We do not wish to be understood as object
ing to having all these questions probcd to
the bottom, but the members not employed
on these committees ought to be looking after
something practicable and which has for its
object the future good and welfare of tho
state and people. 1t has been charged that
the republican party felt no interest in the
welfare of the State. and that their only desire
was to prey upon its treasury through the
forms of law. This We have denied persist
entity, but for the past month we have been
unable to point to single act to sustain us
in our position. There are men in the legs
lnturc, and we know them, who expect to he
compensated, not by the plaudits and good
VIII or their constituents, but by 50 many
dollars in money, for every vote they cast in
the aiirmative-saye that to adjourn. These
men should not be allowed to control the leg =
islation. or defeat 1t, on which the supremacy
or downfall OF the republican party depends.
What we have here written has been more
In sorrow than in anger; but there are times
when IL il u crime to bear with friends in
nrmite. in silence