Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-09-27
ARKANSAS POLITICS.
Views Of an AFkRhsHs Radical - He
Charges That the eCOnstitutianhI SOu-
VentiOn BecaRae a Democratic
Nominating Convention.
An ImPudent Attempt TO Make Capital
Out of the Confederate Record of
the Democratic Nominees
that Won't Pay.


] rum AAaN 4NtW LALh 1lAAlEn.l
LITTLE Rock, ARK, September TO-
! The notable event Of to-day was the nomina-
! ton of a ticket for State officers by the Demo-
| cratic convention, held in the statehouse. Tne
! venerable Bourbons, WHO, for the last two
! months have been IN session Is a constitution
! al convention, ended their laboss as such yes
/ terday, by passing sn ordinance abohshing
| insianter the constitutional offices o. leu
tenant-gOvernoT, commissioner Of publ C
works AID superintendent of pubic instruc-
! uon, then aoJ JOurned as a constitutional con-
ventiOn, and. within an hour or Two, reas-
sembied as a Democratic convention for the
| nomination OF candidate for the state
oTnceS prescribed by the new constitution.
Ihe time OF the three sessions OF The cOnyen-
tOn neld yesterday was spent in the usual
preLmi nary skirntshtng over organiza-
uOn, the twothirds rule, etc, and to-
day the convention settled in good earnest
down 70 It's work, and in a brief time sgTeed
upon "the slate" For some time past public
curiosity in regard 10 the convention has been
strongly exercised upon Two points: First,
whether the convention would make Baxter
the nominee for governor; and second, Wheth-
CT Il would make a "straig ght-out" Democratic
ticket, or give place or two 10 the allies who
had been attracted from the ranks OF the So
called Conservatives and Liberal Republicans.
The curiosity was greatest in regard to Baxter,
as many OF the delegates were outSpoken in
their hostility TO him, and during the first day
OF the session he was bitterly denounced as
cOWardly, yacillating and cOntemptible, in
speeches of length and ability delivered by
influential men. Ia connection with this, a
rumor had been for some time curTent that
ton did nominate him he would
resign, and thereby place the lieuten-
ant-goYernor, smith, thoroughbred Repub-
ncan in the executive Office, ia ferrOrfm over
the heads Of the reCalcitrant DemOcracy. This
was the explanation given for the singular
action OF the convention in assuming to abOl-
ish The Ofiice Of ieutenant-goyerBor, by a
simple ordinance taking immediate effect;
and there can be Dut little doubt OF its truth
For these reasons split and a bolt from the
convention was, by many confidently eX.
pected, ana IL was matter of surprise when
IL was a. uCunced that the two thirds rule had
been voted down ana Baxter nominated by
a simple majority al the evening session OF
the first day. This morning partially explained
the mystery, letter being read in the con-
vention conveying the information that Bax-
Ter declined 70 accept the nomination and one |
passing The groups Of politicians discussing
the matter On the street corners could fre-
Quently hear such expressions as 1.-The lie uten- /
ant-gONernor Is out Ot the way now" "A put /
up job" etc, etc. Whether or not the ezpla- /
nation limited at in these expressions is cor ]
rect, Is OF course matter oI mere conjecture; 4
but II seems 10 be not far from the truJh. The /
other question, whether the BourbORs would /
give any places on the ticket 70 Conservatives
and renegade Republicans, was, after the dis
pOsal OF the Baxter matter, disposed Of in the
most decided and summary manner; and a
ticket was made out composed, with but one
exception, OF BourbOns Of the
most intense and pronounced description
men whose happiest moments of existence !
were probably spent in the Confederate
army. The TACT that a good Confede-
rate army record was the surest passport
10 the favor OF the convention was strong
~ illustrated by the prompt squelching
TO several OF the candidates
who predicated their hopes upon OF her COM
sidsratious. one OF the candidates was a /
northern man, who had served in the Union
army, but he, doubtless, regarding these Of
lenses as being cUndoned by his having dur
ng the BrOOks-Baxter war warmly espOused
he cause OF the latter, and rendered him i'm
on, entered the lists as candidate against
an old Confederate Lieutenant colonel, and for
ais pains hsd the pleasure OF being distaBced
n The f1rst heat. The names Of two old citiZens
we're mentiOned-one OF whom was a Baxter
nan, the other had supported Brooks. and !
l0tn had been UniOnists during the war Of
course they were set aside. From the annexed
which gives the name and record
If the various candidates, the character OF /
he convention and that Of its nominees will
% apparent al a glance:
A. n. Garland, the candidate for governor,
vas member Of the Arkansas secession con- |
'ention, and, subsequently, a Confederate
state senator, and Bakers leading counsel in |
lis ltttgatiOns with Brooks.
Il. Il. English, candidate for chief.iustfce of ,
he supreme court, held the same POSITION uu- / !
er the Confederate state government.
David Walker, one candidate Tor associate
1slce, was president Of the Arkansas seees-
ion convention.
W. 3. Harrison, the candidate for the sec I
nd associate Justiceshlp, is the exception !
oted above as unimpOrtant. his unimport- !
nee during the rebellion prevented him FROM {
aVlng war record Of any kind, and renders !
unnecessary 70 say mucn about him. III I
aid tnat his policy during the war was un !
npOrtant neutrality, and he seems to hold l
De same relation 10 The Democratic ticket. /
b. B. Beaver, candidate for secretary of
ate was q Confederate colonel |
I. J. Churchill, candidate for treasurer, q / D
Oufederate major-general. 1
W. Il. Miiler, candidate for auditor, was q a
OnfedeTate colonel.
Hughes, candidate for attorney general, a
OnledeTate colonel. y
John X. Eakin, candidate for chancellor, a f
DufedeTate colonel. o
n r. Wit, candidate for county clerk, a &
1nfederate major. Il
J. y. smithee, candidate for commissioner b
state lands was Confederate captain. 2
The last-naIned candidate Is also an assist Z
% editor Of the Democratic newspaper here, v
ld Geographic agent OF the associated press. e
be ticket is already appropriately designated
the Confederate ticket JOHN.