New-York tribune., 1874-07-31
ARKANSAS POLITICS
REVIEW OF THE BAXTER-DROOKs COW.
TEST

|
| srRIFE-PREsENr POSITION or THE FACTIONS
| HAS THE STATE REPUBLICAN CONVENIENT,
lPRos AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT FTuE TRrDuSrl
LITTLE Rock, Ark, July 2i-The Congress
sional Committee on Arkansas affairs has now spent
week I'm hearing witnesses at tbis place. tie session,
generally running from n. m. TIL p. M, wltn,an
ntermisson OF two hours for dinner. Men who bad
the interests OF the Republican party at heart
ought to have been too shrcwd 10 persist flrcin,
into public notorety the facts witch this inye.ngl
ton develops. Briefly. they are these: Ever since
the close Of the Rebellion all the public officers IN
the State. from the Governor down o. the loves,
Police Justice. have been members q The Republican
party, and beeD with hardly an exception t,aye IN
the cases OF few col0red mem. ctz1ns from Othe,
States whom the and the reconstruction 0.
Congress delivered the management and control Of
public aflirs. Up to within year ago a large number
OF the native white citizens excluded from suffrage
by the Constitution and laws Of the state that yr
tually the entire control OF public affairs was the
hands OF a few men from the Northern and Westera
States. backed, they were by the whole colOred
population IL IL not necessary to review the evil which
that state of things has produced In Arkansas II
enough cay that the governing classes in the STATE for
the last ten years have more resembed the military
colonies Of the Roman Empire, encamped among
subject er emies than the citizens Of republic dwelling
among their fel0w-ctzens on terms Of equality That
state OF things utterly opposed as II Is to the principles
or modern free society, is now passing away but tho
colonsts seem determined not to yield without des
perate struggle. That struggle took the form last Win
ter OF an attempt by faction to wrest from the other
faction the State Government and although, owing to
the position taken by the National Executive, that
effort failed for the time being the scheme has not been
wholly abandoned. On the contrary 1t b still persisted
In in the hope that the aid OF the National Government
may be extended to it and It Is that hope which AMI
mates the men who are pressing the investigation before
e,n,. Z afnFtga
Although the merits Of the pending conflict may be
pretty generally understood By the public outside OF tho
State OF Arkansas not be amiss TO state briefly
the facts. In 1874 the Republican party nominated on
the Grant Presidential ticket Elisha Baxter for Cover
or and the whole list of State, county aud town OH
Gals with members Of the Legislature, OF the judiciary
and of Congress. A faction OF the Republican party,
taking the title OF Reform" but receiving from its op
ponent that of Brnde (whle the other side received
the designation Of "Minstrels"), put I'm nomination
Joseph Brooks This nomination was approved oy the
Democrats and full ticket was made mp and migrated
ON the Greeley Presidential ticket the two candidates
for Governor thus Baxter and Brooks, both Repub
cans neither native citizens. The hrst-named was su
tanned by all the leading Of the party backed by
the whole negro vote; the ast-named was 'boters'"
candidate, and was supported by the Democrats or as
it is termed here the Bourbon element
Thus the parties stood in the Presidential ana state
o,ecton of 1872 The Baxter men had control Of all he
Offices appointed the boards OF registration and the
Judges and clerks OF election, and had the whole
political machinery Of the State in their hands The
consequence was the Grant acd Baxter ticket had
majority declared IN s favor. The facts, however az
deyeopedin the controversy which has since arisen'
are that an actual majority OF from 600O to 1900 votes
was given 20 the Greeley and Brooks ticket The re-
turns OF the election opened in the state senate
the presence OF both Houses UNITED States senator
Claytons brother presidin and Baxter was pursuan'
to the provisions OF the state Constitution declared
duly elected Governor. and therenpon nauglrated.
The other executive officers on the same ticket were
also declared duly elected and the Legislature the
members OF which chosen at the same time and ~
the same means was duly organized and subsequently
elected Mr.. Dorsey to the United States Senate.
1t was this compact and inseparaby connected chain
of public aairs which. within short time, some dis
conented Republicans headed by Chief Justice Mcclure
of the Supreme Court undertook 10 break. Baxter
seems TO have given mortal ofense TO THESE men by
yenturing TO I'LL OF the public Offices with men who
did not belong to the military colony. ana therefore hs
was TO be deposed The way to do IL was 20 aege that
his election was obtained through fraud. The State
Constitution provides that contested election for the
office OF Governor shall be determined by the General
Assembly, Brooks presented his petition to contest
in the Senate but the Senate rejected 1t by an over
whemins majority. Then followed the legal proceedings
which need not be partcularzed any further tbanto
say that the overrulng OF demurrer which Baxter
followed by tho forcble expulsion OF the former from
the Office OF Governor the seizure Of the State House by
the coloniss-who had all by this time changed sides
and by the little civil war which continued here unu
the President at last nerered aud Baxter was restored
TO Office These are the salient points OF the political
embodiment which has brought the Congressional Com
mittee to Little Rock. The testimony which has been
taken discoses in disgraceful detail the shame
less frauds which tie leaders OF the Republican party
who were ali that time the adherents OF Baxter putin
operation TO secure the OF their ticket TammanY
Hall, in the palmest days OF its political ascendency
never ventured such open and barefaced mposons.
In counties where the Brindle and Bourbon comDlns
ton favor registration was refused to sucen'
number OF Democrats or Conservatives TO neutrallis
any estimated majority for that side and where 1t SUD
sequenty appeared that the precautions thus taken
were not sufficient, enough names were struck on mo
registration list without notice 10 the voters WHO naa
already received their certificates and those votes Wers
refused election day. "Repeating" was done on an
extensive scale. Ballotbox stufilng was resorted o'
and the registration lists filed up with ncuious
names. Maorities given for Brooks were credited 10
Baxter; and figures altered to suit tue unns'
judges and unfaithful clerks Of election. sherns
OF counties planned irregularities in preelncs
so that the county clerks should h'''
an excuse for excluding such As gave wf
jorites for Brooks. When, even with all tho'e
systematic frauds, the returns, they were being TO
ceived by the Secretary Of State indicated prospect"
Baxters defeat they sent back by the Secretary"
be "doctored," and even then it found necessary
to exclude entirely the returns from four or u'e
counties Every State official, including Gov BaN"'
the ChiefJusce and Justices OF the Supreme Court '
sheris and Clerks OF Counties, the Secretary OF s'
and the other MINOR officers. either participant ~
cognizant Of these frauds. IL was testified to oy QUO
OF the Sheri who related his part In H. that nono
but Republicans had anything 10 do with the eheau"s'
and Of the Supreme Court judges stated that tn'
was understanding (he indignant at ITS otios
termed conspiracy among all the prominent Rep"S